INNOVATION OR… “DEATH”
A lot of modernist and innovative propositions had been expressed at the event who took place in Salonica, under the thumb of ELSET.
As it was already known, the event was separated in two parts. The first part concerned exclusively the Label factory. Our collaborators had been informed about FINAT news, they expressed their opinion on the sector’s subjects and discussed with each other about their working methods, their future, their prospects and needs, and the chance of collaborating with the creative departments of their clients or advertising offices for better results. Also, it was recommended for the collaborators to express and submit their proposition for the function of ELSET.
The point that collaborators emphasized was the difficulty of finding specialized staff. Kostas Gkikas, member of the Administrative Council, informed them that conversations with technical school “Sivitanideios”, in order to create a relative department, had already been started. It’s reminded that efforts of founding a relative department in a technical school or university is prescribed at ELSET’s stature.
For the actualization of this proposition, companies are obliged to hire the departments’ students for job-training.
A collaborator suggested for the search of specialized staff to be posted on ELSET’s website. All of us accepted it.
The Speeches
The second part of the event was dedicated in two crucial subjects, that should never be ignored
(Click here to download the presentation in a PPT form)
Dr. Giannis Mpakouros, professor of the West Macedonia University, spoke about the four forms of innovation : in Culture, Product, Marketing and Procedure.
There was a special reference in Greek businesses that presented and applied innovative ideas and, after that, they sold them in international companies, bringing in Greece currency of great value.
Having as general title of his speech “Even the best may make mistakes”, the lecturer made some references on some technological innovations which had been rejected by people who, despite being clever and capable, couldn’t understand their meaning. Of course, this doesn’t mean that those innovative ideas hadn’t been set into practice. Those people just couldn’t recognize their value.
He made reference on two distinctive cases:
- The first case was about radio. Some of them thought that this fabrication has no future and they decided not to invest into it. Those “prophets” had been overcome. Radio hadn’t.
- The second case was about Personal Computers which, due to the enormous mass of the first models created, were in need of a lot of rooms and floors to be set, some businessmen thought that maximum five of them will be sold. Nowadays, a tiny number of companies have ONLY five personal computers. In this case, Dr. Mpakouros also referred on an old company, which was the typewriter delegate. Its Administrative Council thought that Personal Computers won’t overcome typewriters. The company doesn’t exist anymore, while a lot of companies had so far appeared, selling or maintaining Personal Computers and their supplies.
A distinctive fragment of his speech was the following : “The winners will be those who will understand the fluidity of the big changes as an opportunity, not as a threat”. There were also some references on inventions, such as vacuum, whose inventors didn’t understand the value of their idea and some other people, who were more perceptive, bought and familiarized this idea and put it on production.
Dr. Mpakouros indicated that “Innovation is worked better by teams” and explained that funding would be easier for a team who presents an innovative work or idea, rather than a single person who tries to deal up with bureaucracy and closed doors.
Lecturer’s next phrase was “Leaders or followers”, which means “Product or promotion innovation?”. And he also indicated:
“Labels don’t promote its own product, but the client’s one. So, the best solution for Label factories is the effort to introduce their clients into an innovating spirit, in order to guarantee their viability.”
The impressive phrase “Innovation or death”, which was projected on a PowerPoint sheet, is warning the small businesses that if they don’t search for brand-new ideas, they will be driven to extinction.
“Succession: the less important factor of success”
The second lecturer was Mrs. Roula Kotoudi, CEO of KPR Consulting, a consulting company of human resources training.
The second subject was the succession in family businesses(Click here to download the presentation on a PDF form)
Circumstances are changing in an extremely rapid way, so small businesses must adjust to them and all of their generations have to conceive the needs of the Market.
While in other countries parents and children (especially teens) are getting prepared for the succession, in Greece the majority of businessmen don’t allow their children to express any opinion on the business they will have to take over after a couple of years.
Insecurity, lack of trust, selfishness and degradation of the children’s abilities and ideas, prevent them from developing their skills and prospects.
We must emphasize to the fact that a percentage of 45% of the previous generation wants to stay in business and have control of it even after their retirement.
Of course, this fact doesn’t mean that there’s no responsibility on the new generations, which are complacent and don’t look up for motivation to get into business. In addition, we can’t ignore the phenomenon of the “lazy son of the businessman”.
Another major error is the persistence on the successor’s choice. It’s not necessary for the older or the male child to be selected.
So, the key factor for the success is the organization of business and the successors’ training.
The most important part of the speech was the phrase “Succession : the less important factor of success”.
ELSET would really like to thank the participants of the event.
Also, ELSET would like to deliver special thanks to Heidelberg Company, which was the event’s sponsor, as a representative of Gallus Company.
ELSET Administrative Council
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