At the IBTM World exhibition in Barcelona in the middle of November, the owner of our company ENITED Business Events, Ivo Franschitz, made an exciting presentation on the subject of the paradoxes of Change. But for me it was more than that, it was also walking the memory lane back to October 2013, when I was asked to join the “newborn” ENITED team, which I did a year later.
After 17 years successfully working as specialists in coordination of association and corporate business events, Ivo and Rosa B. Reyero Miguelez, his business partner, decided to do things differently, and partly to do different things.
In the beginning of 2015 they started the change-process from dm&c to ENITED, guided by Markenkind Brand Leadership Consultant & Brand Coach Vanessa Schmoranzer and Human Resources specialist Marion King. And I was invited to join the process.
Listening to Ivo at Barcelona I better understood the challenges Rosa and he faced before and during the change process. Changes are full of paradoxes, like
-The paradox between the need for change, imposed by the outside world, and the need for stability, imposed by the need for some degree of predictability and business success.
-The paradox between investing in professional guidance and the lack of funds in organizations.
-The paradox between being a leader and telling people where to go and their ability to lead themselves because they know what is good for them.
-The paradox between knowing where you want/need to go and yet allowing yourself to make mistakes.
From my point of view, coming from mainly public organisations as chamber of commerce, destination marketing development & marketing entities, this change process within a small, privately owned company was an eye opener.
It is a really bold decision to look into your own company and SEE the need of change.
It takes courage and energy to do full speed daily business, while you are confronted with new organisational, branding, as well as human resources aspects the change process brings.
The awareness of change takes time. It must be allowed to be implemented step by step during quite a long time. In ENITED Business Events´ case it is paying off.
The journey still continues – and I am proud and happy to be part of it.
