Every year, renowned institutions conduct surveys and analyses to examine sentiment in the economic environment. A special focus is placed on risks that companies are most likely to face. In addition, risks are identified that appear to be of particular concern in the following fiscal year. These assessments are readily condensed into top 10 risks for media outlets that love rankings to pick up and comment on. Looking at the 2019 studies with an eye toward 2020, one wonders. Overall, business leaders and other experts identified a number of top risks. Topping the list were cyber risks, regulatory changes, adverse market developments, skills shortages or political risks - but no pandemic.

The pandemic hit us unexpectedly

Neither Allianz's Global Risk Barometer nor the global Business Continuity Institute, nor PwC's Global CEO Survey, nor the US University of North Carolina's likewise globally oriented risk survey with the consulting firm Protiviti had a pandemic on their radar. Only the Global Risks Report of the World Economic Forum (WEF) mentions a pandemic in passing. However, its effects "only" made it to 10th place among all risks. And because the probability of occurrence was rated as very low, the authors of the study did not examine this risk in detail. The Funk Group's Funk Global Risk Consensus, which consolidates the results of numerous risk studies to avoid bias, also failed to identify the pandemic as a top risk.

The fact that this was "overlooked" on a broad front raises a few questions against the background of current events. Especially since the pandemic risk was weighted much more heavily in the studies mentioned a few years ago. This was always the case after an immediate event (swine and avian flu or SARS and Ebola). With each additional year after the events, the probability of their occurrence was also estimated to be lower and lower.

Psychological effects distort risk perception

This error of judgment is the result of psychological effects. Instead of statistics, we are guided by media events and perceive the world in a distorted way. That is why we are more afraid of being killed in a plane crash than in a car accident, even though it has been proven that more people die in road traffic than in air travel. Moreover, collective forgetfulness sets in more quickly if one was only marginally affected by a loss event. Even experts are not immune to this. The risk studies therefore primarily depict a "current" risk situation or a risk situation conveyed by the media. Latent risks thus tend to fall off the radar. The surprise is all the greater when the event actually occurs.

Everything that can go wrong will go wrong

Estimating the probability of occurrence is one of the greatest challenges of risk management. They are often subjective, false-precise and usually lead to the underestimation of risks with a high impact. Whether a risk's probability of occurrence is judged to be small or whether one prepares for it in an expedient manner, unperturbed by it, makes a big difference. In this respect, a change in thinking and the realization that we cannot forecast everything are required. Within the bounds of our entrepreneurial possibilities, we should nevertheless prepare for certain eventualities and keep an eye on those risks which - like a pandemic - have a global impact but are potentially underestimated because they are assessed as unlikely.

For example, the interruption of the Internet or the failure of the communications infrastructure. These are two risks that are gaining in importance against the backdrop of the current digitalization leap. But a power outage in the world's biggest economic centers, a global pest infestation or the eruption of a super volcano are also risks that don't appear anywhere. Whether one likes it or not: Overall, we will have to take risk aspects more into account when making corporate and social decisions in order to decide more consciously how we as a company or society want to deal with them and how we want to arm ourselves against them.

Risk management is also becoming increasingly important for SMEs

To ease the burden on SMEs, companies with less than CHF 40 million in sales or fewer than 250 full-time employees were exempted in 2013 from the CO requirement to publish a risk assessment in the notes to the annual financial statements. The requirement had been introduced just five years earlier. Germany, meanwhile, goes one step further in terms of risk management. Instead of a classic risk assessment, an auditing standard has recently been introduced that requires risk aspects to be taken into account in all important business decisions - so that companies can also take precautions for cases that no one really expects.

About the author
Max Keller studied economics at HfWU Nürtingen and is currently completing a master's degree in digital business at HWZ. He heads the Funk RiskLab, founded three years ago at the Radio group in Switzerland. In addition to risk consulting and the development of new tools, his team analyzes the annually published risk rankings of renowned organizations and summarizes them in the Funk Global Risk Consensus. The following studies are evaluated: Allianz Risk Barometer: Survey of 2700 risk management experts in 102 countries; WEF Global Risks Report: survey of 800 members plus a survey of 200 members of WEF's Global Sharpers Community; Business Continuity Institute Horizon Scan Report: Survey of 9,000 members in more than 100 countries; CEO Survey by PwC: Analysis of almost 1,600 questionnaires from more than 80 countries; Executive Perspective on Top Risks, a project of North Carolina State University and the consulting firm Protiviti: Survey of more than 1,000 boards of directors and CEOs worldwide.

The life worlds of company employees are different, as are their biographically determined experiences and value systems. This is why they react very differently emotionally to the same events. This is particularly evident in exceptional situations such as the current Corona crisis. While some people feared the end of their lives in the past few weeks, partly because of the images from Italian hospitals, others enjoyed the lockdown-related time off and the nice weather and thought: This catastrophe, too, will pass.

The mood of the employees is very different

Managers at many companies were mostly confronted with these extremes of emotion only to a limited extent in the period following the shutdown, as their employees were often on reduced working hours or working from home offices. But now many employees are returning to their "normal" workplaces at the company - usually in a very different frame of mind. While some are happy about this, others have very mixed feelings - for example,

• because they are afraid of infection in the workplace or
• because at home are their children, whose schools are still closed, or
• because they simply ask themselves: What will happen next in our company? What changes are coming for me/us?

And not infrequently, this different perception and feeling will also lead to tensions within the workforce. For example, HR managers are already reporting that employees at their companies are debating quite controversially about the extent to which working from home should still be possible in the post-Corona period.

Employees often do not show their fears

Managers must be prepared for such debates; they must also be prepared for the fact that their employees will react more sensitively emotionally after the lockdown than they did in the pre-Corona era, even if they do not show their feelings directly, because employees usually know from experience that if a person in a company shows feelings such as fears and is also emotionally committed to a cause, this is often interpreted as weakness by their interlocutors. And not infrequently, they are even muzzled with statements such as

• "Now keep it businesslike." Or:
• "Now don't go painting the devil on the wall."

So the fact that an employee shows feelings is used as a legitimization for not addressing his or her concerns seriously. And does a person regularly show feelings? Then they are quickly pigeonholed:

• "Oh, that Müller woman, she's quick to react hysterically." Or:
• "Oh that Huber, he makes a mountain out of every molehill."

That's why employees usually try to show little emotional involvement in the workplace. Instead, they hide their feelings behind seemingly rational arguments. As a result, companies often endlessly discuss trivial matters. And do the people in question not achieve their goals with their seemingly rational argumentation? Then they often try to do so in a roundabout way - for example, by deliberately forgetting or misinterpreting resolutions and tasks.

This danger is even greater in the current situation, because not only is there a great deal of uncertainty in society as to what will happen next, but the decision-makers in the companies do not know either. They can only operate on sight, so to speak; accordingly, they frequently have to change their decisions and plans. This in turn fuels the fears and often also the resentment of employees, which is why they react more "emotionally" than usual.

Sense for situations and constellations

The fears or, more generally, emotions of their employees - which conceal individual desires and values, interests and experiences - are something managers must try to address as far as possible,

• to recognize,
• evaluate correctly and
• respond to them in a way that makes the people concerned feel taken seriously.

In addition to antennae for the feelings of other people, this requires a keen sense of situations and constellations - in order to avoid misjudgements. This is not easy, because emotions and personal interests are often articulated in a veiled way in the corporate context, and an employee's statement "That won't do," for example, can mean two things:

• "This does not work for technical reasons" and
• "I personally do not want this".

Managers often first have to determine what is true. Because this is not always easy, managers should actually be grateful to all employees who openly show their emotions, because: This makes it easier for them to design workable solutions.

Reflect on one's own value system and behavior

In the coming weeks and months, it will be important for managers - precisely because they themselves are under enormous pressure to make decisions and take action - to reflect regularly:

• What is my value system and what characterizes my life and work situation? And:
• How do they differ from my respective counterpart?

Otherwise, there is a great risk that they themselves will react irrationally to their counterpart's behavior or emotional expressions that irritate them, or, for example, with killer phrases such as "Now don't get so upset" or "Now leave the church in the village. Such statements hurt the other person. Ultimately, they destroy what managers want from their employees:

• Identification with their task as well as the company and
• the willingness to commit to this.

Exploring the roots of emotions

In such a situation, it makes more sense to first signal to the employee that you have noticed his or her emotionality - for example, with a statement such as "I can see that this topic is on your mind." Or, "I'm glad you're so committed to ...."

Then, as a manager, you should try to get a picture of why the employee reacts the way he does in order to avoid jumping to conclusions. For example, suppose an employee is reluctant to take on a certain task involving customer contact. This could also be because he is afraid of contracting Corona - also because a person with pre-damaged lungs lives in his household. In this case, you as a manager should react differently than if an employee simply doesn't want to do a necessary task.

Demonstrate emotional intelligence as a leader

In the coming weeks and months, it is clear that executives will face many new challenges, some of which will require them to take on completely new or unfamiliar roles. However, they can also prove in them the extent to which they also have the emotional intelligence that characterizes a mature leader.

To the author:
Joachim Simon, Braunschweig, is an executive trainer and coach. With the online program "Egoleading," which he designed, (future) managers can train the skills they need to lead people and corporate units in the digital age (www.joachimsimon.info).

UMB, AbbVie and CSP are the best employers in Switzerland in their respective categories. This result is based on feedback from over 17,000 employees surveyed by Great Place to Work. 4 out of 5 employees would recommend these companies to their friends and acquaintances. For the first time, the awards ceremony for the 12th edition of this competition was not held at a formal event, but was purely virtual due to the Corona crisis. More than 200 companies took part in the independent analysis of their workplace culture this year - but just 46 made it onto the list of the best.

Well-known brands among the top employers

With UMB, a company that already emerged as a winner in the medium category in 2016 and 2018 is swinging out on top among the large companies with more than 250 employees. AbbVie has also been among the best employers for a long time and has been honored in the medium category (50-249 employees) every year since 2015. This year, it has now been enough to win. In 2017, CSP AG Competence Solutions Project was narrowly beaten in the small company category (up to 49 employees), but this year they are at the top of the podium.

In addition to well-known brands such as Digitec Galaxus, IWC Schaffhausen, Sunrise, SAP and DHL, the award-winning employers include many Swiss SMEs. For these, an excellent workplace culture is an important tool in the battle for the best talent in view of the shortage of skilled workers and demographic change.

What it takes to be among the best employers

Excellent employers know how to sustainably develop the potential of their employees. The basis for this is above all a high level of trust, achieved through lived values and leadership quality. Although these aspects are individual to each company, overarching trends and best practices can be identified. At the same time, we can see where the biggest differences lie compared to the average employer:

Employees want to be involved in decisions, which has to do with living appreciation. Agile companies do not claim that top management has all the solutions at the ready. Instead, employees are shown great trust and motivated to contribute their own ideas. Leah Martorelli, consultant at Great Place to Work Switzerland, explains how this is done at UMB, for example: "UMB has created a portal in which every colleague can easily publish their own idea, make it public and thus participate in the further development of the company: If an innovation or a suggestion is liked, the colleague can simply give it a "like". Anyone who publishes an innovation should not just be the provider of ideas, but should also be actively involved in their implementation.

Meaningfulness in work

A sense of purpose at work and pride in the company are also becoming increasingly important drivers of employee satisfaction. As an example, Dr. Thomas Schneider, consultant and co-owner of Great Place to Work Switzerland, cites the pharmaceutical company AbbVie: "Treating advanced Parkinson's is a major challenge. That's why it's important to AbbVie to celebrate each and every patient whose treatment has enabled them to improve their quality of life. Therefore, at the beginning of each month, a ship's bell is used to communicate the happy number of new patients. Each chime in the cafeteria signifies the improvement of a Parkinson's patient's quality of life through AbbVie therapy. This signaling should accompany the employees until the end of the year and show that AbbVie is doing good things month after month and that there is excellent teamwork behind every chime."

APP Unternehmensberatung, ranked third among medium-sized companies, also relies on employee involvement, as consultant Christine Meyenhofer from Great Place to Work Switzerland knows: "At the annual three-day future seminar, employees participate in the further development of values, vision and corporate policy, among other things. Although it would be less time-consuming to involve only the management in this, the participatory approach chosen offers clear added value, as the content developed is more broadly based."

Excellent employers: The 2020 ranking

Large companies (250+ employees)

1. UMB AG (information and telecommunications technology, 342 employees)
2. DHL Express (Schweiz) AG (Transport & Freight - freight transport and freight, 1280 employees)
3. AWK Group AG (Information and Telecommunication Technology - IT Consulting, 320 employees)

Medium-sized companies (50-249 employees)

1. AbbVie AG (Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals - Biotechnology, 165 employees)
2. Amgen Switzerland AG (Biotechnology & Pharmaceutical Industry, 79 employees)
3. APP Unternehmensberatung AG (Services - Consulting - Management, 84 employees)

Small companies (20-49 employees)

1. CSP AG Competence Solutions Projects (Services - Consulting - Management, 33 employees)
2. Hilton (Hospitality - Hotel & Resorts, 43 employees)
3. Steinmann & Partner GmbH (Services, 21 employees)

You can find the complete list on https://www.greatplacetowork.ch/ausgezeichnete-arbeitgeber/schweiz/2020/

SMEs in the MEM sector have responded quickly to the challenges of the Covid 19 crisis: One-third have applied for a government bridging loan, and two-thirds have registered for short-time work. In addition to taking advantage of government measures, businesses are also putting the brakes on costs: for example, 16 percent have made redundancies, 72 percent have put a hiring freeze in place and 68 percent have put a freeze on investment.

Covid 19 crisis hits MEM sector twice

These measures were unavoidable. The quarterly survey of over 400 companies conducted by Swissmechanic and BAK Economics in April shows that the pandemic is hitting the Swiss MEM sector twice. On the one hand, smooth production is being affected: 42 percent of the companies surveyed report interruptions in their supply chains, while 25 percent report staff absences due to illness, quarantine or care obligations. Second, SMEs are suffering from a pronounced slump in demand. Due to the global recession, the sharp rise in uncertainty and the increased need for liquidity, customers in the MEM sector are putting the brakes on investments.

Business climate index deteriorates significantly - further slump expected in Q2

The strains on the supply and demand side are leaving their mark. The Swissmechanic Business Climate Index for SMEs in the MEM sector makes it clear that the climate, which was already pessimistic last fall and winter, has again deteriorated significantly in April 2020. The SMEs surveyed have no illusions about the second quarter of 2020, with an overwhelming majority (82%) expecting orders to slump further.

Strong catch-up effects in 2021 and 2022 if pandemic remains under control

Only 6 percent see a seriously increased risk of bankruptcy for themselves, which proves that companies are looking beyond the current storm. If, as assumed in BAK Economics' baseline scenario, the pandemic can be brought under control in the summer, the industry can expect to see extremely strong catch-up effects in 2021 and 2022.

The federal government's aid package, consisting of bridging loans and the extension of short-time work compensation, has helped many SMEs to make ends meet in the short term. The worst has thus been averted for the time being. In view of the uncertainty about future developments, the term of the bridging loans should be extended to 8 to 10 years. At the same time, Swissmechanic is demanding that the guaranteed loans be regarded as loans with subordination under notary law in order to minimize the risk of overindebtedness.

Source: Swissmechanic

Having already achieved second place in 2017, CSP, a consulting firm specializing in IT and organizational projects, is delighted with this result. Ongoing investments and improvements in the areas of workplace culture and attractiveness as well as employee satisfaction have led to this top result, reports the SME with locations in St.Gallen, Zurich and Bern.

Great Place to Work in the "Best Workplaces Small" category

Michèle Mégroz, Chair of the Executive Board, is thrilled with the placement. "Finding and retaining motivated, well-trained and enthusiastic employees is the key to CSP's success. Our values have always been geared towards this, as performance orientation, self-responsibility, recognition, appreciative interaction, high work flexibility and fun at work are the pillars of our culture. This award stands for the fact that we live and implement this in our everyday work".

With the upcoming organizational development of the company into a managed self-organization, the investments and improvements already made will now be consistently implemented. Roger Künzli, member of the Executive Board, explains what this involves in concrete terms: "With this new organizational form, which we will implement across the entire company in 2021, we want to become more agile and give our employees the greatest possible freedom to develop optimally. The aim is to exploit the full potential of the company. The optimal benefit for the customer is always at the center."

"Inspiring work climate"

The Great Place to Work® certification program stands for a special commitment to shaping workplace culture and is awarded according to an assured procedure. Components of the evaluation include an independent, anonymous survey of employees and an analysis of HR measures and programs. Six factors are measured: mutual trust as the basis of the workplace culture, the values practiced, leadership quality, the extent to which all employees develop their potential, and the resulting innovative strength and value creation. GPtW® defines a Great Place to Work® as a place "that inspires you to reach for the stars, where employees of all generations can develop personally and professionally, where people trust and support each other, where they take pride in their work, where working with colleagues is fun, and a place where you can realize your own potential." The company is proud to say that this is also true of CSP, where it creates a working atmosphere that enables optimal customer service and satisfied employees.

Source: CSP AG

Safely back to work in the new normal: that's probably what most of us want at the moment. Three of the world's leading staffing companies, Randstad, Adecco and Manpower, see it that way and are joining forces in an alliance to this end. The aim of this collaboration is to minimize the negative impact of the Corona pandemic on the economy.

Strategies and scenarios for a safe return to work

To help companies return their employees safely to their jobs, the Alliance has developed strategies and scenarios and presented them in a Policy paper published. Business, personnel and work concepts must be adapted to the new reality. This requires know-how, expertise and a high degree of flexibility. Qualities that personnel service providers, as the world's largest employer, have proven to possess. "We know the labor market and the industry-specific health and safety requirements. This makes us an ideal partner to support companies on the road to economic renewal. And can thus counteract a long and painful recession," says Taco de Vries, CEO Randstad Switzerland.

Helpful guide for companies

The alliance of the three major HR companies has developed a global and comprehensive Collection of concrete guidance and measures that have been successfully implemented in companies. This guide offers practical and innovative approaches to work organization and workforce planning for the revitalization of the economy. The faster companies and employees adapt and get used to the new reality, the lower the economic impact will be.

Personnel service providers invite cooperation

The Alliance invites employers, trade unions and non-governmental organizations to work together. At the same time, it is addressing governments to support, stimulate and promote these efforts. Other stakeholders are also called upon to join forces as well. In this way, companies and employees can return to work in a safe and productive way.

This campaign is also supported by digitalswitzerland, the Gebert Rüf Foundation and the Hirschmann Foundation. All three institutions are concerned about education and training, as well as the development of Switzerland as a business location. Above all, digitalswitzerland wants to make Switzerland a leading international location for digital innovation.

With the "Your chance to stay fit" program, both employees and employers can directly and easily apply for conditional financial support of up to 50% of the further training costs or up to CHF 1,000 per applicant for the acquisition of digital skills. As things stand, the program can cover the training costs of around 90 applicants in total.

Investment for the management of structural change

"Digital transformation is a particular challenge for many companies. New technologies are continuously creating new demands on employees. This structural change requires investment in further training. Therefore, with the new program, we want to make a contribution to Swiss employees and employers so that they can seize potential and opportunities in the current difficult situation," says Danièle Castle, Senior Director Education&Talent at digitalswitzerland.

All further information including application form for employees and employers are available on www.lifelonglearning.ch/boost to find.

Data is the new gold - but IT will very soon no longer be the gold digger. As part of digitization, the demands on the IT department are changing as more and more processes in the company run automatically. Instead, complex networked, often external applications will dominate everyday operations. This means that the IT organization will have a fundamentally new role to play: away from being a problem-solving cost optimizer and toward becoming a creative business enabler.

Old-style IT departments cannot shape digitization

"We are experiencing a massive transformation in technologies, processes and ways of working. The opportunities are huge if we take everyone with us - especially the employees," emphasizes Mathias Hess. Mathias Hess is a digitization professional, interim manager and co-author of the book "Digital Insights - Digitization: 7 Views from the Field." "If you want to shape digitization, you have to overcome departmental boundaries and silo thinking," adds the interim manager, who has been on the move in the digital world for around a quarter of a century - in large national corporations, as CIO and IT director, and in responsible management positions at IT service providers. Overcoming silo thinking also means being open to cloud solutions and IT outsourcing and opening up one's own interfaces for customers or suppliers, for example. But the focus must also become more holistic internally. Only when every employee interacts and is involved and departmental boundaries cease to be communication boundaries can digitization succeed.

At present, many CEOs are still shying away from the step into a fully digitized future, the expert observes. Others would fail to implement due to a lack of analysis in advance and the absence of a coherent concept. "While the corporate IT department, faced with the sheer endless range of technical solutions, is faced with the question of which IT solutions best fit the new business model and offer the most benefits for operations and customers, the management is faced with the task of developing a company-wide digitization strategy that takes into account both customer needs and market requirements and thus becomes an essential part of the corporate strategy," says Hess.

Think less from the problem

What is needed are big concepts and visions; it is a matter of shaping all business relationships and processes with the involvement of customers and all participants in the value chain, not of making small repairs to the existing system. Anyone who takes digitization seriously has to think this way. Many IT departments reach their limits in this way of thinking. This is the job of the management. Digital transformation is about the future direction of the company. Here, the IT department can provide support in the form of expertise, but it should not become the decision-maker. "Many IT departments think too much in terms of the problem and not enough in terms of the solution," says Hess.

Digitalization requires targeted change management that involves employees and actively integrates them on the path to digital transformation. The fears of employees and other stakeholders regarding new business models would have to be taken seriously and proactively addressed. "Agile corporate management, open communication with employees and their early involvement in the digitization process, as well as a healthy culture of error are essential for this," Hess emphasizes.

Practical guide for SMEs

In "Digital Insights - Digitization: 7 Perspectives from the Field," seven successful interim managers report directly from the field. They shed light on megatrends and technical innovations, address entrepreneurial, process-related, ethical, social and global issues as well as the relationship between managers and employees. The seven authors come from a variety of industries and disciplines and bring together all their expertise in "Digital Insights," making it useful for small and medium-sized companies. The book is intended as a practical guide, providing valuable food for thought as well as tangible tips. The value of the work lies in the interdisciplinary composition of the authors and in the easy-to-understand communication of the messages. The book is not technological gobbledygook, but offers concrete support for the first steps in the company.

The authors Elmar M. Gorich (Business 2030: the business models of the future), Mathias Hess (From IT to change management - the human factor of digitization), Matthias Koppe (Digitization is networking), Eberhard Müller (Competitive through customer-focused value-added systems), Uwe Seidel (Anything but standard: Digitization needs a clear strategy), Bettina Vier (Juggling work: customer centricity in B2B relationships) and Ludger Wiedemeier (Governance and transformation) speak plainly and paint a realistic picture of the opportunities and possibilities, but also of the challenges and risks. They provide insights from the hard practice of dozens of projects in medium-sized companies and international corporations and look at the topic of digitization from very different angles. All authors are members of the "Digitalization and Industry 4.0 Working Group" of the umbrella organization German Interim Management (DDIM) and are among the most recognized experts in their respective fields.

"Digital Insights - Digitization: 7 Views from the Field" is published by Best Practice Verlag and costs 39.90 euros. More information

Switzerland was able to act from a position of strength during the crisis due to its successful model, but at the same time some weaknesses have been revealed. The momentum can now be used to make the successful model of Switzerland fit for the future and thus to be solidly positioned also in future crises. Switzerland's political system, its pronounced federalism with its principle of subsidiarity, its liberal economic system, its strong diplomatic relations, its capacity for innovation and, last but not least, the entrepreneurial spirit of its citizens offer particularly favorable conditions that must now be exploited, writes PwC Switzerland.

Seven theses for the Swiss success model

The following seven theses (including highly abbreviated explanations) show which measures can help Switzerland as a state and economy to emerge stronger from the current crisis. The full thesis paper is available at here download.

1. take advantage of the digitization push and promote new working models and further development of administrative practice in the digital age.
The experience of the Corona crisis has made the need for digital transformation and new working models evident. The crisis has shown how vulnerable the Swiss administration is when it can no longer collaborate physically. The political institutions must use this momentum to further accelerate the digital transformation at all three levels of government - not only to be better prepared for the next crisis, but also to make the state as a whole more efficient, smarter, more innovative and more needs-oriented (e.g., further expansion of digital interfaces between companies and the administration in direct taxation, digital citizen accounts, digital participation opportunities).

2. promote international cooperation to solve common problems together.
The current crisis has exposed the vulnerability of international supply chains. As an exporting nation, Switzerland is particularly dependent on functioning trade routes and international cooperation. It has an excellent diplomatic network and strong relationships and trade agreements - Switzerland must leverage this position in interaction with the internationally oriented Swiss economy and its relationships to adapt international agreements and make supply chains more robust and redundant.

3. strengthen Switzerland as a center of innovation and extend its lead
The Swiss economy is characterized by an enormously high level of innovation. The costly measures to support national trade and production as well as social security will, over a long period of time, force European neighbors to limit their investments in research and development. This is a valuable opportunity for Switzerland to further extend its lead in key areas through targeted support using existing or even new instruments.

4. using sustainability as a success factor and driving forward the transformation of the economy
It is to be feared that states will relax their environmental regulations to boost the economy in the short term. In this environment, Switzerland - supported by the accelerated digitization and its innovative universities and companies - can position itself as a pioneer in the area of sustainable transformation of the economy and innovative work models, and thus gain in attractiveness as a high-quality place to work, live, do business and visit.

5. further strengthen the resilience of the critical infrastructure and evaluate the need for digital sovereignty.
Significant infrastructure failures in Switzerland have not occurred. It is important to ensure the strengthening of national cyber security efforts in order to combat attacks on a broad front. Likewise, it is time to launch the discourse between business, science and politics on an interpretation of "digital sovereignty" that makes sense for Switzerland. By consistently building up its own defensive capabilities and technological competence, the security of sensitive information and Switzerland's digital sovereignty can be guaranteed.

6. develop transparent planning scenarios for future crisis situations
A key means of adequately countering future crises is the continuous development of plan scenarios. The earlier concrete dangers and potentially problematic trends in the health or security sector can be identified, the sooner effective countermeasures can be initiated and thus the most serious consequences averted. The international security situation will not improve significantly in the foreseeable future in the political, economic and also health sectors. Switzerland must prepare itself for the security situation in various areas through coordinated scenarios for any crises and build up the appropriate structures.

7. reflecting on strengths and making the Swiss success model fit for the future
The crisis has shown that cooperation between the players can be improved in certain areas. If we work on the identified weaknesses and build on the proven strengths, future challenges can be mastered - be it our old-age provision, the energy transition, the financial viability of the healthcare system or relations with the European Union and the international community of states.

Source: PwC Switzerland

The Corona crisis poses existential challenges for SMEs in Switzerland. 33 percent of SMEs suffered a drop in sales of more than 75 percent in April 2020 and 14.4 percent expect to go bankrupt in the next 6 months due to Corona. This is shown by the second Survey of GRYPS offer portal on the economic impact of the Corona crisis on small and medium-sized enterprises in Switzerland. This was conducted online on May 5 and 6, 2020, with 140 SMEs participating. Of these, most are small companies with up to 50 employees.

Few Covid 19 loans by vulnerable SMEs.

Strikingly, 80 percent of SMEs surveyed that fear bankruptcy due to the current situation have not applied for a Covid 19 bridge loan. Most companies with bankruptcy fears fall into the 1-10 employee category and are in the service and hospitality industries. "It turns out that it's the smallest service and hospitality firms that don't feel they can repay a loan. Here, a massive wave of bankruptcies will roll towards us," says Gaby Stäheli, co-CEO of GRYPS Offertenportal.

Other results in the survey

Compared with the previous month, there was a slight reduction in layoffs. While 15 percent planned or already carried out layoffs in March, the figure fell to 12 percent in April. Overall, 35 percent of SMEs surveyed have applied for a loan. Of these, however, 12 percent have not yet taken advantage of the bridging loan. 65 percent of SMEs have not applied for a bridging loan at all to date. And in terms of rent reductions, 12.6% have been able to agree on a deferral or temporary reduction of rent, while 7.5% are still planning to do so. Interestingly, the data analysis revealed that SMEs with bankruptcy fears are not in these two categories.

At just over 55 percent, a majority of SMEs believe that the crisis will last until 2021 and then pick up. Just under 27 percent think a crisis lasting several years is likely. Only just over 18 percent think that with the opening, the economy will quickly grow to pre-Corona levels.

Home office experiences remain

21 percent of the SMEs surveyed have now introduced home office for the first time and intend to continue offering it to employees in the future. And a majority of the SMEs surveyed have introduced new forms of communication such as online collaboration and video conferencing. 8 percent have added to their product portfolio and 4 percent have expanded to e-commerce.

This year's Female Business Experience Day on June 19, 2020 carries the theme: Strengthening inner power - training emotional and mental muscles for more inner strength and self-fulfillment. On this day, the participants will be shown their own heart's goals in two different workshops, they will trace their essence and mobilize hidden forces. The event promises an unforgettable experience at the seminar hotel Badhof in Meggen, with a view of Lake Lucerne and the Central Swiss Alps!

Workshop by Nicole Brandes: "The four roles of a strong woman".

In the workshop by Taoism expert and executive coach Nicole Brandes, the four roles of a strong woman will be discussed and how she can bring them into harmony with her life goals. It is about finding ways out of the comfort zone and strengthening one's own energy matrix. Nicole Brandes is founder of "Achievers on Fire!", international management coach,
Best-selling author and sought-after keynote speaker worldwide. She held top positions in various multinational financial corporations and with Queen Silvia of Sweden for over 15 years. When she led on-site relief efforts in the Halifax plane crash, it changed her life: "If people's hearts aren't recognized and involved, all processes are for naught." She wrote her own team mission statements and won awards for her work at Bank Leu. Today, she works with business people to be not only more successful at work, but also more fulfilled in life.

Workshop by Nadine Rass: "High performance thanks to active regeneration".

Nadine Rass's workshop will cover topics such as stress management and how to better deal with performance pressure. The former professional golfer and current business coach shows how to achieve high performance under pressure and how to deal with defeats. Her holistic methodology encompasses the training of mental and
emotional muscles to strengthen one's energy matrix. She talks about linear concentration, active regeneration and how to stay intrinsically motivated for longer periods of time. With integrated exercises from breathing therapy and Qi Gong. Optionally, a golf short workshop (9-12h) with Nadine Rass can be booked on the following day, June 20, 2020. The cost of CHF 150/person can be paid directly on site (max. 12 persons).

Nadine Rass, PGA golf professional and mental coach was herself an athlete and coach on the tour around the globe for many years. She is one of the top 100 business coaches and has been supporting numerous companies and personalities for 15 years now. Her innovative impulse coaching concept was nominated for the Austrian HR Award in the Vienna Hofburg last fall.

Female Business Experience Day: The most important facts in brief

Date: June 19, 2020
Location: Golf Meggen / Badhof Inn, Kreuzbuchweg 1, 6045 Meggen
Time: 09:00 till 18:00
Prices: CHF 420.- (regular) | CHF 350.- (for Female Business Club-Members)
Registration deadline: May 31, 2020
Registration: https://www.femalebusinessseminars.ch/veranstaltungen/fb-erlebnistag-2020

Despite massive economic upheavals, Swiss SMEs do not believe in an economic Armageddon. In a survey conducted by localsearch (Swisscom Directories AG) survey of 200 SMEs in German-speaking Switzerland, 68 percent agree with the statement "My SME will find new strength after the Corona crisis. A minority of 11 percent doubt their own economic viability.

A quarter of Swiss SMEs expect a wave of bankruptcies

Swiss SMEs are not only rather optimistic about their own future in the post-Corona era, they are also not overly concerned about their industry. Almost half (46 percent) of those surveyed are convinced "In my industry, there will be few bankruptcies as a result of Corona." On the other hand, 27 percent of respondents expect a wave of bankruptcies among their competitors. However, it seems to be too early for many entrepreneurs to form a conclusive opinion on this question: Indeed, one in four survey participants (27 percent) say they are not yet able to assess the bankruptcy potential of the Corona crisis.

Crisis as an opportunity: one in five SMEs sees great potential for itself after Corona

One in five Swiss SMEs sees the crisis as an opportunity. "For my SME, the Corona crisis is an opportunity" - 21 percent of the SMEs surveyed agree with this statement, for 50 percent it does not apply and 29 percent do not want to commit themselves in their assessment. "I am very impressed by the mental strength and optimism of many Swiss SMEs. These are the best prerequisites for economic recovery," says Stefano Santinelli, CEO of localsearch (Swisscom Directories AG), commenting on the SMEs' assessment.

Corona accelerates digitization - many SMEs nevertheless remain unimpressed

Triggered by the Corona crisis, the population has strongly digitized its everyday life with online shopping, home office, food delivery, video chats and cashless payment. This trend leaves many SMEs cold. 55 percent of the companies surveyed say they are not more interested in digital offerings such as web stores, online appointment bookings, etc. than before because of the lockdown. Only a minority of 23 percent affirmed the statement "Digital marketing is more important for us today than before the crisis".

Stefano Santinelli is convinced that the discrepancy between consumers' growing digital demands and a lack of correspondence among many SMEs could become dangerous for these companies in the medium term: "Consumers are not guided by the provider. If he wants to order online, he orders where he can. The others go away empty-handed."