This blog post is about an exciting interview with Christian Underwood and Prof. Jürgen Weigand in Dialog Magazine. For those who are interested in the whole interview, we have linked the interview below. The interview discusses the importance of strategy in meeting the challenges of digital transformation.
In today's world, effective positioning and the use of appropriate channels is of great importance for companies. In the interview, they explain how they design their strategy consulting and what role their podcast plays in this. They emphasize that their consulting is not the conventional kind, but offers an external view and honest opinions. They also place great value on a common wavelength and clarify goals and expectations before working together.
Christian Underwood and Jürgen Weigand run the weekly podcast "Hope is not a strategy", in which they shed light on the topic of strategy through practical experience and conversations with other professionals. They encourage people to take active action and not just passively participate in events.
A key issue highlighted in the interview is the strategy for business succession in family businesses, particularly against the backdrop of digitization. The experts emphasize that a clear strategy is necessary to successfully manage the digital transformation. They also discuss the challenges associated with generational change in family businesses.
The interview took place at WHU - Otto Beisheim School of Management, a renowned university specializing in management education. In the interview, Christian Underwood and Jürgen Weigand emphasize the importance of excellent strategic education for future managers.
The discussion shows that strategy and strategic action are crucial to shaping the future and successfully managing the digital transformation. Of particular importance here are learning and sharing experiences in a team-oriented environment.
Christian Underwood explains the genesis of his consulting approach and presents the StartegyFrame, a digital tool that supports the entire strategy process. It also acts as a digital strategy platform. He emphasizes that many companies still rely on hope instead of strategy and that it is time to change this.
The interview also discusses the term "strategy" and the need for clear guidelines. The experts believe that strategy still offers a lot of room for digitization in the corporate context and that a strategic approach to technology, IT and AI is crucial. Strategy is a key factor for success in digital transformation and that experienced trendsetters are needed to support companies and executives on this journey.
To integrate the StrategyFrame and the personal touch into their consulting, Christian Underwood and Jürgen Weigand rely on a software-as-a-service platform. Their approach is to leave the strategy to the companies themselves, but support them as needed. With a low price threshold and transparent processes, they enable companies to implement strategy while offering support when needed. They emphasize the importance of IT background in today's strategy consulting.
Using the Azure cloud computing platform, they still ensure a high level of data security for their users. They emphasize that they do not tap the data, but leave the users in control. In the future, they plan to integrate more functions into their StrategyFrame and offer strategy for different areas. Their goal is to establish strategy in a tangible, measurable and long-term way.
With the advent of New Work, home office and work-life balance, hierarchical structures in modern managed companies are increasingly at odds with employee expectations. Christian Underwood and Jürgen Weigand emphasize that strategy requires leadership and that enthusiasm and employee buy-in are essential. They see themselves as travel companions and would like to hand over responsibility to the companies.
Strategy consulting in the digital age requires a new approach that goes beyond conventional consulting. Weigand and Underwood rely on a combination of consulting and tool to make strategy tangible and actionable. Their goal is to support companies in various areas while ensuring a high level of user-friendliness. By integrating modern work concepts and involving employees, they aim to create a new balance between people and technology.
https://issuu.com/dialog-magazin/docs/dialog-dasmagazin_2023