What do the Bundeshaus, the Zentrum Paul Klee, the Interlaken congress building, the Loryhaus of the Bern Inselspital, numerous mountain railway stations and mountain houses, many other public buildings and hundreds of private detached houses and apartment buildings have in common? Either their roofs, facades or heating systems or their sanitary installations were co-designed, co-built or renovated by the plumbing, roofing, sanitary and heating specialists of Ramseyer und Dilger AG. The renowned Bernese SME with its more than 100 employees (including around 20 apprentices) delivers quality work every day. Because the principle applies: "Only those who love their work do it well."

To ensure that the company, which has proven itself for 127 years, continues to impress its customers in the future and remains fresher than ever thanks to a great deal of innovation, those responsible have adjusted the management team: Sandro Wyss is taking over the management of the company; his brother Remo Wyss is devoting himself to strategic development as Delegate of the Board of Directors.

New management structure and strategically fit

Sandro and Remo Wyss agree that the market in the main and ancillary construction trades is becoming increasingly demanding: "Only those who have the organization and processes under control and at the same time can invest a lot of energy in innovation and thus in the future will remain on the ball in the medium and long term and thus successful." Remo Wyss, who in his function as Delegate of the Board of Directors will be able to drive this very further development in a more targeted and stronger way than before, is glad that his brother Sandro Wyss is taking over the management. "Sandro Wyss is a top man and will perform his task excellently," says the co-owner, who is also particularly concerned about promoting young talent in the industry both inside and outside the company and is also involved in the building technology association Suissetec for this purpose. "Above all, however, I can see to it that we create additional solutions and offerings and can thus offer our customers even better and more beautiful solutions for their facades, roofs, heating systems and sanitary areas," Remo Wyss adds.

Operationally optimized

His younger brother, Sandro Wyss, has set himself and all the employees big goals in the operational area: "Organizationally, we also have potential: we want to become even more effective and efficient - this is entirely in the interest of our customers. It is my task to make sure that this will succeed", explains the new managing director of Ramseyer und Dilger AG. For the two brothers - as well as for the Board of Directors and the remaining members of the Executive Board Marcel Filli, Roland Herzog, Robert Burri and Alain Meuwly - the new management structure is a double benefit: "Strategically and operationally, the advantages are considerable", Remo and Sandro Wyss are pleased on behalf of the entire management of Ramseyer und Dilger AG.

More information: ramseyer-dilger.ch

Wobbly network connections, slow computers, printer failures, missing software: technical problems can drive employees up the wall. Glitches happen from time to time, but when technical inadequacies become a permanent feature, user morale also drops. According to a study by Ricoh Europe, more than one-third of workers report motivation problems in the home office due to communication and technology problems. That's 16 percent more than a year ago, when a similar survey was already conducted.

Ongoing technology problems drive employees away

The Ricoh Europe survey was conducted among 573 European office workers from companies with 251 to 1000 employees. It shows that the reason for the loss of motivation is inconsistent technical investments. These result in workers lacking the time for personally satisfying or value-adding activities. As a result, companies run the risk of losing top talent to competitors who offer more advantageous and better adapted digital working methods.

Inconsistent technical investments

Almost two-thirds (65 %) of respondents believe that their company copied customers or partners when digitizing processes instead of analyzing the specific need. In terms of the relevance of their employer's digital processes, more than one-third (39 %) of respondents complain of not having real-time access to information needed to properly serve their customers. At the same time, only one in four (26 %) say their employer has invested in e-commerce or digital tools that improve the customer experience.

New technology platforms lead to additional work

Technology should help people do their jobs - you would think. The reality seems to be different: Despite all the new technology, employee workloads have not decreased, Ricoh's study finds. Rather, 42 % of respondents felt that their workload had actually increased as a result of the technology platforms introduced during the pandemic, it says. At the same time, 34 % felt pressured to be online longer - 13 % more than the previous year.

Mistrust and uncertainty

The proliferation of remote working and new working methods is also increasing fears of security breaches: 45 % of workers said they were worried about accidentally sharing files with the wrong recipient via the new digital channels. A similarly high proportion (47 %) of respondents also assume that their supervisors will use technology to monitor them while they are working in their home offices.

Missed a year to fix technology problems?

David Mills, CEO of Ricoh Europe, is surprised by the results: "It is surprising that after more than a year of remote working, when there is finally light at the end of the pandemic-related tunnel, employee motivation continues to fall due to technology and communication problems. Yet companies have been anything but inactive. However, their biggest mistake is investing in technology as an end in itself - or because a partner or competitor is doing the same. The first and most fundamental step in any technology investment is to assess the real needs of your business. In doing so, it's important to consider the perspectives of your workforce and customers. Only armed with these insights can technology solutions be found that lead to optimal results."

Source: Ricoh Switzerland

The Swiss plastics industry is dominated by SMEs with an average of 10 to 40 employees. This industry thus has a typically Swiss composition. The industry consists of around 800 companies with a total of 33000 employees. The companies in the industry are united in the umbrella organization KUNSTSTOFF.swiss. This also includes globally active companies such as EMS Chemie, Sika, Geberit and Georg Fischer, to name but a few.

Pleasingly small decline in sales

Every year, the Swiss Plastics Industry Association collects its economic data. The recently presented figures gave a pleasing impression: The industry seems to have come through the pandemic-related crisis quite well. In 2020, for example, it generated sales of 14.4 billion Swiss francs. This is only 5 percent less than in the previous year. Association President Silvio Ponti and Managing Director Kurt Röschli were correspondingly pleased: "One reason for this is certainly the flexible handling of the crisis by the companies and the unbroken demand for plastics precisely when hygiene becomes the main issue, because plastic protects," Silvio Ponti emphasized.

Winners and losers in the Swiss plastics industry

The largest tranche of industry sales - around 67% - comes from plastics processing. The decline in sales there was marginal at 1%. For raw materials traders, the drop in sales amounts to just under 8% and reflects the still very low prices at the time. According to the survey, the machine and periphery suppliers lost the most with just over 30%. This impressively shows how restrained processors were with regard to investments and how they immediately cut back on them out of respect for the crisis.

Of course, there are also winners: these include companies that manufactured partitions from Plexiglas. They had a massive upswing of around 60% and were in some cases barely able to deliver due to the sudden demand. Manufacturers of respirator components and disinfectant containers were only able to meet the massive demand by adding shifts. Mask manufacturers and distributors - masks are also largely made of plastics - experienced a rapid upward trend.

Packaging and construction: plastics protect the climate

With a share of around 40% each, the packaging and construction segments continue to be the areas in which plastics are used most. Here, plastics make a major contribution to climate protection. They insulate, save energy and reduce food waste. The use of plastics makes means of transport lighter, which thus require less fuel. The insulation (mainly plastics) of buildings means that less heating is needed. Suitable plastic packaging makes food last longer, and less has to be produced and thrown away. This also contributes to climate protection. By the way, packaging accounts for only 1.5 - 2% of the CO2 footprint of the packaged product.

The industry association's figures also show that the use of recyclates will increase from 8% (2019) to 14% in 2020. This is due to improved production processes and companies' attention to recycling. For some companies in the logistics and construction sectors, shares of around 30% of recycled material are quite the order of the day, which once again underscores the recyclability of plastics.

Skilled workers and Switzerland as a workplace

Although the number of companies with 743 has decreased compared to the previous year (854), the number of employees with 33'029 compared to 33'935 shows a pleasing stability, as KUNSTSTOFF.swiss further reports. Especially since, as President Silvio Ponti emphasized, this is not mainly due to the crisis, but much more to the lack of skilled workers. Managing Director Kurt Röschli added: "The industry offers many attractive and promising training positions. After all, plastics technologists are extremely sought-after skilled workers."

The pandemic has once again shown how important Switzerland is as a production location. The proportion of skilled workers increased from just over 64% to almost 69%, to the detriment of semi-skilled workers, whose proportion decreased. Overall, however, there is still a major shortage of skilled workers in the Swiss plastics industry. Today, only about 75 apprentices graduate from plastics trades every year - but there would be twice as many apprenticeships.

Source: www.kunststoff.swiss

Vacations at last: For many people, the past few months have been associated with great privation. The anticipation of the most beautiful weeks of the year is all the greater. But along with the joy, caution is sometimes forgotten. Cyber criminals could take advantage of this, especially since many digital devices continue to be used even during the vacations, for example for payment transactions or for the use of various apps related to Corona measures. Fake vaccination certificate apps could pose an additional threat, according to security experts.

Fraud and data theft

According to experts from IT security service provider Eset, cybercriminals are focusing particularly on fraud schemes, mobile device theft, WiFi spying and data theft this year. "Anyone going on vacation should make their digital companions fit before the start of the trip. It is important to update the operating system and the installed apps to the latest version. It is also recommended to install an anti-theft module on smartphones, tablets and laptops. Travelers should also remember to enter their digital vaccination certificate in the official apps," advises Thomas Uhlemann, Security Specialist at Eset.

Camping vacations are once again in full swing this year, and the number of caravan registrations has been rising steadily for quite some time. From 2019 (29,837) to 2021 (39,120), new registrations of caravans alone have increased by 31 percent (source: Civid).In Switzerland, the figure is 26 percent higher than the previous year, according to Statista. "Especially when traveling, public WiFi hotspots at campsites are very popular. There's nothing wrong with using these offers, but you should never enter confidential data such as credit card information there, nor should you conduct online banking transactions or the like."

Fake vaccination certificate apps in circulation

Cybercriminals have been exploiting the Corona pandemic for their own purposes for more than a year. Security experts are convinced that fraudsters will also abuse the digital vaccination passport. Phishing emails or fake apps will appear especially in the summer months, designed to trap vacationers shortly before the start of their travels. It can be assumed that many tourists will still want to digitize their analog vaccination certificates in the short term.

Six tips for a safe vacation

• Deploy anti-theft solutions: Smartphones, tablets and notebooks are quickly lost during the vacations. To make it difficult for thieves, modern anti-theft modules, such as those included in Eset's security solutions, use the built-in camera, for example, to photograph the perpetrator unnoticed. They also localize the geo-coordinates of the lost device.
• Beware of fake Corona apps: Cybercriminals want to make profits with fake or harmful apps (e.g., fake vaccination certificate apps). Travelers in particular are currently increasingly looking for apps on the subject of Corona, for example to digitize their vaccination cards.
• Back up important data: Important data on the smartphone and tablet can be backed up. USB sticks, external hard drives or cloud services are suitable for this. If the hardware is lost, at least the data is not lost and can be restored later.
• Update software and security solution: The operating system, the installed apps and the security solutions used should be up to date. This prevents the exploitation of known security gaps.
• Use WiFi hotspot only with VPN connection: Hotels, campsites, bars and other locations entice vacationers with free WiFi access. However, there is a risk that criminals can spy out sensitive data such as login or credit card details. Users should therefore additionally secure the connection with a trustworthy VPN solution. Purchases or financial transactions should nevertheless be postponed until after the vacation.
• Be careful when paying: Contactless payment has been more popular than ever since the Corona pandemic. This is also becoming more and more common at vacation resorts. A special protective cover or wallet shields the credit or debit cards. This prevents thieves from reading the data with special devices. Alternatively, Apple or Google Pay can also be used, depending on the support of the house bank. This increases security during the payment process.

Source: ESET

It was finally showtime again: After more than twelve months without events, a major live business event took place for the first time again at the Circle Convention Center on July 1, 2021: The Circle Conference. 880 visitors, 70 exhibitors and 19 speakers provided the framework for a successful premiere. The event was hosted by Oliver Stoldt of MICE Service Group Switzerland in cooperation with the hosting partners Flughafen Zürich AG, The Circle Convention CenterHyatt Regency Zurich Airport The Circle and Hyatt Place Zurich Airport The Circle. He wanted to offer the MICE industry, i.e. the event and hospitality sector most affected by the Corona pandemic, a fitting re-start. Accordingly, the industry made itself the theme of the event. The exhibiting companies all showed their services for the organization of meetings, events, conferences and other occasions.

Live business event under corona conditions

Oliver Stoldt and Janine Heukamp began planning The Circle Conference while still in the midst of the lockdown. Their goal: July 1, 2021 should be the deadline for the first large live business event after Corona. As recently as April of this year, it was far from clear whether events with 1000 attendees would be approved as early as the beginning of summer. The relaxation of the Federal Council on May 26, 2021 paved the way, and a few days later the approval by the authorities followed. "We gambled high," Oliver Stoldt said on the sidelines of a media conference held to mark The Circle Conference. "There was only this Plan A." But the effort must have paid off: everywhere you looked, you saw happy faces - and not hidden behind protective masks. The rigorous protection concept - only pre-registered people were allowed in, and everyone had to show a valid Covid certificate or a negative test result - allowed for this newfound freedom. "You have to get right back into the habit of personal closeness," was a statement often heard. Indeed, the "elbow salute" could still be observed frequently, and even when applauding, the audience sometimes seemed to exercise a little restraint...

Congress tourism in transition

At the media conference, Andreas Züllig, President of HotellerieSuisse, epidemic expert and consultant Daniel Koch, jazz festival organizer and St. Moritz community president Christian Jott Jenny, Oliver Stoldt and Stefan Feldmann, Head The Circle, Flughafen Zürich AG, expressed their views on the future of the MICE business. There was agreement that new, creative concepts will naturalize in the congress and event business alongside classic solutions - thanks to rapidly developing digital tools. "We learned a lot during Corona," said Andreas Züllig, pointing out that quite a few seminar hotels, for example, are now "igniting the turbo" to upgrade their infrastructures. It is possible that there will be fewer very large congresses in the future than before the pandemic, said Züllig. He and Christian Jott Jenny were optimistic about tourism for the coming summer season in the mountain regions, but less so for places that rely on international customers. And Jenny is further clear with regard to cultural creation: "Concerts cannot be digitized." The Festival da Jazz in St. Moritz, for example, will be held live next week with the 3G concept.

More sustainability - also for a live business event

What is the current demand for seminar hotels, for example? Andreas Züllig knows of good booking levels with corresponding providers. However, in addition to technical possibilities for hybrid implementation, the focus has recently shifted to completely different values. "Customers are paying more attention to sustainability. It is becoming more important to them to rely on regional products," says Züllig. And what about internationally? A little patience still seems to be in order there. Stefan Feldmann pointed out that The Circle and its convention center, which is geared toward international events and has a capacity of 2,500 visitors, opened in the middle of the crisis. However, he is optimistic that demand will also increase here as soon as the market situation permits. Then the second hotel, Hyatt Place, which is currently still closed, will also definitely open its doors.

Audience enjoys live performances

However, the virus will certainly keep the industry busy for some time to come, according to Daniel Koch, who was also a speaker. He assumes that the normality we knew before the Corona pandemic will be reality again in a few years. In addition to Daniel Koch, the presentations of other renowned speakers also met with lively interest. Solar Impulse pioneer Bertrand Piccard and the honorary president of FC Basel, Bernhard Heusler, impressed the audience. International expert Sita Mazumder and experts German Ramirez and Reto Wampfler spoke on digitalization, innovation, social selling and change management. On topics such as new work, communication, leadership and mobility, the expert Leonie Müller, ex-FIFA referee Urs Meier, the pilot group #clearedtoland, professional pilot Philip Keil and the "king of pickpockets" Christian Lindemann, who as a keynote speaker addressed topics such as self-confidence, repartee and performance. "People buy from people" was one of the things he called out to the audience. What might generally be dismissed as an often-heard marketing platitude took on an almost programmatic meaning on July 1, 2021: live and face-to-face, the atmosphere is simply different from digital via screen...

Cloud solutions, data analytics, artificial intelligence, blockchain or 5G - no forward-looking company can ignore technology topics today. A look at the Global Emerging Technologies Survey by KPMG International shows this. 900 business and technology executives from the 2,000 largest global companies were surveyed last year about their attitudes and plans in the technology sector.

Great interest in emerging technologies

Interest in emerging technologies is very high, the survey reveals, with 80 percent of companies already investing in new technologies or planning to do so. Nearly 60 percent of executives said the pandemic had added impetus to digital transformation. And more than half of respondents cited migration to the cloud as an absolute priority.

"In Switzerland, too, we are seeing immense interest from companies in technology topics," says Mark Meuldijk, Partner and Head of Data & Analytics and Emerging Technologies at KPMG. "That's a good thing, too. After all, companies need to move with the times in order to be able to identify the opportunities and risks of digitalization. Companies that approach digital transformation strategically and holistically can achieve longer-term competitive advantages and operate profitably in the long term."

Good framework conditions in Switzerland

The conditions for companies in Switzerland to benefit from digitization are certainly in place. For example, Switzerland was ranked as the most innovative country in the world in the Global Innovation Index 2020 of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). Tech giants with offshoots in Switzerland, for example, are taking advantage of this innovation climate.

Efforts to foster a technologically innovative environment have already yielded considerable success, KPMG notes. Within just a few years, for example, the canton of Zug has developed into a major blockchain hub known as Crypto Valley, with more than 380 blockchain companies. In addition, renowned education and research centers such as ETH Zurich and EPFL in Lausanne regularly occupy the top positions in international university rankings. Together with other institutions, they train specialists who are urgently needed for digitization. All of this offers the best conditions for local companies to exploit the opportunities of digitization to their advantage.

Source: KPMG

The Corona crisis is also changing sales between companies, and virtual selling is now also becoming very important in the B2B sector. In its study "Virtual Selling Has Become Simply Selling," the international management consultancy Bain & Company determined that 92 percent of the B2B sales managers surveyed now prefer digital business relationships. This corresponds to 17 percentage points more than in May 2020.

Virtual sales and purchasing: from low-cost variant to standard

Purchasing has also discovered the benefits of digitization, according to another result of the study. For example, 79 percent of those employed there recognize the efficiency of virtual sales, compared with just 54 percent a year ago. They particularly value faster and more frequent communication, more cost-efficient transactions and the ability to reach more potential contacts. Around 250 sales and purchasing managers in the B2B sector worldwide took part in the study.

"The shift toward digital B2B sales has accelerated noticeably once again due to the impact of the Corona pandemic," explains Dr. Eric Zayer, Bain partner and B2B commercial excellence expert. "What was once seen in many places as merely a low-cost option has now become the preferred channel for most buyers." Increasingly powerful and affordable virtual solutions have enabled B2B companies to continuously virtualize their activities, even for more complex transactions.

Comprehensive strategy instead of small steps

Digital sales channels have undeniably been able to play out their advantages. This, of course, arouses further desires. "However, given the rapid increase in the use of digital B2B sales, the associated expectations are also growing," notes Dr. Tobias Umbeck, Bain partner and sales expert. According to the Bain study, respondents believe there is still room for improvement in practice. In fact, companies are reporting rising closing ratios and revenues from virtual sales channels, but these still fall short of their own forecasts. For example, executives and sales staff were prepared for a win rate that was in some cases significantly higher than was actually achieved on average.

Five success factors

"In order to exploit the full potential of virtual sales, it is not just a matter of turning individual digital adjusting screws," emphasizes Umbeck. "Rather, leading companies have adapted their strategy in all dimensions of the virtual B2B market." Overall, five factors are crucial for success:

1. Attract clientele early. According to the Bain study, around 80 percent of enterprise customers know exactly what they need even before their first contact with sales staff. More than 35 percent even have a clear preference for a supplier. Digital information channels are now more popular among purchasing managers than exhibitions or trade shows. When researching online, it should therefore be possible to find the desired product categories quickly and application examples should be easy to access, for example through demo videos. If there is interest, it is advantageous to contact the supplier as easily as possible - via chatbots, live chats or in person.
2. Align virtual services with customer expectations. Efficient B2B companies make product and sales managers available for personal consultation only if the corporate customers explicitly request this. Specialist personnel are deployed in a targeted manner to answer questions or demonstrate products. This makes the sales process leaner and reduces costs.
3. Develop scripts for sales scenarios. With the help of sample templates, sales and specialist departments can prepare precisely for the various customer interactions. For example, who contacts prospects in what situation and provides what information? In addition, sales scripts enable better training and performance evaluation of the company's own staff and thus increase their efficiency.
4. Intelligently strengthen sales teams. Systematic, data-driven analysis of customer behavior complements traditional sales training. Machine learning helps sales staff to increasingly convert potential deals into actual sales and create new cross-selling opportunities. In addition, when hiring new employees for virtual sales, the focus is on their digital skills, which increases the talent pool.
5. Special software solutions for specialist departments. The flood of product and marketing tools overwhelms many teams involved in sales and customer contact. Leading B2B companies therefore use specially tailored software solutions for data analysis, the sales process or customer service in the various specialist areas. Not least because of the time saved, sales staff can ultimately also focus more intensively on the key revenue drivers for their own company.

"Virtual B2B sales has become a matter of course for everyone involved, and this is true regardless of whether the pandemic continues to subside or whether a new crisis occurs," notes Bain expert Zayer. "Those who adapt decisively to the new market conditions and customer demands now will use the crisis as an accelerator and improve the clout of their sales force."

Source: Bain & Company

According to a new evaluation by the Institute for Young Enterprises IFJ, the company formation boom is continuing despite the Corona pandemic, which has not yet been overcome. The Swiss start-up scene is in high spirits and looks to the future with a great deal of confidence, according to the IFJ's assessment.

Where is the company formation boom greatest?

Most of the new companies were founded in the cantons of Zurich (4,638), Vaud (2,473), Bern (2,471) and Geneva with 2,173 new registrations. These four cantons account for almost half of all new foundations throughout Switzerland. Compared to the previous year, the canton of Schaffhausen is one of the biggest percentage gainers; it recorded an increase of a remarkable +63.7% compared to the previous half-year, followed by Zug with +40.3%, Uri with +32.7% and Bern with an increase of +31.6%. Except for Appenzell Innerrhoden (-19.4%) and Obwalden (-9.2%), all cantons recorded positive growth.

Comparison of the last 10 half-years

Since the slight declines in 2012 and 2015, the Commercial Register Office has recorded a steady increase in new registrations until 2020. In the first half of 2020, new registrations temporarily collapsed due to the Covid 19 measures. On average, 22,010 new companies were registered per half-year over the last 10 years. The current six months of 2021 recorded a remarkable 20% increase over the 10-year average, with 26,387 new registrations.

Legal forms in comparison

In Switzerland, 10,024 new limited liability companies (GmbH) were founded in the first half of the current year, representing growth of +18.5%. This is followed by the sole proprietorship with 8,743 new registrations (+21%), the stock corporation (AG) with 5,212 new registrations (+25%) and the general partnership with 800 (+21.8%) registrations.

Start-ups by industry

In terms of company start-ups by sector, all but two sectors are showing positive trends compared with the previous year. The top three growth sectors include Other Services (including video production, photography, facility management, horticulture) with +69%, Agriculture & Forestry (+59.7%), and Retail Trade with +42.8%. The industries with the largest percentage declines were Transportation & Logistics (-3.5%) and High Tech (-1.6%).

Source: Institute for Young Enterprises IFJ

Since 2000, Medgate has been operating what it claims is the largest telemedicine center in Europe. The Basel-based company describes itself as a digital healthcare pioneer that offers both patients and health insurers comprehensive, location-independent and affordable medical care - around the clock. The claim: Thanks to consultations via app, phone, video and chat, unnecessary visits to the doctor can be avoided, while at the same time the quality of medical care can be kept high. Now, in addition to two other companies nominated for the Export Award 2021, which will be awarded on September 30, 2021.

Great interest of foreign countries in the concept of telemedicine

In 2014, the Basel-based company ventured into the market in the United Arab Emirates. The Philippines followed in 2016, India in 2017 and Germany in 2020. Due to a strong increase in demand for digital health solutions worldwide, Medgate now believes the time has come to push ahead with its expansion strategy abroad and open up further markets. Thus, further locations are planned in the core regions of Europe and Southeast Asia, including Spain, Italy, Austria, Poland, Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia. To this end, Medgate has already conducted market analyses with Switzerland Globale Enterprise (S-GE) on several occasions. As a member of S-GE, the company is actively supported in its internationalization and benefits from many advantages.

Adapt concept to local markets

In order to adapt Medgate's concept to local markets, it is necessary to understand the conditions of a market precisely and to adapt the services to the specific country. In Australia, for example, snakebites play a much greater role than in Switzerland. Or in the Philippines, diseases such as dengue or malaria are more prevalent than in Germany. "Understanding local conditions is one of the biggest challenges," says Paul de La Rochefoucauld, one of Medgate's three managing partners.

Holding structure and local partnerships

For this reason, the international business is controlled from the Swiss holding company. The country units are structured under this, which enables greater strategic control, which is particularly necessary in the field of medicine to ensure process standardization and high quality. Medgate approaches partnerships both at shareholder level and at operational level. In particular, sales activities and stakeholder management must be driven by local partners and organizations to establish credibility.

"Made in Switzerland" as a seal of quality

What also ensures credibility is the "Made in Switzerland" seal of quality. Switzerland enjoys a high level of trust abroad. And trust is central in an industry like healthcare.

Medgate briefly introduced

Industry: Healthcare / Telemedicine
Year founded: 1999
Headquarters: Basel
Employees: 350
Further facts and figures: 20 insurance partners, 4 locations worldwide
Management: Andy Fischer, MD, Chief Executive Officer, Managing Partner

More information: Medgate

On behalf of the professional network XING, the market and opinion research company Marketagent.com surveyed 500 employed people in German-speaking Switzerland on the topic of flexible working and place of work. The respondents were between 18 and 65 years old. The sample is representative of the working population in German-speaking Switzerland.

New Normal Deal: more home office, but a longer commute

More home office could prove to be an opportunity for companies outside the conurbations, the study results show. If it were possible to work at home on a regular basis, more than half of those surveyed (52 percent) would accept a longer commute on the remaining workdays in return. A third (35 percent) are still undecided, and only 13 percent would reject such a compromise in principle. Robert Bertschinger, Managing Director of XING Switzerland, comments on this finding as follows: "With the option of doing some of their work from the home office, employees are opening up new career prospects. Jobs further afield are now becoming an option without having to change residence. At the same time, thanks to greater flexibility, companies are expanding their catchment area for recruiting new employees and thus gaining access to a larger pool of candidates."

Only a few would change their place of residence for the job

It is certainly interesting for companies to increase the catchment area for new employees by offering home offices. Only around one-fifth (21 percent) of respondents are willing to change their place of residence for a new job. Among men, the willingness to move is higher at 26 percent than among women at 16 percent. More than half of the professionals (54 percent) cannot imagine moving to a new location for a job, and 25 percent are undecided whether they would be willing to take this step.

Accordingly, despite global networking and internationalization, working life remains a local affair for the vast majority. For one third (31 percent) of those surveyed, the next job should be no more than 10 kilometers from their current place of residence. Another 41 percent would accept a commuting distance of no more than 20 kilometers. A job further away is an option for very few.

Change of residence: working people fear social isolation

A change of residence is often associated with fears. Almost a third (29 percent) fear that they will become socially isolated if they move. To counter this danger, 27 percent say they would actively build up a network in the new location before moving. And four in ten respondents (39 percent) would use social networks to connect with professional contacts in the new region.

For just under half (45 percent) of respondents, a professional social network is also important outside their own company, and 27 percent say that this network supported them a great deal during the Corona period. 28 percent have also become more active in terms of their digital networking since the start of the pandemic. Robert Bertschinger: "Professional networks are an important part of working life and often extend beyond one's own employer. In the event of a change of residence, but also in the case of a professional reorientation, these networks can be expanded in a targeted manner in order to quickly regain a foothold in the new location."

Source: www.xing.com

Our working world is changing rapidly, and one thing has been certain since the start of the pandemic at the latest: many aspects of the new way of working, such as the flex office, leading at a distance and collaboration in virtual teams, are here to stay. They support the change in the working world and digitization. Nevertheless, these changes pose challenges for people in the company. Humans like routines because their brains primarily prefer to use the familiar pathways in the neural network. Rapid changes challenge the human brain, because new thinking and action costs a lot of energy.

Mindfulness is a way to support the brain in meeting change and cultivating space for new thinking and action. In this way, mindfulness can also support people who need to adapt to new ways of working at high speed.

Mindfulness - completely in the here and now

What do we actually mean by mindfulness? Mindfulness is being present in the present moment, non-judgmentally and with compassion. It is a state of alertness, of being there.

That sounds quite simple. But let's look at modern everyday life: How much time are we all there? After all, we spend most of our time analyzing the past in order to draw conclusions for the future. Or we make plans for the next day and align our actions with strategies.

Our brain thinks up to 70,000 thoughts a day. 70% of these are repetitive thoughts, 27% are anxious and negative thoughts, and approximately 3% are new thoughts. The repetitive mental analysis of the past combined with worries about certain scenarios repeating themselves is therefore quite natural. The danger, however, is that we get lost in the swirling thoughts and forget how it feels to be in the present moment.

Mindfulness methods such as meditation, yoga or qigong help us to create presence. Especially in challenging times like the current crisis, in which the brain constantly receives impulses to worry from the media and the personal environment, mindfulness methods can promote mental well-being.

Countering the whirlwind of thoughts in the home office

Many employees have been in a home office for almost a year. Some have to keep other balls in the air there besides their professional tasks, such as homeschooling or caring for elderly family members. Add to that the significant increase in digital time spent in front of screens and in video conferences. While the balance of exercise is decreasing, stress and pressure are increasing. But many people are often not even aware of this.

Being clear about the prevailing feelings and physical sensations can also help in the home office to counter tensions and not let them accumulate too much. The following exercises help here:

1. Look at the horizon: Use pauses to let your gaze rest on the horizon or in the distance. Do not focus your eyes, but let your gaze become gentle. This exercise calms the autonomic nervous system, creating presence and calm. At the same time, the digitally stressed eyes relax.
2. Breath Anchor: Take three deep breaths in and out. Count to 4 on the inhale and 6 or 8 on the exhale. The breath is a wonderful way to come into the present moment and create focus.

Mindful leadership also works at a distance

Leadership has long been viewed as a hierarchical mandate that had to be enforced from the top down. Even though those days are long gone, many managers still experience a kind of powerlessness when they suddenly no longer see their employees in the office. They seem to lose control. New ways of working also mean empowering employees and expressing trust. In a highly complex working world in which new knowledge is constantly being generated, a single manager can neither oversee all the interrelationships nor expect himself to always make the best decision alone.

Mindfulness can help leadership relinquish control and move more into trust:

1. The power of gratitude: Start the team meeting with a round of everyone sharing what they are grateful for. As the leader, get it started. This lifts the team's spirits and expresses appreciation.
2. Retrospective: At the end of a meeting (digital and real), reflect together with the group on who has had what share of the conversation. In this way, create space for everyone to actively participate in the conversation. That is enablement!
3. Blue sky: As a leader, allow yourself short meditation breaks. Imagine for 5 minutes that your thoughts are passing by like clouds in the sky. This makes you aware that not every stimulus has to be followed by a reaction.

Mindfulness in the team creates cohesion

More and more often today, we hear about psychological safety. Among other things, the concept highlights the importance of feeling safe in a team to talk about mistakes, address emotions, and thus develop individually and collectively. Teams that have developed these skills are more efficient, collaborative and motivated.

Mindfulness creates a foundation for cultivating this kind of safety in a team. The good news is: it can be practiced together in both real and virtual space:

1. Morning meditations with reflection: Starting the day together - once a week, for example - with a joint meditation increases mental well-being, focus and the ability to concentrate. This also works digitally!
2. The virtual scavenger hunt: Take time once a month for teambuilding. The virtual scavenger hunt is fun and invites conversation. Here, everyone collects e.g. "something red", "something inspiring", "something funny" in two minutes and then shares what the things are all about.

Developing future capabilities means working and acting mindfully

The article shows: Mindfulness is more than esotericism and incense. When we talk about a new world of work today, it also means that we need new skills to actively shape the digital transformation. These skills include resilience and mental well-being, empathy, the ability to change, and digital skills. Mindfulness can be a way to develop these skills as an employee, as a leader, as a team, and as an organization. This creates new opportunities for everyone in the company to actively participate - in a future-oriented and sustainable way. In the course of this, leadership is also allowed to change naturally and become a shared process that ultimately serves the entire company in its growth process.

Mindfulness

The method of mindfulness goes back to a Far Eastern meditation practice. It aims to concentrate on the moment with all senses and to remain in the here and now. In the meantime, various service providers such as. myndway Mindfulness trainings for companies, also digitally.

 

Author

Dr. Martina Weifenbach is a pioneer in linking digital innovation, new work and mindfulness. She is author of "Mindfulness and Innovation in Integrated Organizations", executive coach and founder of myndway. The goal of myndway.com is to bring mindfulness and agility into companies.
More information: https://myndway.com

During four semesters of extra-occupational training, they acquired the necessary skills to be able to run a modern garage business with all the associated services: the graduates of the Higher Technical Examination 2020 for Certified Business Managers in the Automotive Industry. Due to the Corona pandemic, they had to wait almost a year to receive the coveted diploma in person - and now the special moment in their professional careers had come on Bern's Gurten mountain.

"You have completed a training course that can withstand the constantly changing big weather in our trade and with which the demands of today as well as in the near future can be met," said Peter Baschnagel, president of the Higher Professional Examination Commission at the AGVS, to the 13 graduates present. He advised them to use their new knowledge and not to let it slow down their ideas. "Be open to new things and excited about what you can do even better tomorrow!"

Garagists also in demand in the future

AGVS Central President Urs Wernli was also present on Bern's Hausberg. "We are very grateful that dedicated professionals continue their education and positively shape the image of the automotive industry through their competent and exemplary conduct." He emphasized that the automotive industry is one of the most fascinating business worlds. "Functioning mobility is a prerequisite for economic success - and, as a consequence, the auto industry is indispensable." No matter which technologies would prevail in the long term, the garage owner would remain in business around the car. However, their role will change: Garages will become mobility consultants.

As in previous years, during the diploma ceremony the AGVS was able to receive a check for 20,000 Swiss francs from the purchasing organization of the Swiss car and motor vehicle trade, ESA, in order to continue to support the training of qualified specialists in the future. "You have invested a lot of free time in this very demanding training," said Matthias Krummen, Head of Management Services and Communications at ESA. Whether it's self-driving cars or electromobility - no matter where the journey takes you, he said, "stay with it with your heart and soul and enjoy the privilege of working in an industry that's all about emotions."

Automotive industry relies on skilled workers

Olivier Maeder, Head of Vocational Training at the AGVS and member of the Executive Board, expressed his thanks for the generous support and congratulated the business administrators on their diploma. He took this opportunity to mention the approximately 3000 young people who start an apprenticeship in the automotive industry each year. "It is particularly gratifying that more than 900 young people are newly enrolled in basic training to become automotive mechatronics technicians." This is ten percent more than the average of the past five years. "Achieving this will take a lot of commitment on our part - but also on your part." He added that seasoned professionals serve as role models and motivate young people to start an apprenticeship in the automotive industry. Or to put it in the words of AGVS Central President Urs Wernli: "The automotive and commercial vehicle industry is dependent on committed and excellently trained employees."

Source: AGVS