1. Specialist trade fairs, new trends, newsletters, blogs: what is your attitude towards all the new developments in your sector?
- AI find trade fairs and trends to be overrated.
- BInsofar as I have time to do so, I like to stay informed.
- CNew things are always exciting – I can’t get enough of them.
2. The quarterly figures are not bad, but could be better. How do you react to this realisation?
- ANo reason to panic, I’ll wait and see.
- BThere must be reasons for it – I’ll see what the employees have to say.
- CI will take a closer look at the figures and business areas – perhaps we even need to develop new ideas in the short term.
3. The biggest container ship in the world, robots that cook, or the facade of a building as an algae farm: are you interested in all kinds of new things?
- ATo a degree, but not all new things – I am interested in specific areas.
- BI like to take a look at things with which I am not familiar.
- COf course. When possible, I also like to try new things out myself.
4. Albert Einstein said: “Learning is experience. Everything else is just information.” Was he right?
- AThese days, without good school grades and a career apprenticeship or degree, you will have difficulties anyway.
- BThat is certainly a statement worth considering.
- CI think so – we all learn throughout our lives.
5. Practical experience over many years and good contact with customers, business partners and competitors: how well and comprehensively do you know your industry or area of work?
- AI know my industry, but I do find networking difficult.
- BI have not been around very long, but I’m learning every day.
- CI would say: ‘I’ve got it covered!’
6. Strategic thinking and a trained intellect are key skills shown by sustainably successful managers. Let’s take a playful approach to these skills: which game would you spontaneously join in?
7. Specialisation is a highly prized commodity and offers many opportunities, but at the same time – if the specific area is experiencing a downturn – can be risky. What is your opinion on the matter?
- AI really couldn’t say.
- BThat’s an interesting question and a few things spring to mind.
- CIn my opinion, even specialists should broaden their horizons now and then.
here are your results:
You are Type A: observer
You pay attention to the future of the working world, but you are not always sure what to make of it. Your strategy: you have initially taken on the role of the observer.
You probably have a lot of professional experience and are a person who is not easily unsettled: after all, things are never as bad as they might seem. And so far, your success has proven you right. That is why you are waiting for the time being, rather than taking on something for the future prematurely or making a decision regarding digitalisation that you might later regret.
Your next steps: the secure position of the observer is a good basis. It offers the opportunity to get more involved in actively shaping the future little by little, because people like you are in demand. What ideas do you have? What is your point of view? With whom could you discuss your role in the digitalisation of the working world of tomorrow? Establish contacts and maintain dialogue with your colleagues.
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You are Type B: interested party
Open-minded, flexible, curious: you are an interested person who always keeps their eyes and ears open. Of course, you have already given thought to what the working world of the future could mean for your company.
That is why you pay attention – sometimes closely, sometimes a little less – to what is going on around you. Whether it is regional, across Germany or international. You are interested in facts and follow trends. The future interests you. At the moment, you are mainly occupied with processing this information. By considering all these new developments, you are gradually gaining more certainty in your evaluation of digitalisation and the consequences for your company.
Your next steps: with your openness and flexibility, you are well prepared for the working world of the future. Both those characteristics make it easier for you to learn new things and handle upcoming changes. Feel free to make increased use of these basic prerequisites in order to become more actively involved in shaping the future of your company.
View the other assessments here:
You are Type C: expert
On the one hand, you have comprehensive industry knowledge, on the other, you are convinced that you can learn something new every day and that it makes sense to continually broaden your horizons. This is an attitude that characterises experts.
Even if you don’t have a lot of detailed IT-related knowledge regarding digitalisation – or perhaps you do? – with your personal attitude to the working world of tomorrow you can become an expert without difficulty. You are someone who likes to investigate things in detail, is sociable and flexible, and also likes to try new things out personally.
Your next steps: maintain and nurture your enjoyment of further development and new things, in future perhaps increasingly as part of a team and in discussion with colleagues. It is often difficult to fit strategic considerations and future plans in alongside daily business, but how about a regular meeting within your company so as not to lose sight of these important considerations?
View the other assessments here:
And where does your company stand? Establish your position on the path to Industry 4.0!
With the Industry 4.0 readiness online self-check* for companies, you can ascertain your individual level of readiness for Industry 4.0.
There are questions on the areas of strategy and organisation, smart factory, smart operations, smart products, data-driven services, and employees: find out in which of the six areas/dimensions you are already well prepared for Industry 4.0 and which areas still have opportunities for development.
* The underlying study ‘Industry 4.0 readiness’ was commissioned by the IMPULS foundation of the VDMA and carried out by the Institut der deutschen Wirtschaft Köln Consult GmbH (IW Consult) and the Forschungsinstitut für Rationalisierung (FIR) at RWTH Aachen University.