Issue #18

Hi there,

As we move further into this new year, it's impossible to ignore the impact of current events on businesses worldwide. From global supply chain disruptions to changing consumer preferences and rapidly evolving technology trends, companies face countless challenges and opportunities in this dynamic and uncertain environment.

At Mäd, we’re committed to staying ahead of the curve and helping our clients manage these changes with agility and resilience. We’ve been closely monitoring developments in the macro environment and analyzing their impact on the business landscape, working together with our clients to find the most critical areas of their firms that need support.

Besides helping other organizations navigate the current business climate, we’ve been taking time to look inward, seeking ways to instill constant improvement across various aspects of our business.  
As always, our newsletter is designed to be a valuable resource, providing you with actionable insights and ideas that you can use to drive growth and success in your own business. We value your feedback and encourage you to reach out to us with any comments or thoughts.

Thank you for your steady support, and we look forward to continuing to partner with you in the months ahead.

(By the way, we’ve changed our newsletter platform as our old host has shut down. You won’t see any changes to your subscription: you'll continue to receive all future newsletters, while our collection of past editions is available here.)

Kieran Glover – Managing Director

Thoughts.

— On the importance of constantly learning.

In nature, if things don’t grow, they die.

Certainly, it's not nearly as drastic in our daily life; but lifelong learning is still imperative for our growth and evolution as humans.

Think about it: if we don’t constantly gather new information from our experiences, surroundings, and other people, how can we face the challenges and opportunities of the present and future? It’s dangerous to stay stagnant and uninformed in a world that is rapidly changing, increasingly digital, and prone to disaster.

So, the point is: making a conscious effort to learn new things is absolutely essential for success in both our personal and professional lives.

Professionally, it helps us stay up-to-date with new skills, knowledge, and trends in our field. It also makes us more competitive, enhances our job performance, and allows us to discover new fields of interest. (This is why we always encourage our Mäd team to up-skill and take courses in their subjects of choice — currently trying out Coursera!)

On a personal level, deliberate and thoughtful learning can help us gain a new perspective on life, increase our range of knowledge and skills (yes, sometimes being a ‘jack of all trades and master of none’ can be valuable), and build our self-confidence. It can also help develop important interpersonal skills like communication and problem-solving.

To sum it up, whatever your goal, continuous learning is the key way to stay relevant in an ever-changing, knowledge-driven world.

Work Like Mäd: The Book.

In case you missed it — we’ve published an eBook, Work Like Mäd.

Based on 10+ years of experience, with countless trials, errors, and failures in-between, Work Like Mäd is packed with lessons and advice on how to set up and grow a sustainable business, assemble a talented team, find the right projects, and keep clients coming back to you.

Get it here. (Or download a free chapter!)

News.

• YouTube. If you’re new here, you’ll be surprised to know that we have a YouTube channel. We’ve recently moved our archived videos from Vimeo to YouTube, so you can have a look at our older content. Let’s see if we can revive it!
  

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Spotlight.

• WOORI Bank. We’re delighted to be working with Woori Bank on their digital transformation journey, closely collaborating with their team to unlock new channels of value through their digital products and service delivery.
• Amret MFI. At Mäd, we have been the digital transformation partner for Amret across numerous projects in the past, and 2023 is no exception. We’re excited to keep working closely with the digital team as they continue expanding their digital product and service offerings.
  

Insights.

• Empowering Organizational Behavior Change. Organizational change and its outcomes are vital to any company’s success — but many organizations fail with 70% of their change initiatives. This is because large-scale changes require a profound cultural shift within the company. To achieve this, business leaders must make an effort to fully engage and involve the people working with them — not just focus on adding new tools and processes.
  

• Strategies as Systems. Implementing an effective strategy is crucial for businesses to succeed in the market and achieve organizational goals. But developing the strategy itself is no easy feat. To streamline strategic planning, teams can refer to helpful frameworks — such as systems thinking.
  

• Building an Innovative Workplace Culture. We may sound like a broken record, but we’ll say it again: innovation is a crucial pursuit for every forward-thinking organization. To ensure that innovation is always top-of-mind for their team, leaders must focus on ingraining it into their company culture through better workplace practices — like employee empowerment and deliberate mindset shifts.
  

From the Web.

• Purposeful Work: The Secret Weapon in the New War for Talent — Bain & Company.

With “quiet quitting” trends on the rise, companies are facing difficulties in finding and retaining talent. Leaders and managers alike struggle to figure out ways to maintain a happier, more committed team. Meanwhile, research has shown that many employees increasingly see work as meaningless, feeling disconnected from their jobs — no wonder they’re unengaged and looking for a change. To avoid this, companies need to reinforce a sense of purpose for each employee and ensure their work is interesting and meaningful.

• How to Overcome Your (Checks Email) Distraction Habit — Harvard Business Review (via Pocket).

Distraction is one of the biggest barriers to productive and meaningful work. Unfortunately, in a world full of interruptions and external stimulators, it can be hard to escape into a state of focus. We often talk about ‘deep work’ — our office even has a dedicated Deep Work room, — so we’re always looking for ways to streamline not just how we manage our time but also how we manage our attention. Learn how to recognize distractions — and curb them!

• Innovation: Your solution for weathering uncertainty — McKinsey & Co.

At Mäd, we’re huge proponents of innovation and the benefits it brings about. And it’s never more important to embrace innovation than in times of disruption and uncertainty. Continuing with business as usual can do more good than bad — instead, looking for fresh insights and seeking ways to innovate can help organizations evolve and prosper.

As we move towards the end of Q1, the coming months present an ideal opportunity to explore new projects and refine your strategy. If you have any questions or would like to discuss this further, our team is here and ready to help.

We hope you had a great February and are prepared for a productive springtime ahead!

Until next time!