Alexander Hotowy was invited by the Senate of the Austrian Economy as a pioneer for innovative and digital corporate culture due to current developments to write about what it takes from his point of view to remain successfully innovative even in crisis situations and which challenges have to be considered in this context from his own experience. The thought-provoking article has now been published in unabridged form in the Senate’s magazine to motivate companies not to automatically rely on a defensive innovation strategy in a crisis or to read why Alexander Hotowy compares a global pandemic to his morning jog.
Here a brief insight: Innovative strength in the crisis – Between lip service and struggle for survival!
In times of crisis, it is very tempting for decision-makers to justify the lack of entrepreneurial efforts/innovations with the crisis itself.
“We would, but currently we have to wait and see how the situation develops”
In political terms, this is called focusing on system-critical functions. In business terms, this mode is called safeguarding the existing business model. Everything is done to maintain it as long as possible. It is about jobs, it is about survival!
“Too risky due to current conditions”
To argue that this approach would be the wrong thing to do in a crisis is doubtful. Rather, it is important to answer the question of how to avoid such situations preventively or how to be better positioned to deal with them in the future. In the professional as well as in the private sphere, it is important to take measures at a time when they do not yet seem so essential in order to have the resulting skills available when they are urgently needed. Let’s take sports as an example. Admittedly, comparing the morning jog with a global pandemic is quite far-fetched, but let me elaborate.
Innovation is an ongoing process
We would be delighted if you would also share with us your entrepreneurial experiences and observations that you have been able to make in recent months, and if you would also keep us up to date on your innovation strategies. Particularly in times like these, we believe that exchanging ideas and cooperating with one another is the decisive factor for success.
We also strive to continuously adapt our service and product portfolio to your needs in order to accompany you into the future in the best possible way. In recent months, it has been repeatedly confirmed to us that factors that are often not visible at first glance, such as culture, attitude and values, are particularly important for a company with digital DNA. For this reason, we for example have developed a method for a holistic view of companies and their transformation projects with the Change Architects.
If you have further interest in innovation topics or want to learn about experiences of other companies, download the current magazine issue “Innovationsmacher” of the Senate of the Economy here:
