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As we begin our new weekly series, tagged ‘Monday Motivation’, this Monday , AUTO REPORT AFRICA proudly presents the amiable LIQUI MOLY Managing Director, Ernst Prost, as he shares his thoughts on taking quick decisions and working efficiently in this circular to his colleagues. In our curtain-raiser, the Managing Director of the German oil and additive specialist explains that the current economic crisis, occasioned by the global health challenge, has a positive effect on collaboration because, according to him, there are no needless discussions anymore and everybody even more acts in concert.
Ernst Prost’s thoughts are contained in his most recent memo titled, “As fast as possible < instead of> as soon as possible”, sent to his colleagues on Friday. Enjoy it here:
“Ladies and gentlemen, it’s really fun being the boss these days. Where once there was a lot of discussion, today all I can hear is “I will do it!”
‘”Finalized” is not so common anymore either. Now it’s done right the first time… …and that stupid “as soon as possible” has given way to “as fast as possible”.
‘”Can’t do it” is no longer there and “no time for it” is twice not there. A dream for one who is used to go ahead without having to turn around all the time to see wherever the team is coming along.
“Wonderful, how we are able to decide and deliver in a short time, no long and broad discussions, no tedious and lengthy, opinion-forming meetings in a large circles.
“No “yes but”, “do you know”, or “I think about it”. No “I know someone who has heard from someone else that it would be much better the other way around”, fantastic conditions for a guy like me.
“Taking responsibility, making decisions, following through – as a team. Basically, WE have always worked this way, but now this situation has drastically increased the speed and decisiveness and therefore shortened the reaction times considerably.
“It’s not the big guys who eat the little ones, but the fast ones who eat the slow ones, I’m just saying…
“Don’t get me wrong, the economic crisis is bad and the virus is catastrophic. There is nothing I can do about it in principle, but now, I can do my best and what needs to be done.
“Some people call me “Kribek”… short for “crisis fighter” I like it, I’ve heard “Optimist Prime”, too. Yes, I am optimistic and believe in the good, the positive, the constructive and the beautiful. I don’t want to join the ranks of the prophets of doom and I don’t want to join in the lamentations that are now being heard everywhere.
“Overcoming crises means first of all a lot of work and not a lot of whining. Incidentally, the same applies to success… I take great pleasure and have a lot of fun in our work together, the thinking and doing the designing and implementing.
“Don’t ask a stream of questions but get started with mustered strength, passion and pleasure. You can only become a lighthouse through enthusiasm and verve, and we are a lighthouse in our industry and perhaps even for the entire German economy.
“This period will be over in a few months, a very intensive time of creativity and time for the new . A time where the right priorities are set, a time in which society holds together and people come together.
“I am already afraid when this time of extreme creativity comes to end, and egoism is displacing empathy again… I hope that we don’t fall back too much into routine and into the usual patterns of behavior, of those who harbor concerns, who always point out something with a “yes, but” or make it clear that possibly something – of which one doesn’t know what it is – could work against it.
“It’s better to look into the future with optimism than to always paint it black and pretend to know everything better. I have always loved my work, but since a couple of weeks, I have seen a 100 per cent increase.
“I am in my element, we move things, we design, we perform, we are needed, we create value and we create benefits. We are at our best, that is an incredibly good feeling.
“I am grateful for that. We have to accept the things we cannot change, but the things that we can change we have to tackle with all our strength. It’s a beautiful task in the midst of this health and economic crisis that has hit our entire world.
“There is less talk and much more done, even the usual “followers” are no longer quite as present: tax office, trade association, trade supervisory board, other authorities and bureaucrats of internal and external origin, data privacy and protection regulations are still in place, but no longer dominate everything.
“Even the folders with compliance rules have not become thicker in the last two months… All in all a nice working, undisturbed and goal oriented, fast and snappy. With the focus on the existential and not on the incidental. Time to blossom, time to give everything.
“Now, it’s all about the important things in life – the survival of people and their health, just like the survival of companies and jobs. Best regards.”
