Denkwerkstatt für Manager

Geschwill & Nieswandt

6th Symposium: Lateral Management

The 6th symposium of Denkwerkstatt for Managers in Mannheim was - like the events in the previous years - also quite something: 20 top managers from business and administration discussed with Dr. Martina Nieswandt and Dr. Roland Geschwill, both managing directors of Denkwerkstatt for Managers, and other interesting speakers about Lateral Management as the success principle for companies in the digital age.

Berlin-based performance artist and jazz pianist Jens Thomas began the discourse with the topic "The Art of Improvisation: How Artists Keep Reinventing Themselves." Then Dirk Dobiéy, founder of Age of Artists GmbH, shed light on the topic "Space is better than Structure: what should change in business and what that has to do with artists." The former SAP manager is currently founding a network of managers from business and industry and artists to promote creativity and innovation in companies.

Founder and Internet specialist Sebastian Maier spoke about his experiences with business angels and venture capitalists "Working remotely at smooster or: How do you control your employees, Mr. Maier?".

Dominik Pauly, founder & managing director of the Weinheim-based outpatient care service Pflegeteam 365 GmbH, presented Buurtzorg! This care service from the Netherlands is regarded worldwide as one of the companies in which employees can work particularly creatively and self-determined. Pauly made it clear how modern concepts of leadership, decision-making and collaboration can be used in business. Finally, Dr. Martina Nieswandt spoke about Douglas McGregor, a pioneering thinker and business psychologist who, among other things, initiated the autonomous factory projects at Procter & Gamble in the 1960s.

Organizers summed up that lateral management is the appropriate response to the digitalization of the economy. "Lateral management, leading at eye level, offers companies as well as employees the chance for more organizational innovation, higher competitiveness, more exciting jobs, more freedom and creativity," said Dr. Martina Nieswandt and Dr. Roland Geschwill. Both understand lateral management to mean: allowing diversity of goals and processes, making organizations more flexible, relying on the creativity of employees and, above all, sustainably anchoring the principle of self-responsibility in organizations.

Andreas Stolze, owner of Party Planners, spoiled the participants, as always, with culinary delights from the Palatinate cuisine.

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