Top executive interview

Jonatan Schloss

Chief executive, Komponent
“For half of my career as a manager, I thought that strategy was hot air”

In their strategy, Komponent focuses on creating services that will help develop local-based democracy and make municipalities capable of renewing their welfare services.


Strategy at Komponent

In their strategy, Komponent focuses on creating services that will help develop local-based democracy and make municipalities capable of renewing their welfare services.

What is the main challenge in your strategy implementation?

We have the analysis, we agree on our target, but what is difficult is to describe how we are getting there. Regarding this, it is important to stay focused and draw up a short-term plan as short as 100 days. Such a plan is an important step towards getting the feeling of having started. It has to be specific and action-oriented. And the plan should not be made by top management but by those who are to carry it out.

How do you understand the term "strategy"?

If you want to change your organization, be it because of a crisis, a changing market, or new technology, then you need to have a strategy telling you which way to go. People have to agree as to what the target is. And this target must describe a way to do something different than what we currently do.

How do you manage your strategy realization?

My role is to address the local 100-day plans, approve and challenge them in relation to our direction. After that, I spend time going around in the organization talking with the people responsible for various initiatives about how things are going. I create dialogues and bring attention to progress and challenges concerning our way of converting our strategy into action. Chief executives must spend a lot of time on the strategic work, the message to mid-level managers should be to do the same. If you are not willing to put in the hours, then you might as well not do it at all.

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