Aalto Leaders' Insight, Vol 10 by R S B

A A LTO U N I V E R S I T Y E X E C U T I V E E D U C AT I O N

S TAY I N G R E L E VA N T The way forward at work is no longer on a smooth onward and upward trajectory. Instead, more and more people take steps sideways or leap into a whole new area.

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L ifewide Le a r ni ng How to stay relevant in constant change. Eng ag e m e nt How to keep the best talents and make them satisfied with their work. Ri sk Manag em e nt How to run a business when the future looks brittle, anxious, nonlinear and incomprehensible.

“We need to focus on creativity, humane thinking, and experience. This type of design attitude is crystalized in Aalto's research. I admire Aalto's values, radical creativity, and the way it carries out its interdisciplinary concept.” Mariana Amatullo, Professor in Strategic Design and Management at Parsons School of Design, member of the Aalto University Board, p. 31

Sanna Kannisto: Approach of Winter, 2018

MBA PROGRAMS WITH AN IMPACT

Discover Your Full Potential Our renowned and holistic programs are designed to support your transformation and growth as a leader. Expand your knowledge and network, start your MBA journey now. Learn more at aaltoee.com/degree-programs

Aalto Leaders' Insight is a library of insights, published and curated by Aalto University Executive Education Ltd. The four long-form articles - we call them Books - focus on different aspects of leadership, talent management and transformation. Aalto University Executive Education Ltd consists of five brands and solution portfolios. Aalto EE offers thought-provoking leadership development services, Aalto PRO professional development services for experts and managers, and Aalto ENT services that help entrepreneurs create new business models and opportunities. Finva serves the insurance, banking, and finance sector as well everyone in need of financial training, while Aalto ACCESS offers inclusive, low-threshold programs and courses that are easily applied to an individual’s work. Aalto University brings a multidisciplinary approach coupled with innovative learning methods to the offering, providing a unique combination of practical expertise and latest research.

Vol 10 CONTENTS S TA R T

LO N G - F O R M

NEWS, COLUMNS AND INSIGHTS PAG E S 1 0 – 3 2

BOOK 1 B – BRITTLE A – ANXIOUS N – NONLINEAR I – INCOMPREHENSIBLE

News, Columns and Insights 9–32 Interview with the Dean of Aalto University School of Business Timo Korkeamäki 11–13 What Is Your Superpower? - Eight Tips for Job Applicants 14–16 What Is a DBA All About? 17–19

The past years have been way beyond complex and volatile. How to deal with times of BANI? Pages 33–48 BOOK 2 P L E A S E S TAY

Engagement at work: it is not only about finding the best talents but keeping them. Pages 49–66 BOOK 3 I T ’ S V E RY P E R S O N A L

Live and Learn 20-21

Justice creates stability at work – but why is it so hard to achieve? Pages 67–76

Figures: Aalto University 22

BOOK 4 T E C H N O LO G Y P S YC H O LO G Y

Column by Suvi Halttula 25 Asian Opportunities 26–27

Multidisciplinary research is needed because the problems of humankind are not divided according to disciplines. Pages 77–85

Books and Podcasts You Shouldn’t Miss 28 Column by Hanna-Riikka Myllymäki 29 New Leadership Perspectives 30-31 Tune in! Aalto EE Podcasts32

“Most issues with leadership are based on problems of justice: people feel they are being managed poorly.” Marjo-Riitta Diehl, Professor of Organization and Management at Aalto University, p. 72

I M PAC T & E X P E R I E N C E PAG E S 8 6 – 1 0 7

Participants and Aalto EE partners share their experiences on the programs 86–101 Figures: Aalto University Executive Education Impact in Numbers 102–105

— A A LT O L E A D E R S ’ I N S I G H T ONLINE STREAM 107

“Leaving a job during the remote period is easier than before, since people are already apart from the work community.” M.Sc. in Electrical Engineering Karoliina Muukkonen, p. 53

“A team needs different kinds of people. I no longer look for people like me, but those who will bring something that I lack.” Anne Remes, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Helsinki, participant of the Aalto Executive MBA program, p. 89

PROGRAMS FOR DEVELOPING SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS

Corporate Social Responsibility is a Strategic Tool Making choices that build a sustainable future is vital to both society and businesses. Organizations and companies need to operate in an ecologically, socially, and economically sustainable manner. Sustainable development concerns the entire organization and its stakeholders - it has to be understood as an integral part of all actions and business activities. What does sustainability mean in your organization, and how does your journey towards a more responsible business continue? Read more at aaltoee.fi/sustainability

PROGRAMS Vastuullisuus ja liiketoiminta

Yhteiskuntavastuun mittarit ja raportointi, ympäristölaskenta

Strategic Sustainability for Business Toimitusketjun vastuullisuus Digitaalinen vastuullisuus ja teknologiat, sosiaalinen vastuullisuus ja eettisyys

Vastuullisuusviestintä- ja markkinointi

F O R E W O R

PHOTO HELI SORJONEN

he “never normal” world of today needs excellent leadership and sustainable, inclusive, and diverse organizations more than ever before.Volumes upon volumes have been written about change, managing change, and change being the only constant. But what if instead of change being manageable, we simply have to make sure anxiety does not paralyze us and we have a plan B, C, and maybe even D in place to cope? No doubt the future of work is here now. It’s relevant to ask whether we are ready – as individuals, institutions, organizations, and communities? In an interview in this magazine, newly appointed board member of Aalto University Mariana Amatullo calls for increasingly diverse approaches to leadership and management. According to her, traditional linear management models no longer suffice in a time of interdependence and wicked problems. Hear, hear! Thus, this issue of Aalto Leaders’ Insight is dedicated to inclusion, preparedness, risk, nonlinearity, and, particularly, lifewide learning, which is in the DNA of Aalto EE and Aalto University. At Aalto EE, we want to make sure we not only train people but position them and their organizations for success, as Hanna-Riikka Myllymäki states in her column.

We want to introduce Aalto University from many angles: its board members; important items on the agenda of the Dean of the School of Business; achievements and research of the different schools within Aalto; and some of the interesting scientists tackling major topical issues in society. In addition, we introduce our new brand, Aalto ACCESS, as well Tom Lindholm who is Aalto EE's new Managing Director and Head of Lifewide Learning at Aalto. Aalto University’s mission is to shape a sustainable future. Aalto EE is proud to be part of that mission. Our role is to develop the next generation of leaders and experts, and to contribute to a better world through better leadership. Curiosity and learning agility are essential in lifewide leadership. I sincerely hope that this issue of Aalto Leaders’ Insight satisfies your curiosity and encourages you to continue along a path of lifewide learning! ◆

Dr. Riitta Lumme-Tuomala Head of Communication Aalto University Executive Education Ltd

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Bette r World Through Bette r Leade r ship

S TA RT NEWS, COLUMNS & INSIGHTS

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P H OTO S JA A K KO KA H I L A N I E M I / A A LTO U N I V E R S I T Y

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The Dean of Aalto University School of Business, Timo Korkeamäki, considers the low number of female business students a societal issue. We have an image problem, he says.

T H E D E A N E N C O U R AG E S WO M E N TO C H O O S E F I N A N C E The Dean of Aalto University School of Business,Timo Korkeamäki, has studied CEO mobility. Results reveal that companies significantly work towards preventing personnel mobility: long executive employment contracts and non-competition clauses. “It is insane. Our research results signify that it is good for people to move around.”

Timo Korkeamäki, you are the Dean of Aalto University School of Business.What is the dean’s most important task? “Pointing a strategic course. Ensuring that more or less everyone is aware of the direction we’re taking. At the same time, it’s good to keep in mind a uni-

versity is a place for debating and disagreeing.”

sions on resource allocation and employment.”

What is the hardest task? “Making sure that people have information. Communication and keeping others up to date. Sometimes you need to make difficult, micro-level deci-

What is your most important leadership lesson? “I emphasize listening. It is extremely important to listen to people. This has been a major challenge during the Covid-19 >

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period, as there’s only so much you can convey in remote discussions. Learning to read people’s expressions and manners is just as important as listening to the words.” Only 31 percent of students admitted into Aalto University School of Business programs were women. How can the gender balance be improved? “31 percent is a shockingly low figure. We see this as a societal issue and are currently looking into the reasons for this imbalance. In finance, the imbalance issue is global, but our entire School of Business is seeing fewer and fewer applications from women. 10–15 years ago the situation was half and half. We have, for example, surveyed upper secondary school girls’ perceptions of the School of Business. Quite appalling things have come up: calculating, competitive, focused on personal success.

“Our research results signify that it is good for people to move around.”

Upper secondary female students outside the capital region know very little of us on average. We have an image problem. I see two communication challenges. With a degree in economic sciences, you can go to Wall Street and make money. But you can also make decisions on how resources are allocated, which is a wonderful opportunity to do good. This angle should be more widespread. Secondly, sustainable development is a focus area for Aalto in general, and it is our strength. Economic sciences offer an extensive readiness in several areas.” What do you rely on at times of crisis and restlessness?

“We also urgently need reliable information. The way I see it, it has increased the value of universities.”

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“We have operated in quite a fog for two years in a row. Sometimes universities are criticized for being too scientific. During uncertain times, I find it a strength that all actions are based on a theoretical framework. On the other hand, our task is to also produce fast information to support current decision-making. We also urgently need reliable information. The way I see it, it has increased the value of universities. At the university, we need to make sure that we use science to approach things in an unbiased way in the future as well.” Together with Gönül Colak, Professor of Finance at Hanken School of Economics, you have studied CEO mobility. What discoveries do you wish to share with those applying for leadership positions? “Companies significantly work towards preventing personnel mobility: long executive employment contracts and noncompetition clauses. Our research challenges these measures. Our research results signify that

it is good for people to move around. CEOs should rather be instructed to keep their LinkedIn page and resumé in shape.” That sounds a little wild. Please explain. “We studied how corporate risk-taking, and thus growth, are impacted when the CEO believes that they are in their final CEO job or that there is no other work available. Our sampling is from the US. We produced strong empirical results indicating that a CEO with other employment possibilities is more enthusiastic in risk-taking than a peer with no other em-

ployment outlook.When taking a risk, the CEO simultaneously hurts their own position. If they do not see other chances for employment, they may rather focus on ensuring the scope of their current job. It is not a novel idea, but one that has seen quite little empirical study.” Did you make surprising discoveries? “We compared the intensity of the mobility effect according to each state. The US has statespecific legislation on non-competition agreements and other clauses hindering mobility. This provides an excellent laboratory

for the researcher. This way, we got verification for the fact that when you limit mobility, you also hinder corporate risk-taking and growth opportunities.” What are you reading or listening to at the moment? “Frankly, I’m ashamed of how little I have time to read. But I have really started to like podcasts. When driving or on the move, I listen to the Financial Times and The Economist. Listening to them keeps me informed and highlights the value of high-quality journalism.” ◆ Annukka Oksanen

Timo Korkeamäki has studied CEO mobility together with Gönül Colak, Professor of Finance at Hanken. When mobility is limited, corporate risk-taking and growth possibilities are also hindered, Korkeamäki states.

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PHOTO HELI BLÅFIELD

S T A R T

W H AT I S YO U R S U P E R P OW E R ? EIGHT TIPS FOR JOB APPLICANTS Leader, or someone looking to be one, do you know how to stand out and describe your skills so that you can find just the right job for you? Executive Search Consultant Jouko Pitkänen provides his tips.

Don’t just list jobs and tasks. List your accomplishments in them. “A candidate’s expertise is most evident through their accomplishments at work. This knowl-

edge helps us to assess the person’s skills and understand their chances of succeeding in new challenges. Interviews also include questions about previous workplaces and what has taken

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place there, the changes and projects the candidate has managed. Then we evaluate the skills and capabilities you used to achieve this or that result. In other words, we aren’t primarily interested in

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your personal achievements.This type of exercise can also boost your professional self-esteem.”

“Results can easily be recognized, but it is not nearly as easy to point out why something happened or what your personal skills were in a particular situation.”

a list of previous jobs, but rather the results and abilities that you use to solve new challenges.” Be specific when describing your skills. “People can usually verbalize their achievements on a general level: sales grows, and profitability increases. Results can easily be recognized, but it is not nearly as easy to point out why something happened or what your personal skills were in a particular situation. Sales grew, but it is important to understand why this happened. This is a key piece of information in evaluating whether a person is fit for certain future challenges.” Analyze the lessons you have learned from failures. “A certain level of directness and honesty is good. An experienced

leader will have experienced not only ups but also downs and disappointments. I appreciate it when I’m told fairly about what happened in a certain tight spot. I would approach this as a learning experience: what the tricky situation was, what is your assessment of what you learned.” Write 6-10 success stories from your career. “This task helps you identify your abilities and superpowers. When you list your achievements, you begin to outline the elements of your competence. A success story can be small or big: solving a conflict, managing a situation in a way that made a team member blossom in a new way, accelerating sales, a project management case, developing a new business model… Practical examples powerfully highlight

Identify and verbalize your personal areas of development. “One essential quality of skillful leaders is having a strong mindset for growth and development. Lifelong learning is a key starting point. It is hard to see someone without this mindset succeeding in our perpetually changing world, where competition can come from surprising corners and there is little predictability. Companies have been made to grow and change, and leaders must grow with them towards new realities. The point is, this kind of dynamic of growth and development creates potential – a leader has the ability to receive new, rapidly emerging challenges. Identifying personal areas of development, and selfknowledge in general, form an important part of the leadership mindset.” Prove that you have a hunger for growth and resilience for taking hits. “The above-mentioned growth and development mindset strengthens resilience.When you have internalized the notion of growth and development, you can take a hit: when the hit comes, you can recover quickly, alter the course, be flexible, sort >

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I will. If you cannot answer with this level of certainty, you won’t be selected.We assess candidates’ skills from several perspectives: we consider, for example, cogni-

“It’s good to have some resilience: you need to be prepared to switch up and learn new things.”

Remember what a headhunter seeks. “Our job is to find people who get things done.We are not looking for someone who simply meets the criteria and job description, this is not enough. Remember this notion: If you want a certain job, you will need to show and tell that I can, and

tive and social skills, perspectives on business skills, and strategic thinking.We verify these things through interviews, personal assessments, and references.” Take care of your skills. “Career path steps are getting shorter. The stronger the focus on technology, the shorter the

WHO? Jouko Pitkänen Senior Partner, JFP Executive Search Oy EMBA Jouko Pitkänen is specialized in executive search for management, middle management and board

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time spent on one job. People must take responsibility for looking after their pool of skills. Companies train basic skills, but you need to be interested and curious on your own, participate in courses, listen to podcasts, take care of your market value. Ways of working are evolving: employment and entrepreneurship exist side by side, you can alternate between leadership and expert work, and hor izontal changes are increasing. These change trends impact career planning. It’s important to be realistic about where you are now, what you have learnt along the way, what goals you have, and how they can be achieved. In this sense, too, it’s good to have some resilience: you need to be prepared to switch up and learn new things. Strong selfknowledge helps in setting realistic career goals. Leaders need to have room for growth.” ◆ Reetta Räty

members, along with career guidance. Pitkänen is working on a DBA degree at Aalto EE. In his doctoral thesis, Pitkänen researches changes in business models. What types of skills should organizations cover, so that the needs for renewing business models can be identified and their realization enabled?

PHOTO HELI BLÅFIELD

of grow into the new situation. This connection and combination is important: growth and development, and the flexibility that follows.”

PHOTO ANU HAAPALA

S T A R T

A DBA is more applied and flexible compared to a traditional Doctor of Science in Economics and Business Administration degree. However, the requirements for both degrees are on par with each other, explain Mikko Laukkanen, Academic Director at Aalto EE, and Henrikki Tikkanen, Professor at Aalto University School of Business.

W H AT I S A D B A ALL ABOUT? What on earth is a DBA degree? And how does it differ from a traditional D.Sc. in Economics and Business Administration? Henrikki Tikkanen, Professor at Aalto University School of Business, and Mikko Laukkanen, Academic Director at Aalto EE, answer frequently asked questions about the differences between the two programs. “The idea behind a DBA is that also a top business executive will be able to complete a doctorate,” Laukkanen summarizes.

Why did Aalto decide to launch a DBA degree program? And how does it differ from a traditional D.Sc. in Economics and Business Administration? Henrikki Tikkanen (HT): “The Aalto Executive DBA pro-

gram was launched in 2013 because a traditional doctoral program in economics and business administration doesn’t support the doctoral studies of top executives while working. DBA is an established, well-known concept in other parts of the world.

A traditional doctorate prepares students for a scientific career, whereas the DBA is a more pragmatic program where extant management theory is applied. DBA participants are experienced leaders and experts with research mater ials usually >

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stemming from their own work and background.” Mikko Laukkanen (ML):“The DBA serves different needs than a traditional doctorate, which is mainly about growing into an academic researcher. In a DBA, business executives become part of the research community, gaining new perspectives for their work practices and thinking, rather than being prepared for a career in research. DBA program participants are handed a complete package: they are told what

much guidance and supervision as they need and are given prompt feedback.” ML: “The idea is that also a top business executive will be able to complete a doctorate.” Is the DBA a real doctorate? HT: “Similarly to an MBA, the DBA isn’t considered an official degree program in Finland, but from a business perspective, it rarely matters whether a degree is accredited by the Finnish state or the Finnish Ministry of Edu-

“Many participants claim to have gained a whole new view of the world.”

to do and what to read next. A traditional PhD is a more independent and lonesome effort.” HT: “DBA courses are tailored to the participants and their interests. Aalto has decided no longer to admit seasoned business executives to complete a Doctor of Science in Economics and Business Administration degree on a part-time basis. The DBA is the channel for executives and top business experts to pursue a doctorate at Aalto BIZ. They receive as

cation. Aalto University School of Business – and thus, its DBA – holds all the international accreditations for business schools (EQUIS, AACSB and AMBA), which play a bigger role internationally. The DBA is considered a doctoral degree by grant providers and foundations, providing research funding for DBA participants.” ML:“The DBA is consistent with the course requirements of the Doctor of Science in Economics and Business Administration de-

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gree, and the dissertations of the two programs are on par with each other.The DBA is acknowledged by the wider network of stakeholders including employers, funders, and other researchers.” What to consider when choosing between different programs like an MBA, Executive MBA or DBA? ML: “Compared to an MBA or an EMBA, the DBA has a more in-depth approach to the study topic of the student. Participants may have already worked in their field of interest for years, or they’ve come across a certain topic of interest at a later stage and want to more thoroughly understand the underlying phenomena through finishing a full-fledged doctoral thesis.” HT: “Many DBA participants already have an MBA or an EMBA and now want something more. The DBA is designed for senior executives and experts with a master’s degree. We sometimes receive applications from people with a 5–10-year career background, which is usually too early in their careers. The average age among DBA students is 50+, meaning they are much more experienced than for instance EMBA participants. Students can complete a DBA anywhere in the world as our studies are

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part-time and when needed fully digital.” ML: “A lot of the supervision is face-to-face, but it can easily be done via Teams, and instructors travel, too.” How is the participants’ solid work and leadership experience reflected in the studies? HT: “DBA participants complete as many courses as our regular D.Sc. students, and they take part in international conferences and research seminars. However, they tend to have more conceptual aha moments, as usually a longer time has passed since their master’s studies compared to younger D.Sc. students. We offer a lot of flexibility in completing the degree. Some have taken a year off work to focus solely on their DBA, while others study alongside work. A number of students advance very quickly, while others are slower and take breaks in between.” What do participants gain from a DBA? How about their employers? ML:“The studies often help participants understand their business practices in a completely new way and examine them from a distance. Participants are able to view, apply, and interpret research knowledge in a new, broader way”.

HT:“Participants face many new topics, such as research methodology and philosophy of science, which haven’t necessarily been discussed during undergraduate studies. A number of participants claim to have gained a whole new view of the world.” ML: “Employers gain a concrete, finished dissertation that has involved examining a certain business topic in depth. And naturally the employer benefits from an executive whose thinking has developed.” HT: “Sometimes a dissertation involves developing a concrete solution for the company. Acquiring the same solution from a consultant may cost more than many DBAs put together. The program can be used as a tool for personnel development, too. It helps experts find new tools for their work.” ML: “Many want to find a new perspective for their activities. If they don’t find it inside the company, they’ll look for it somewhere else.” And how does the DBA program benefit the university? ML: “Although intensive supervision may take up a lot of time, both the professor and their research team benefit from the DBA participants’ solid practical

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background and understanding of business phenomena.” HT: “The program offers our professors the opportunity to interact intensively with top executives for years.We learn about many practical problems from DBA participants.” ML: “Instructors get to utilize the results of the DBA dissertations in their own work and teaching. On a practical level, they are able to access completely new data and materials via the DBA participants.” ◆

Anu Haapala

The latest graduates from the Aalto Executive DBA program are Panu Routila, Sari Haavisto, and Susanna Takkunen. Routila is the former CEO of Konecranes. Haavisto is an experienced marketing, sales, and business leader who now works as teacher at Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences. Takkunen works as Principal Director at Accenture. Read more about her experience in Aalto Executive DBA program on page 92.

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Kerttu Kuokkanen, Business Area Director, Aalto ACCESS at Aalto University Executive Education (left), and Petri Suomala, Vice President, Education, at Aalto University.

LIVE AND LEARN Aalto ACCESS offers tailored, lifewide learning on a low threshold. “We want to open up the wealth of expertise at Aalto to an increasingly wide group of people,” Kerttu Kuokkanen explains.

he way forward at work is no longer on a smooth onward and upward trajectory. Instead, more and more people take steps sideways or leap into a whole new area. Industries disappear and new ones are born. “Careers are becoming increasingly fragmented. Self-development is a must,” sums up Kerttu Kuokkanen, Business Area Director, Aalto ACCESS at Aalto University Executive Education (Aalto EE). There’s a pressing need for learning and keeping up to date, for both individuals and organizations.

Aalto ACCESS, a joint initiative of Aalto EE and the schools and departments of Aalto University, addresses this need. It’s a tool for continuous, lifewide learning that offers both individuals and organizations a chance to study relevant subjects and programs, on a low threshold. Open University has traditionally offered degree courses for non-fulltime students, where the content of courses has been the same for everyone. At the other end of the spectrum at Aalto, MBA and EMBA programs require considerable investment both financially and in terms of time.

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“There’s been a gap between the two extremes. If participating in an extensive program like an MBA is out of the question but one is still looking for a focused learning method that can be adapted to one’s situation, ACCESS is the solution,” states Petri Suomala,Vice President, Education, at Aalto University. Aalto ACCESS was established with the intention of offering the content at Aalto University to a wider group of people. “In a context of lifewide learning, that’s our mission.We want to make the wealth of expertise at Aalto accessible to a larger group

P H OTO S OTS O A L A S KO/A A LTO E E A N D M I K KO R A S K I N E N / A A LTO U N I V E R S I T Y

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PHOTO JUNNU LUSA

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TO M L I N D H O L M : T H E B E S T P L A C E TO H E L P P E O P L E A N D B U S I N E S S E S G ROW

om Lindholm, M.Sc. (Econ.), started working as Aalto University Executive Education Ltd’s new Managing Director and Aalto University’s Head of Lifewide Learning in January 2022. He has worked in management and consulting positions in executive education since the early 2000s and served for example as the CEO of Talent Vectia (now Verona Consulting) in 2012–2019. Developing companies’ operations and people’s competences has always been central in his career.

“My personal mission is to help people and businesses develop and grow. This is the best place to carry out this mission,” Lindholm says. Lindholm works in two organizations but leads one lifewide learning entity that covers programs and courses of both Aalto EE and Aalto University. He believes that together they form the best competence development portfolio in the Nordics. “It’s important to consider how we build interesting learning paths on an individual level and how we can utilize the top

and have an impact on society in the process,” says Kuokkanen. “If you’re considering a change of career, ACCESS provides an opportunity to take a closer look at a specific field before potentially building a journey into more advanced studies,” she explains. ACCESS brings working people and degree students together, which creates an enriched learning experience. Programs can be built for organizations combining elements from the Aalto lifewide learning offering that ranges from free MOOC courses to highly customized teaching.

Aalto EE is also able to construct a complete development architecture for companies. It involves pinpointing development needs in different parts of the organization and the type of

expertise of the academic world in the best possible way when we develop organizations.” Read more about Tom Lindholm’s thoughts on lifewide learning and leadership at aaltoee.com/insight

learning that best addresses those needs. In practice, it’s what lifewide learning is all about. ◆

Annukka Oksanen

A L L ROA D S L E A D TO AC C E S S Find out more about ACCESS at aaltoee.com/access The course and program offering is constantly expanding. If a company is already engaged in research or other cooperation with Aalto, the relevant contact person will provide guidance. Both individuals and companies can contact Kerttu Kuokkanen: kerttu.kuokkanen@aaltoee.fi

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F I G U R E S :

A A L T O

U N I V E R S I T Y

A A LTO U N I V E R S I T Y – W H E R E M U LT I D I S C I P L I N A RY S C I E N C E A N D A RT M E E T T E C H N O L O G Y A N D B U S I N E S S

12,600 1,100 400 full-time equivalent degree students

employed doctoral candidates

professors

6 schools

Over

100,000 alumni

in the Helsinki metropolitan area and with over 300 years of combined history: School of Business School of Arts, Design, and Architecture

of which over

School of Science

18,000

School of Chemical Engineering School of Electrical Engineering

are Aalto University Executive Education alumni

111

School of Engineering

bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degree programs

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ILLUSTRATION JUTTA SUTINEN

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N E W S

A A LTO U N I V E R S I T Y ’ S A RT & D E S I G N C O N T I N U E S TO E XC E L A S 6 T H I N T H E W O R L D

QS World University Rankings published its field-specific rankings for 2022 in April. The rankings cover 51 academic fields and over 1,500 universities around the world. In the field of art and design, Aalto University maintained its excellence as 6th in the world. “Art and design can open novel perspectives on and solutions to the world’s great challenges. It’s exciting to be ranked among the best in the world in this area. A big thanks belongs to our entire community,” says Tuomas Auvinen, Dean of

the Aalto University School of Art, Design, and Architecture. In the field of architecture and built environment, Aalto kept its spot in the top 50, ranking 42nd, as it did a year before. Aalto broke into the top 100 in the fields of business and management studies (#74); computer science and information systems (#84); electrical and electronic engineering (#97); and materials science (#95). The QS World University Rankings by Subject emphasize the university’s reputation both in the world of academia and among employers, as well as research publications and citation numbers. The weighting of these different factors in the results varies between fields.

ILLUSTRATION JARKKO HYPPÖNEN

S I G N I F I C A N T F I L M AWA R D S TO A A LTO S T U D E N T S A N D S TA F F Emilia Hernesniemi's short film Goodbye Tornio won the Jussi Award for Best Short Film in May 2022, as the first student film ever. Hernesniemi studies documentary film directing at Aalto University. In February 2022, Susanna Helke's Ruthless Times – Songs of Care was the winner

A H OY, A A LTO E E ALUMNI! Aalto EE has more than 18,000 alumni around the world. We are extremely proud of our alumni and want to keep you updated on Aalto EE's latest news, events, and programs, so you can make the most of all the excellent content and development opportunities. To keep in touch, we need email addresses. Although we realize you need to update your new email address to many different places, we would really appreciate being high on that list, so we can reach you. U P D AT E Y O U R C O N TA C T I N F O R M AT I O N

Has your contact information changed? Have you not received emails from us for a while? Fill in the form and send us your new contact details. aaltoee.fi/alumni aaltoee.com/alumni

in the National Competition of DocPoint, Finland's biggest documentary film festival. Helke is a director and professor of documentary film at Aalto. The teams behind both films also included several other Aalto students, staff members, and alumni.

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A A L T O

E E

N E W S

P RO J E C T O N P S YC H O LO G I C A L T H E O R I E S I N GAME DESIGN RECEIVES REMARKABLE FUNDING and researchers. The ERC grant covers research for five years.

dates between March 2016 and March 2022, and doctorates on alumni with graduation dates between April 2016 and April

2022. In addition, jubilee masters from 1971 and the new honorary doctors of the School of Business were conferred.

PHOTO OTSO ALASKO

Interestingly, though, a lot of the academic research is not very useful for game designers – they consider it too abstract, too trivial. I see this as a missed opportunity,” says Mekler. Theorycraft sheds light on how psychological theories are used in the game industry and develops new ways to adapt these theories for the use of the game industry

FINLAND’S FIRST DBAs CONFERRED The Aalto University School of Business Ceremonial Conferment took place for the 16th time in May 2022. The first graduates from the Aalto Executive DBA program were among the conferred doctors. The ceremony conferred master’s degrees on new alumni (promovendi) with graduation

In general, I’ve never been one for definitions or being boxed in. I want to leave things open to interpretation, appreciation, and critique. That’s also my approach with design. It’s not a concrete process – I just have a sense of it and it’s in flux all the time.” Lincoln Kayiwa, Founder and CEO of KAYIWA (a studio selling custom furniture and houseware globally) and Alumnus of Aalto University, in Aalto University Magazine.

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PHOTO ALEKSI POUTANEN

Theorycraft research project, led by assistant professor Elisa Mekler from Aalto University’s Department of Computer Science, received funding of nearly EUR 1.5 million from the European Research Council (ERC). “We know that game developers really love psychological theories; we see it in their textbooks and hear it in their conferences.

P H OTO M AT T I A H L G R E N / A A LTO U N I V E R S I T Y

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S T A R T C O L U M N

Ye s to DEI, but what about the action require d for change?

eing committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is not enough to make an organization diverse, equitable, or inclusive. Diversity requires intentional organizational action. Equity requires intentional organizational action. Inclusion requires intentional organizational action. A lack of intentional action, which differs for each aspect of DEI, is in my view the most critical barrier for an organization to achieve its targets for DEI and making its DEI-commitment a reality. But how to get started? I will share a few tips. You need to know who your people are. The importance of sufficient, robust data on the diversity of all key internal and external stakeholders cannot be underestimated.You need to start with your own people but taking a wider look at your stakeholders will certainly bring to attention any critical information you may have overlooked. For example, who are the people applying to your organization, but are never interviewed? Who are your customers, and are you considering their diversity in your offering? What about your suppliers? What diversity metrics could you consider throughout the value chain? Knowing who your people are will undoubtedly start you off in the right direction on your DEI-journey. You need to take concrete action and develop practices to ensure your people flourish equitably. Looking at any organization, its policies and especially its day-to-day practices for instance in recruitment, on-boarding, HR, training, development, and even meet-

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ings need to be scrutinized through an “equity lens”. Are we intentionally doing everything we can to ensure equity? Do our policies and procedures reflect and allow for adjustments according to the different starting points of our people? Moving up the career ladder may not be the ultimate aim for everyone, but everyone will surely want to be treated equitably and rely on organizational support to succeed. For inclusion and an inclusive organizational culture, good intentions are not enough. Serious self-reflection, both on an individual and organizational level, is a good way to start building and enhancing inclusion.Why do we want to be inclusive? Does it stem from a genuine desire for real change or from external pressure or the active work of a few internal advocates? What changes am I willing to make as an individual, and what needs to happen in the organization? Will there be internal resistance and how are we prepared to handle that resistance? Inclusion is an outcome of genuine change, and in the current landscape of increasing inequality, societal tension, and even war, a willingness to foster inclusion and the required changes can truly be a lifesaver. ◆

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SUVI HALTTULA is a social sustainability and human rights professional and an impact entrepreneur. She is a co-founder of Impaktly, an agency supporting companies to achieve long-term business success through sustainable and courageous transformation.

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ASIAN O P P O RT U N I T I E S

PHOTO OTSO ALASKO

Aalto EE has thousands of alumni in South Korea and Taiwan, the collaboration having a wider societal impact.

Pictured: Chairman Dong-sung Cho and wife Mrs. Cho; Vice President Yong-joo Choi; Professor HwyChang Moon and wife Mrs. Moon; and Head of New Business Ventures and Partnerships Kyunh-ju Kim. From Aalto EE: Head of Thought Leadership and Design Raija Kuokkanen; Business Area Director Hanna-Riikka Myllymäki; former Managing Director Pekka Mattila; and Program Manager Andreaa Cozma.

longside Finland, Aalto EE degree programs are available in South Korea and Taiwan. The countries now have thousands of Aalto EE alumni. The partnership began in Korea back in 1995 when Veikko Jääskeläinen, rector of Helsinki School of Economics at the time, and Professor Dong-sung Cho

from Seoul National University and The Institute for Industrial Policy established in 1993 (IPS, the current aSSIST Business School) decided to collaborate. “I’m sure Jääskeläinen realized how much it meant to be present in Korea that is an important industrial player and consumer product manufacturer,” explains

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Hanna-Riikka Myllymäki, Business Area Director, Degree Programs at Aalto EE. Collaboration began with Taiwan in the early 2000s, just after Aalto EE’s predecessor HSE Executive Education had established a unit and subsidiary in Singapore. Many western companies set up Asia hubs in

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Take LG Electronics for exam“In Korea, we have more than Singapore and continue to do 4,000 Aalto Executive MBA alum- ple – one of the Korean companies so today. “We had some big customers ni and a highly efficient collabora- for which Aalto EE and aSSIST there – Nokia perhaps most im- tion with our partners. Aalto’s have implemented a tailored Exportantly – which was an im- accreditations and ranking suc- ecutive MBA program – which portant reason to have a subsid- cess are of interest to our partners, decided to set up a research center iary in Singapore at the time,” while the collaboration is critical in Turku, Finland in 2015. “I can’t help thinking that says Anu Vänskä, Executive for our business. It’s a win-win sitover 400 top executives at LG havDirector of subsidiary Aalto uation,” highlights Myllymäki. ing received training Executive Education on the Aalto EMBA Academy Ptd Ltd. made a difference.” The Taiwanese The partnership partnership stemmed between Aalto EE and from a determined “In Korea, we have more than aSSIST also came to search for new busi4,000 Aalto Executive MBA alumni the fore when South ness operations. Korean President Excellent local and a highly efficient collaboration Moon Jae-in visited partners who underwith our partners.” Finland in 2019 to stand the local culmeet Finland’s Presiture, language, and dent Sauli Niinistö business and educaand also visited Aalto tional field are an University. integral part of Aalto Aalto EE doesn't customize The degree partnership is vital, EE’s presence in Asia. Aalto EE currently partners with aSSIST creating a foundation for a range programs in Taiwan but according to Vänskä, it’s easy to assume in South Korea and Pan Asia of educational cooperation. “The degree programs are that the company has a huge International Education Center lengthy, requiring commitment impact on its customer compain Taiwan. It’s also important to have em- both from participants and the nies indirectly. “We have new participants in ployees who speak Mandarin Chi- partner,” says Vänskä. International collaboration is our Executive MBA programs nese also at the Aalto EE Singapore unit. Modules produced by Pan beneficial both to individuals from some companies year after Asia for the EMBA program in and their organizations. Students year. Also, some of the particiTaipei are in Chinese. Simultane- and alumni from different coun- pants represent non-local comous interpretation is always offered tries get to know each other and panies. The latest program had international professors, and three participants from Google, for modules in English. The collaboration with learn about new work methods for example. In other words, we are an appealing option also aSSIST has now lasted for near- and cultures. Myllymäki mentions that among employees of US conly thirty years, while Pan Asia is Aalto EE’s third partner collaboration has a wider socie- glomerates in Taiwan.” ◆ tal impact. in Taipei. Anu Haapala

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BOOKS AND PODCASTS YO U S H O U L D N ’ T M I S S We asked Aalto University staff to share their book and podcast recommendations.

TUOMAS AUVINEN Dean at the School of Arts, Design and Architecture

Linda A. Hill: Collective Genius: The Art and Practice of Leading Innovation (2014) “Linda Hill is one of the most influential thinkers and researchers in leading innovation. She was named by the global Thinkers50 ranking as one of the top ten management and leadership thinkers in the world in 2021. Her seminal book Collective Genius is a challenging conceptual analysis on leading creativity and innovation. It also contains practical tools for developing the capabilities innovation needs in organizations. “My favorite quote: “Leadership is the secret sauce” for sustained innovation in organizations.”

ELISA MEKLER Assistant Professor at the Department of Computer Science

Keywords in Play podcast “For years, I’ve been following Critical Distance, a community blog showcasing the most interesting and thought-provoking writing on games. They now also host a monthly podcast, Keywords in Play, interviewing diverse and innovative games professionals from across the world, in a bite-sized, casual format. A recent episode featured my brilliant postdoctoral researcher April Tyack (who is sorely missed...) discussing our work on the appeal of mundane game experiences, and the implications this holds for how we think about games research and design. You can listen to the episodes on Podbean and Apple Podcasts.”

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TO M L I N D H O L M Managing Director of Aalto EE, Head of Lifewide Learning at Aalto University

Adam Grant: Think Again – The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know (2021) “We live in a rapidly changing world and due to the constant time pressure, we easily become prisoners of the past instead of questioning our beliefs more often than ever before. Adam Grant combines research and storytelling in a way that helps the reader to realize the importance of rethinking and gives a lot of insightful examples. Rethinking, or unlearning and relearning is a skillset, but also a mindset!”

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Future- Proof Y our Organization

he world of work has been changing for some time, but the Covid-19 pandemic accelerated the pace by for example creating new ways of hybrid working. The transformation has been due to a range of forces, such as technological advancements, transitioning work models, and an evolving business environment. The changes require both individuals and organizations to adopt digital technologies and use electronic tools and systems in order to reduce complexity and improve ways of working. To thrive in this constantly changing environment, you need to take care of your labor market value. Make sure to define and analyze your personal learning goals every now and then. If you are a leader, future-proof your organization by ensuring it provides every employee a possibility to explore, learn, and grow.The aim is not only to train people but to position the company for success. In view of the forces shaping the future, there is a growing demand for a range of skills. Certain skills are vital for individuals to live and work in a digital world. There is a growing shortage of employees with the right competence for rapidly evolving jobs. But in order to tackle the future, we need to balance the development of skills with an increased focus on developing mindsets and behaviors that will allow employees to succeed in tasks that may not yet be even defined. When defining the impact of learning, one of my favorite frameworks is the revised version of Bloom’s Taxonomy for Teaching, Learning, and Assessment from 2001. It points learning to a more dynamic conception of classification, describing it with action

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verbs. The triangle is divided into six levels, escalating from Remembering to Understanding, Applying, Analyzing, Evaluating, and Creating at the top. In a nutshell, the first two levels can be achieved by self-learning for instance through digital micro-learning units. The third and fourth require individual feedback. A learning process that enables evaluating and justifying a decision or creating something new doesn't happen alone, but requires group work, peer learning, and facilitation.The framework is an excellent tool for planning how to reach personal or organizational learning goals. These days, people are learning continuously wherever they are. On the other hand, the information overload and demands to constantly learn on-the-go, while working, jogging or doing other activities creates pressure. When investing your personal or the organization’s time in learning, it’s crucial to deploy a full learning and development portfolio. In the context of lifewide learning, 10% of learning occurs formally, while 90% takes place informally and spontaneously. Even informal learning can and should be planned up to a point, which needs to be considered when planning a personal learning path and portfolio. For the 10% that makes up formal learning, make sure to choose a leading education provider with proven impact and value for you and your organization. ◆

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HANNA-RIIKKA MYLLYMÄKI is the Director of Degree Business Area and Public Affairs at Aalto University Executive Education Ltd, and a passionate advocate for lifewide learning.

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NEW LEADERSHIP PERSPECTIVES “Leadership programs with an open and inclusive perspective create genuine value and purpose for companies,” says Mariana Amatullo, recently appointed member of Aalto University Board.

ook around. Do you notice the structures for living and working? What cultures and hierarchies do they reflect? “Some of the structures we carry along date back to the 1800s,” says Mariana Amatullo, Professor in Strategic Design and Management at Parsons School of Design. There will be dissonance and friction when technology, digitalization, and new ways of working and living collide with traditional structures. We are living in a time of mega-crises, interdependence, and wicked problems. Traditional linear management and business models no longer suffice. There’s a need for increasingly diverse approaches. “We need to focus on creativity, humane thinking, and experience. This type of design attitude is crystalized in Aalto's research. I admire Aalto's values, radical creativity, and the way it carries out its interdisciplinary concept.” Mariana Amatullo is also Vice President for Global Executive Education and Online Strategic Initiatives at The New School in New York, and President of Cu-

mulus, the Global Association for Art and Design Education and Research. Her work combines practice, research, and strategic university management. Her research focuses on design for social innovation, design and organizational culture, design management, and design and international development. She is renowned for integrating the creative industries into international development programs and executive education. Born in Buenos Aires, Mariana Amatullo was a child of diplomats, who lived in several different countries due to her parents’ work.

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“It taught me to adapt, observe, and listen from a young age. It had a huge impact on me,” Amatullo reflects. After completing her master’s degree in art history, she worked in museums before her appointment at the ArtCenter College of Design in California. “The ArtCenter College had a strong ethos for acquiring knowledge in practice and through creative work and making,” she enthuses. This resulted in her establishing the renowned Designmatters program, which advances innovation and social change through creativity and an experiential curriculum. At

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Parsons, Amatullo is part of a cadre of faculty with deep roots in creativity and social justice; for the past five years she has been developing interdisciplinary graduate courses that bring together leadership theory and design methods and she has imbued a design mindset to the portfolio of Parsons Executive Education programs that she oversees. Since her doctoral studies in management and systems, at the Weatherhead School of Management, Case Western University, Amatullo has been particularly interested in establishing new metrics to inform how we leverage the design discipline as a cognitive problem-solving approach that can further innovation in organizations. Mariana Amatullo became a member of the Aalto University Board at the beginning of the year. She hopes to enrich Aalto with a southern hemisphere and US perspective. She begins to discuss the design legacy, patriarchal structures, and diversity that dominate the rhetoric in the northern hemisphere: “How could we become more tolerant and open to different views

and cultures, and how can we combine different perspectives?” She is certain that the value of leadership training will grow in the future. “Executive education programs with an open and inclusive perspective create genuine value and purpose for companies. In an interdependent world, the strengths of a global workforce lie in openness, curiosity, and empathy.” INTRODUCING: Aalto University Board In addition to Mariana Amatullo, the board members of Aalto University are: Sari Baldauf Board professional Sari Baldauf is and has been a member of multiple executive boards of companies including Fortum, F-Secure, and Hewlett-Packard. Ilkka Kivimäki is the Founding Partner at Maki.vc, an early-stage venture capital firm partnering with deep tech & brand-driven companies. He is known as a powerhouse, striving to create new jobs, wealth, and tax income in Finland.

F U RT H E R R E A D I N G

Design for Social Innovations: Case Studies from Around the World (Routledge, 2021), co-edited by Bryan Boyer, Jennifer May and Andrew Shea. https://dsibook.com/

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Mikko Kosonen, President of Sitra, has served as Vice-Chair and Member of the Board of Aalto University since 2016. According to him, Finland and Aalto have all the right qualities to be a pioneer in a sustainable and renewable knowledge society. Karel Luyben was Rector Magnificus of Delft University of Technology from 2010 until 2018. Especially in his home country, the Netherlands, he is well known as an advocate for open science. Andreas Mortensen, Vice-President for Research at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) and Professor, who directs the Laboratory for Mechanical Metallurgy at EPFL. He researches processing, microstructural development, and mechanical behavior of advanced metallic materials. Susanna Pettersson Art historian and adjunct professor Susanna Petterson is the Director General at the Nationalmuseum in Stockholm and former Director of Ateneum Art Museum. She has written for scientific and professional publications as well as for the general public, and co-founded several online publications, such as Mustekala.info and Tahiti published by the The Society of Art History in Finland. ◆ Annukka Oksanen

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ILLUSTRATION JUTTA SUTINEN

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TUNE IN! A A LTO E E PODCASTS Listen while running, commuting, cleaning, instead of the car radio: Aalto Leaders' Insight podcast.

The Aalto Leaders’ Insight podcast series offers a range of cultivated talks and conversations on everything from diversity to how to hybrid right. The podcasts are available for instance on Soundcloud, Spotify and the Aalto EE website. Simply press play for your personal radio program to begin!

Innovation, I: How can a company innovate alongside its traditional business? Reetta Räty discusses the topic with Professor Nina Granqvist from Aalto University and Director Tuomas Salusjärvi from Valio. Innovating new business ideas while running existing activities is tricky. In her work, Professor of Management Nina Granqvist examines how new business operations arise and develop. In charge of Growth Businesses and R&D at Valio, Tuomas Salusjärvi has been involved in developing Oddlygood and plantbased products that compete with the traditional products of Valio, which until now has been known as

a dairy company. “It’s important to accept that a growth business cannot exceed its volume, but involves doing, experimenting, learning, and redoing,” he explains. Discussion is in Finnish.

Diversity: A non-inclusive community has a price to pay Diversity is an important element in equality, but also simply makes good business sense. If a company manufactures products or services for a wide range of consumers, it needs to genuinely understand different types of consumers. However, it is no use recruiting people from different backgrounds unless the organizational culture is open for diversity. Professor Rebecca Piekkari from Aalto University points out that there are organizations that are diverse but lack a sense of belonging. On the other hand, there are workplaces where people are close-knit but highly heterogenous. A diverse work community is not inclusive by default. What should recruiters look out for to make sure people from diverse backgrounds feel they belong to the work community? Should workplaces arrange training on diversity and inclusion? These are

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some of the topics discussed in this podcast episode. Professor Piekkari is a member of the School of Business Equality Task Force. Discussion is in Finnish.

Leadership needs to be seen in its context Leadership never takes place in a vacuum; the organizational and wider context exists alongside the perimeters of leadership. Aalto EE’s new leadership framework takes a holistic view on leadership and leadership development. In this episode, Dr. Pekka Mattila, Professor of Practice at Aalto University School of Business, and Päivi Castrén, Senior Advisor at Aalto EE, discuss what Aalto EE’s leadership view means for organizations. Päivi Castrén has an extensive, thirty-year background in human resource management and organizational development with large, international companies, such as Wärtsilä, Nokia Plc, and Valmet Paper Machinery. The episode is hosted by Dr. Riitta LummeTuomala, Head of Communication at Aalto EE. Discussion is in English.

BOOK 1 B – B RI TT L E A – AN XIOUS N – N ON L INEA R I – I N C O M PR EH EN SIBL E We’ve been living through real-life crises for more than two years in a row. In this article, five security experts share their thoughts and learnings on the continuous change. WO R D S : R E E T TA R ÄT Y I L L U S T R AT I O N S : H U D S O N C H R I S T I E

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W H AT I S V U C A ? V – V O L AT I L I T Y Lack of stability and predictability. U – U N C E RTA I N T Y Lack of ability to foresee what major changes might be coming. C – COMPLEXITY Moving in ways experts have never seen before. A – AMBIGUITY Problems in understanding what is the best course of action. The term VUCA was coined almost thirty years ago by management advisors and popularized by military strategists. The concept dominated in the business world and boardrooms during the past twenty years. “For a long time, the VUCA concept was used to guide developing organizations in a scenario of volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity. The term was mainly used to create meaning in the face of uncertainty in a constantly changing, increasingly interconnected, digital world.”

W H AT I S B A N I ? B – BRITTLE Easy to shatter, subjected to a total and sudden failure. A – ANXIOUS Fear that any choice we can make might be the wrong one. N – NONLINEAR Disconnection between cause and effect in time, proportion, perception. What was complex became, in turn, nonlinear, without a single meaning, leading to multiple destinations. I – INCOMPREHENSIBLE Extremely difficult, if not impossible, to understand. The Covid-19 pandemic created a scenario that made even VUCA seem like an insufficient descriptor. Thus, a new acronym emerged: BANI. Futurist Jamais Cascio presented the recent and updated framework – BANI – during an IFTF (Institute for the Future) event.

“CRISIS IS A NORMAL STATE FOR US, YET THE LAST FEW YEARS HAVE BEEN UNEXPECTED” KRISTIINA KUMPULA Secretary General at the Finnish Red Cross

After a crisis has begun, you soon need to start preparing for what happens in one, two or three years.Where are we then?

oes a pandemic that lasts a few years or a war in Europe have a major effect on an organization that specializes in emergencies, crises, and helping the most vulnerable? Epidemics and war are after all more a rule rather than an exception in the world. Kristiina Kumpula, Secretary General at the Finnish Red Cross, states that they do indeed have an effect. She has worked for the organization for decades, taking to its helm in 2004. Sure, recent disasters are not that different from the types of emergencies the NGO handles on a day-to-day basis anyway. It’s used to sudden, unexpected cries for humanitarian assistance. “The machinery sets into motion as pre-agreed,” Kumpula describes. Instead of preparing separately for each catastrophe that arises, the organization ensures established decision-making chains and partnership networks, fast communication, and a readiness to embark. Everyone knows their roles when push comes to shove. ”It’s not an issue of being prepared for a

W H AT I S T H E DIFFERENCE BETWEEN VUCA AND BANI? Futurist Jamais Cascio, the person behind the BANI model, compares VUCA and BANI: “BANI: Situations in which conditions aren’t simply unstable, they’re chaotic. Outcomes aren’t simply hard to foresee, they’re completely unpredictable. Or, to use the particular language of these frameworks, situations where what happens isn’t simply ambiguous, it’s incomprehensible.” In the spring of 2022, Aalto EE arranged a webinar on the theme of preparing for unforeseen risks. The event was moderated by Dr. Riitta Lumme-Tuomala, Aalto EE. She kicked off with the concepts of VUCA and BANI that describe a time of complexity and unpredictability, and the distinction between the two. “BANI comes with the addition of emotion – it involves anxiety,” Lumme-Tuomala explains. The emotion is linked to unpredictability; difficulty to comprehend what kind of world we are currently living in. In addition to security, the webinar touched on so-called mental preparedness. Even if all is in order as far as goods, processes, or technology are concerned, individuals and communities need to take care of their mental preparedness to identify threats and risks and act accordingly. Mental preparedness involves flexibility, networks, and trust within the community – ways to function and adapt to new situations.

W H Y B OT H E R W I T H T H E AC RO N Y M S ? “Categorizing uncertainties with concepts like VUCA and BANI is essential. With this new understanding of the main global challenges, we can better prepare ourselves for what lies ahead. For one, the BANI concept gives a way better explanation for what is happening around us and could be a starting point to build on and come up with proactive solutions and roadmaps for this overwhelming new world,” says Mithun Sridharan.

Quotes from: Mithun Sridharan, Founder & Author of Think Insights. Source: Think Insights (April 6, 2022) BANI: A New Framework to Make Sense of a Chaotic World?

nuclear war or natural disaster but knowing the next steps when something does happen.” In the middle of emergencies and accidents, needs are endless, and resources limited. The Red Cross needs to constantly keep in mind its key mission, strengths, and how it can best help those in need. “We exist to help – for people to receive all the help and support we can give. It’s what steers our activities,” states Kumpula. She describes her organization as mission-oriented and coordination-centered. “Crisis is a normal state for us. In times of emergency, our standard organization is in place.” From the viewpoint of the Secretary General, deciding what not to do is important as well. The questions are always the same: Do we address the needs of those we want to help? Do we have the right competence for the issue at hand? “If we don’t have the expertise, or the activities wouldn’t directly help the most vulnerable, we won’t go. Instead of trying to solve every problem in the world, we focus on our main task, consider the risks, and decide accordingly,” says Kumpula. It’s easier said than done. The Secretary General also thinks on the lines that while operating in accordance with the organization’s key mission, it’s also vital to innovate and experiment. “I want to be curious and brave enough to see afresh, rather being content with the way things have always been done.”

ovid-19 brought its own spin also to the Finnish Red Cross and its regular practices of assisting and supporting others. Its activities, too, took a huge digital leap. In the end, the most significant change brought on by the pandemic turned out to be the new winds in volunteering and organizational work. The Finnish Red Cross is involved in a great deal more than just humanitarian relief work. It runs friendship activities, a blood donation service, a youth shelter, and a range of voluntary services. The pandemic brought new considerations:

how to help risk groups remotely, how to protect volunteers who belong to a risk group, and how to operate during the pandemic on the whole. “We saw how people took charge and came up with new ways to help,” says Kumpula, clearly impressed. “Developing things jointly, freely, and at a fast pace brought some incredible visions for what volunteering and civic engagement can actually be. The Finnish Red Cross received more volunteers, established local support groups, offered pharmacy help, and developed hybrid activities. In Kumpula’s view, the Covid pandemic highlighted the resilience of the Finnish society and

the power of a society based on trust. Authorities and residents were close to each other, and when volunteers were needed for vaccinations, they could be found from NGOs. Now volunteers are receiving Ukrainian refugees arriving via Tallinn at the port of Helsinki. Kumpula also saw glimpses into the future of civic action. Sometimes volunteers are involved in a specific project; it’s not always about attending annual meetings or paying membership fees. The pandemic has offered the Finnish Red Cross a chance to transform, as it considers the role of spontaneous, freeform alliances alongside established activities.

E M E RG E N C I E S H I G H L I G H T INTERDEPENDENCIES

D I S A S T E R P R E PA R E D N E S S “Over the years, I’ve really come to see how interdependent we all are. Our financial and administrative staff ensures that logistics run smoothly. The aim is for basic operations to run as planned according to agreed procedures. At the start of a crisis, the first respondent is usually a woman at the center who receives a call asking for instance for clothing for someone in need. She will give the same instructions as those involved in operations. The center receives the call, not the Secretary General. Each one of us has a key role, and people find real meaning in their work as they are part of the whole.”

Recent catastrophes have highlighted trends and slogans that have been talked about before but may have remained theoretical notions until now. Kristiina Kumpula has confronted the following situations in her work at the Red Cross. INTERDEPENDENCE “Global interdependence is a hot topic – suddenly we live in a world where choices, decisions, and their consequences are fully interdependent. It’s evident in the war in Ukraine, which will result in food shortages and food crises. We are currently thinking up ways to support the deepening famine in East Africa. The impact of increased food prices can be seen in Finland, too – in addition to helping in Ukraine, the Finnish Red Cross currently has 110 units distributing food in Finland.” LO C A L AC T I O N , G LO B A L T H I N K I N G “I learned this motto when I was young, but more in theory than in practice at the time. I now think about local expertise as a resource, whether in a Kenyan slum or a small Finnish town. Local know-how makes a difference when tackling issues on a global scale.”

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L E A R N I N G F RO M D I S A S T E R S As horrendous as they are, disasters always come with lessons. They pinpoint in practice what works and where there’s room for improvement. Kumpula describes the situation at the Red Cross as follows: “Our work is a chain of major relief operations. There’s always a new situation around the corner calling for our help. Large-scale operations provide an opportunity to change and develop. The results of some of the development projects currently underway won’t necessarily be in time to help the victims of the war in Ukraine but make us more prepared and can be used next time round. Because unfortunately the next major relief operation always comes.”

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“From a leadership perspective, people seem to be attached to meaning and doing rather than structures.” According to Kumpula, people often channel fear and insecurity into action, thinking they have to at least do something. It’s of course a blessing for NGOs when people get busy packing boxes of diapers and hygiene products and helping those fleeing war. But internationally, the desire to help has been found to have its downsides: in the worst

“Helping people in need comes first. Sometimes it means having to say no to particular offers of help.”

case, unwanted stuff and independent helpers get in the way of those requiring urgent assistance. Kumpula shares some clear advice: consider whether you are helping just for the sake of it or are you addressing what people genuinely need right now. In a large-scale emergency, aid needs to be coordinated, so logistics run smoothly, and people receive exactly what they need. “Helping people in need comes first. Sometimes it means having to say no to particular offers of help.”

ne of the features of the current crises is longevity. Kumpula mentions that after a crisis has begun, you soon need to start preparing for what happens in one, two or three years. Where are we then? It’s also important to remind people that the need is continuous. In an acute emergency, the first reaction is usually to get every donation to the disaster zone as quickly as possible. But aid organizations need to consider how long resources will last after the initial enthusiasm to donate has died down.

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Activities have two frameworks: the acute crisis and long-term planning. Kumpula’s most recent trip to Afghanistan was in February, while the war in Ukraine was already raging. “Without turning the back on others, we mustn’t forget about Afghanistan. 80 per cent of Afghanistan’s economy depends on foreign funding, which no longer exists.” Kumpula feels that looking ahead brings hope and the right perspective. In an emergency, both processes and situational awareness as well as emotions and coping skills are important. “The role of psychosocial help is understood better today whether in leadership, the coping skills of employees or volunteers, or for those in need. People are seen holistically.” When the situation is at its worst, people need to be given a chance to say that the world is a cruel and unfair place. It’s one of the reasons we still have fundraisers on the streets despite the convenience of donating online. “It’s important to have our people on the streets donning Red Cross vests and holding collection boxes in their hands. It allows people to approach them and say: this is awful, so awful.”

How is BANI* demonstrated in your work? “The last few years have been different. Impulses have been faster than before. The cycle of changes has been more rapid and the crises more surprising. It’s forced us to make quick decisions on how to allocate resources and what’s important. An organization like the Red Cross needs to keep an eye out on the whole world. While we have a strong presence in Ukraine, we are also working for instance with the Afghan Red Crescent and preparing for the major drought in East Africa. We need to constantly check we see the bigger picture and do the right thing in the situation at hand.” BANI* (Brittle, Anxious, Nonlinear, Incomprehensible)

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“OPEN, TRANSPARENT COMMUNICATION IS A KEY TOOL IN A STATE OF EMERGENCY” ANTTI-PEKKA KUUSILUOMA Senior Vice President at SOK, CEO at Reila Palvelut Oy

These days, security management is increasingly comprehensive and complex. Completely new types of threats are now looming on the horizon, and unlikely risks have actualized.

ike a typical security manager, when asked about his mood in recent years, AnttiPekka Kuusiluoma responds with a sigh of disbelief: “It’s been quite a ride!” Similarly to many other organizations, SOK has taken one day at a time in monitoring the situation, analyzing effects, and responding to changes. Kuusiluoma typifies security management in recent years also in his title changing to Senior Vice President in charge of administrative services and risk management, illustrating the wide-ranging task: security management isn’t simply about preventing individual damages, but deals with diverse, complex risks. Issues range from shoplifting to pandemics, security of supply, internal control, and data security.What matters is that preparedness and risk management have a future orientation. Kuusiluoma emphasizes that rather than being a separate enclave, security should be an integral part of the day-to-day activities and management of an organization.

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Having worked in security and risk management for decades, Kuusiluoma has clear views on the way roles need to be divided in an organization. Security management enables business operations. Rather than being a type of internal police force, the security department is a pillar for business. “Being prepared for uncertainties means you can take more risks and be more successful. A risk is both a threat and an opportunity.” During the pandemic, many organizations have switched to an emergency mode, setting up Covid-19 task forces, emergency rooms, and crisis management teams. In the S Group, a designated crisis management organization has been in charge, collecting data and creating up-to-date situational snapshots. It has also drawn up various scenarios and their possible impacts on business operations, as well as proposals for further action. Management is equipped to make decisions when the situation and future scenarios are known and based on facts. According to Kuusiluoma, SOK followed a course of complying with official instructions and recommendations from the onset, which still left plenty of practical issues to be resolved ranging from masks and visors to remote and hybrid work, hygiene guidelines, production chains, the availability of employees, and quarantine times.The list of issues to decide and implement is never-ending. In addition to the practical side, emergency situations are characterized by emotions and how they are handled. “We’ve found that open, transparent communication is a key tool in a state of emergency.” Trust is ensured when everyone knows what is going on. “People need to hear the organization has the situation under control and is mainly on top of things. Decisions need to also be communicated clearly and be justified,” says Kuusiluoma. People need to know what is being done and why. An emergency reveals how well an organization functions, highlighting its strengths and weaknesses.

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This is reflected in the nature of security and preparedness exercises:“They offer the perfect opportunity to chat with top executives about what needs to be improved, what works, any gray areas, and whether new threats or risks can be detected.” Europe now being overshadowed by war has further crystalized the social responsibility and role of companies. S Group plays its part in the national security of supply, preparations taking place alongside other sectors via the National Emergency Supply Agency of Finland. The goal is clear: it takes care of e.g., the availability of food, energy, and cash in a state of emergency. According to Kuusiluoma, both long-term and short-term risk scenarios are drawn up. “To be honest, completely new types of threats are now looming on the horizon. Unlikely risks have partly become actualized. The risks, or at least their likelihood, has changed to some degree. Whatever the case, we draw up scenarios, assess risks, and make alternative contingency plans. Steps cannot be based on one-off facts.”

How is BANI* demonstrated in your work? “One crisis has followed another in recent years. A new situation emerges while still trying to manage previous ones. It’s challenging, as in most cases you have to be able to run a business despite an emergency. During a crisis, the timespan for leadership and decision-making shortens: initially, you have to make quick decisions to manage the acute situation without time to prepare and discuss as normal.We’ve strived to identify issues that need to be resolved quickly – this gives more time to gather information for solving subsequent problems. Without premeditated priorities and operating models in place, you waste time and may cause further damage.” BANI* (Brittle, Anxious, Nonlinear, Incomprehensible)

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“DAY-TO-DAY ACTIVITIES CREATE A FOUNDATION FOR CRISIS OPERATIONS AND LEADERSHIP” ANNA-MAIJA AHONEN Senior Program Manager, Aalto University Executive Education Diploma in Safety and Security Management

The last few years have turned into one major real-life crisis exercise. Participants in the Aalto PRO Diploma in Safety and Security Management program have come to see how beneficial training and preparation really are in an emergency.

n 2022, a person reminding about the importance of being ready for unexpected emergencies is no longer considered an alarmist, nor is it scaremongering to say that sometimes one crisis leads to another, and they can be complex, all-encompassing, overlapping, and destructive. Aalto University Professional Development (Aalto PRO) has been organizing its Safety and Security Management Program for thirty years. Security has never been such a hot topic as today. Usually, a crisis has been seen looming somewhere in the future and exercises have been arranged for imaginary situations – like a pandemic, accident, or cyber-attack. We’ve been living through real-life crises for more than two years in a row. In addition to environmental emergencies and Covid times, a war is now raging in Europe. Cyber-attacks and a

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range of influencing tactics are part of our daily lives, and exercises are no longer theoretical. “These accumulated crisis times have quashed our ideas of what security and readiness mean and their role in the operations of a company or organization,” says Anna-Maija Ahonen, Senior Program Manager of Aalto PRO's Diploma in Safety and Security Management program. The biggest change has been security and continuity now involving everyone – not just security experts.The entire spectrum of security issues is evident in our daily lives, not just a part of contingency plans and risk assessments. Both the pandemic and war have an extensive impact on security. Beyond health security, the effects of the pandemic encompass economic factors, social relations, production chains, and value judgements in society. In addition to the war caus-

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ing human suffering, it raises questions of e.g. cyber threats, global business operations, energy supplies, fears, concerns, and burdens of Ukrainian and Russian employees. “The crises have been all-encompassing and continuous,” Ahonen describes. “Cyclical stages have been another special feature of Covid times, putting resources to the test. It begs to ask how to maintain the decision-making and operational capacity of individuals and teams.”

he key message of the Diploma in Safety and Security Management program is that so-called normal times create the foundation for crisis operations and leadership. Preparation, planning, training, and anticipation are the code words. “A company can better take a hit when it is prepared for surprises and analyzes risks for business

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continuity in advance. Preparation means the company having operating models in place in case of emergency and crisis times. It has a continuity plan, recovery plan, plenty of exercises, lessons learned from the exercises, chains of command, and division of responsibilities,” Anna-Maija Ahonen describes. Although crisis situations are sad and dire, they can bring about vital observations for future safety. “People realize that security isn’t something handled by a distant authority or expert in some special team. It affects us all and we all need to take responsibility.” Security issues have become the number one priority for states and businesses alike. There’s no point thinking about increasing productivity or adding new products if supply chains are at a standstill, people are ill, energy supplies are hampered, or there’s a threat of war. On the other hand, you need be able to navigate through the fog believing in the future.

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“It’s worth remembering that investing in security serves continuity – our future. Safety doesn’t mean laying on our laurels just because there’s a risk involved.” It’s a balancing act: preparing for the worst while trusting tomorrow. “It’s worth remembering that investing in security serves continuity – our future. Safety doesn’t mean laying on our laurels just because there’s a risk involved,” Anna-Maija Ahonen illustrates.

o company can be completely prepared for an emergency on the scale of a several-year pandemic. Ensuring continuity doesn’t mean anticipat-

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ing every special situation that comes our way, but a company, organization, community, or society on the whole being prepared for crises: quickly forming a snapshot of the situation and reacting to it. When the pandemic erupted the daily operations of companies and organizations, Anna-Maija Ahonen began to receive messages from participants praising the fact that they’d been able to read the signs. ”Participants claimed they could make use of models and mindsets they’d picked up during the program.” In Anna-Maija Ahonen’s view, the most crucial questions in the ongoing crisis are how to create trust, predictability, and continuity when the environment offers the opposite. It’s a question of both a process and emotions. Those familiar with security issues are aware of for instance problems in the availability of raw materials. “I can easily grasp questions of who oversees critical energy production issues. These are exactly the types of issues we think about in our programs,” Anna-Maija Ahonen explains. But an organization is also about people, not just processes. It’s why security and preparation involve plenty of psychological and emotional skills. Similarly to preparedness, the foundation for leadership in exceptional times is laid in smoothrunning everyday work. When people trust their organization and leaders, they have a mindset of getting through a tough situation together. “Knowing that roles have been divided smartly and who takes care of each area boosts that confidence,” says Anna-Maija Ahonen. It's easier to head towards uncertain times when the lines are straight – but still flexible. A crisis calls for quick decisions, highlighting the importance of why the decisions were made and how they are communicated. “The snapshot of the situation needs to be dispersed. Thinking that a single leader would have an innate ability to make the right decisions in the middle of a fog can easily lead to mystifying this

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ability and the situation on the whole. It’s better to systematically construct a snapshot using many different sources and people.”

o matter how foggy and unpredictable the situation, leaders can create a vision for the future by taking care of recovery from emergencies. “It takes future thinking,” Anna-Maija Ahonen says. “What’s the way forward, what have we learned, which direction shall we take, do people need help in dealing with the past?” There is no point in forcing crises into gains, but they can have their silver linings. Surprising talent may emerge. Some dazzle and rise to new roles. And the entire community may notice that together it can handle even bigger hits or rapidly change its course of action. “A crisis reveals shortcomings in preparedness but also highlights capabilities: what we can handle,” Anna-Maija Ahonen says.

“A crisis reveals shortcomings in preparedness but also highlights capabilities.”

How is BANI* demonstrated in your work? “It’s mainly reflected in a change in the customers’ operating environment and uncertainties in their business.This in turn makes me think about how I can best support and serve the participants’ ability to manage in the environments characterized by BANI. BANI particularly accentuates the importance of creating a mutual understanding over what will change and how, and what the world is like right now.” BANI* (Brittle, Anxious, Nonlinear, Incomprehensible)

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“OUR TASK IS TO ENSURE BUSINESS OPERATIONS IN TIMES OF UNCERTAINTY” MIKA SUSI Head of Security, Thales

Security shouldn’t be a watchdog barking in a corner but a colleague sharing the everyday.

ika Susi says his position as head of security overseeing the Nordics, the Baltics and Ireland is like that of a map reader in a rally. “Just like a map reader warns of a bend ahead or declares that the coast is clear, those in charge of security describe what the future holds for management,” says Susi. He compares security issues to continuity.A map reader is vital for carrying on despite a bumpy, winding road. Similarly, companies need information on when to slow down or accelerate. The last few years have been characterized by plenty of bends. It takes quick but wise reactions. The right choices minimize risks. It’s easier to reach a good decision when you’re prepared for a bend. “A bend may be something we’ve seen in recent years: a pandemic or a war nearby. Or it may be a difficult cyber security issue – or a change in legislation that needs to be addressed,” Susi describes. The task of security is to consider how business can continue even in tough times. The role of corporate security is to promote competitiveness and productivity.

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Thales is a digital security company that serves its clients in security, aviation and space technology, and digital security matters. Before his current role, Susi was Chief Policy Adviser in corporate security at EK – Confederation of Finnish Industries. At Thales, the head of security sits on the management team, an arrangement he recommends: “Continuous interaction with different parts of the organization is important. At best, security issues are advanced in day-to-day activities.” Communication and interaction are vital especially in exceptional times. “The importance of communication is a new feature in the field of security.” Internal communication needs to be open and arouse trust. It’s important to also talk about difficult things, both internally and externally. Trust and smooth interaction cannot be built in an instant as an emergency begins. Just like contingency plans, communication and a good working atmosphere are created during normal times. “I’ve tried to learn to be interested in every area of the company. I talk, aim to be available, and listen out to anything that may be bothering people in their daily lives.” According to Susi, security shouldn’t be a watchdog barking in a corner but a colleague sharing the everyday. Instead of giving out orders, it’s about closeness and reciprocity. Security is wide-ranging: from being present in day-to-day activities to grasping operational issues, communication, and responsibility. Especially the latter and the links between security themes and responsibility have been on Susi’s mind in recent years. Responsibility themes relate to security in one way or another.A company needs to take care of its people, data, environment, premises and other assets, and

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reputation. Everything is interlinked: neglecting data networks can lead to a major environmental risk, which in turn may pose a risk to human health and most certainly harms the company’s reputation. At times, risks can be opportunities. Susi gives an example from the field of security: companies can engage in networks that invite young people to hack for the greater good – to counteract cybercrime. Organizations can also teach their employees first-aid skills, which are useful both at work and in their leisure time. Susi is all for the Safety Day tradition – the whole staff devoting a day to security issues. As a type of map reader, what advice would Susi give in the current times of uncertainty? “Risks should and need to be taken – it’s part of business. But don’t drive too fast if you don’t know where you’re going and there are no brakes.” If and when taking risks, it is important to be aware of their characteristics and potential consequences. This takes risk management experts. “Security doesn’t want to tell you not to drive too fast; it wants you to know what lies ahead when you step on that gas.”

How is BANI* demonstrated in your work? “In recent years, the pandemic has stirred a range of questions from travel restrictions to risks to key staff and what to do if a large group of people fall ill at the same time. A war nearby has its repercussions on organizations; we think about how it will affect us, are we prepared, and what risks are in sight. The long-term trend has highlighted the significance of risk perceptions and a good safety outlook. Also, cyber security plays an increasing role. In these times of uncertainty, it’s important to ensure operations even when there are surprises around the corner. Preparedness and continuous crisis management are vital.” BANI* (Brittle, Anxious, Nonlinear, Incomprehensible)

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“MENTAL PERFORMANCE CAN BE DEVELOPED” HARRI GUSTAFSBERG Mental Coach, Researcher

Under pressure, controlling the mind is what really counts.

his article describes the era of climate crises, pandemics, war, and political turmoil as a transition from VUCA to BANI. One of the distinguishing features between the two is the experience of the individual – A for Anxiety. In other words, changes do not only affect the operating environment and its predictability but also the experience of the individual and thus the realities of the community. The response to an era of VUCA is adjusting strategies, preparation, anticipation, and flexibility, whereas the era of BANI also requires mindfulness. Former chief of the Finnish Police Rapid Response Unit Karhu, the so-called ‘Bear Squad’, Dr. Harri Gustafsberg has researched the role and development of mental resources in tough situations. “People have incredible strengths and resources that are hidden, which can emerge when they face a life-threatening situation.We have more latent than visible resources,” Harri Gustafsberg explains. Although Gustafsberg’s career and research have focused on demanding tasks in the police force, he believes the same lessons apply to stress management in everyday life. People get stressed if they are on constant

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alert.The tools for combating stress can be extremely simple:“We can consciously reduce stimulation by taking deep, calm breaths so the system slows down.” Gustafsberg gives an illustration: the human mind is the software, the brain a biological computer, the autonomic nervous system the broadband, and breathing the power button. This alone means that peaceful, conscious breathing brings down the revs. Gustafsberg’s key message is that to strengthen our mental resources, we need to take a holistic view of physics, the mind, our thinking, operating methods, and interpretations of situations. “Our personal resources need to be developed in many ways. The ways are simple, but we need to be aware of them,” Gustafsberg highlights, listing: Turn towards challenges voluntarily. “Look at difficulties head on.Your mental resources grow as you take responsibility. The community will

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side with people in charge, giving them the support they need.” Use your courage and willpower when the time calls. “Your system won’t evolve if you don’t use it. Mental fitness develops resources. Use the willpower and courage within you.The mind and awareness can be controlled to a degree. Awareness skills are important: you may catch yourself having a negative bias or being stuck in your ways as you consciously monitor yourself and strive for more control over your mind.” Accept what you cannot change. The sooner the better. “It’s our task to deal with the concerns and worries that come up. It can be done mindfully: a conscious decision to handle what comes your way. After deciding, the mind begins to act. You don’t need to know the answers be-

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forehand. You just need to deal with each issue and learn something in the process.” You need to protect your resources. “Humans aren’t machines.You need to protect yourself – no one else will do it for you, it’s up to each individual.”

arri Gustafsberg is one of the coaches on the Aalto PRO Diploma in Safety and Security Management program. He has written several non-fiction books, Karhuryhmä (Engl. transl. ‘Bear Squad’) co-authored with Heidi Holmavuo (Otava 2019) and Taktinen neuvottelu (Engl. transl. ‘Tactical negotiation’) co-authored with Sami Sallinen (Otava 2021) being his latest titles. After leaving the police force in 2015, he has focused on mental coaching and research. The rapid response unit ’Bear Squad’ is a wellknown entity in Finland. It operates in special situations and conditions, dealing with demanding arrests, hostage situations, and security during state visits. Gustafsberg served in the unit for more than twenty years, most recently as an operative chief and coach. The lesson learned from tough spots seems to be that physical fitness and technical skills need to be maintained, yet under pressure, controlling the mind is what really counts. “Mental resilience and keeping calm are vital characteristics for members of the special unit,” Gustafsberg writes. His doctoral dissertation in administrative science at Tampere University is titled “Do People Get Shot Because Some Cops Panic?” (2018). According to the dissertation, empirical studies show that individuals are able to influence physiological changes like the heart rate through exercise. People taking part in the study learned to for instance control their breathing during strenuous exercise. This affects the autonomic nervous system balance, and therefore performance. Processing and controlling stress and the psychological load improved along with exercise. Situational awareness and decision-making skills are part of

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an individual’s resilience. Improved resilience increases work performance, which is reflected in the organization’s productivity and efficiency.The dissertation examines individual resilience as a component of organizational resilience. It sees human capital as the most important resource for an organization. “The organization’s system needs to be functional for human resources to be strengthened and used properly.” ◆

How is BANI* demonstrated in your work? “I meet people from different organizations on a weekly basis and have noticed they are burdened by the current times of uncertainty in many ways. It’s reflected in attitudes and mindsets.” BANI* (Brittle, Anxious, Nonlinear, Incomprehensible)

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H OW TO D E A L W I T H B A N I ? “We’ve gone from water to steam,” writes Jamais Cascio, Distinguished Fellow, Institute for the Future, in his Medium article (April 2020) titled Facing the Age of Chaos. He suggests that the components of the acronym BANI might even hint at opportunities for response. “Brittleness could be met by resilience and slack; anxiety can be eased by empathy and mindfulness; nonlinearity would need context and flexibility; incomprehensibility asks for transparency and intuition. These may well be more reactions than solutions, but they suggest the possibility that responses can be found. Maybe it’s enough that BANI gives name to the gnawing dread so many of us feel right now, that it acknowledges that it’s not just us, not just this place, not just this blip of time. BANI makes the statement that what we’re seeing isn’t a temporary aberration, it’s a new phase.” https://medium.com/@cascio/facing-the-age-of-chaos-b00687b1f51d

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Y L O TO I N T UN O IV F E V R I SI E W T P

WHEN THE FUTURE IS BRITTLE

In these incredibly rapidly changing circumstances, we cannot test what we know nothing about; we must rely on intuition and make new types of decisions in novel ways, writes Riitta Lumme-Tuomala. The only thing permanent is change. We have been repeating these words for decades. They have been used to explain difficult situations and even as a vehicle for accusing people for not adapting to new situations at the speed of light. Some of us need time for reflection! Another much-used saying is that change will never be as slow as today. We are all beginners when it comes to today’s change and, above all, its speed. VUCA – volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous – is no longer enough to explain our current operating environment, which isn’t just complex but also brittle, anxious, nonlinear, and incomprehensible. BANI. In these incredibly rapidly changing circumstances, how can we ensure future success, both on an organizational and personal level? Is it even possible to prepare for everything? Of course not. But it is possible to do many things differently, and to look at the competence and readiness of both organizations and individuals from a new perspective. Times of linear management and business models are over. Intuition needs to be listened to and used bravely in decisionmaking. (We do it anyway, in perfect harmony with rational thinking!) 87 per cent of Nobel Prize winners claim they reached their ideas intuitively, while business leaders like the late Steve Jobs have been known to make major business decisions relying on intuition.

We can no longer wait for new policies to be tested before they are implemented. We cannot think that all decisions are based on verified facts. Brittleness mentioned in the title of this column affects organizations due to decision-making always following the same process regardless of the changes taking place. When the environment changes abruptly like today, and even a single component in the process fails, we are in trouble. We cannot test what we know nothing about; we must rely on intuition and make new types of decisions in novel ways. We cannot prepare for everything, but we can increase agility and resilience in organizations. We must get used to working amid change by being genuinely curious, applying our learning and experiences in new ways, and making sure that our personal and organizational expertise is future-proof. Lifewide learning is now more important than ever. We need to learn about both artificial intelligence and emotional intelligence. Our social skills must be at a level that allows us to genuinely listen. It is important to understand that both individuals and organizations need to be empathetic, and employees are individuals in the work environment, not just a resource. I will close with the title of my favorite work of art, Heli Penttinen's painting in the magnificent premises of Aalto EE: “People die when curiosity goes.” Along with learning agility, curiosity is a pivotal component of future skills. And of the present, for that matter.

Dr. Riitta Lumme-Tuomala is Head of Communication at Aalto EE.

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BOOK 2 P L E A S E S TAY How to find the best people has led to a follow-up question in many workplaces: how to retain the best people? Journalist Annukka Oksanen surveyed work engagement together with experts and those who have changed jobs during the pandemic. P H OTO S : L I I S A TA K A L A

aroliina Muukkonen was walking ployer. Everyone around was signaling that we through the Old Church Park in were doing something important together. Helsinki in the spring sunshine A thick, almost visible social network was enwhen the phone rang. Her new su- twined around actual work tasks. Now there are gaping holes in that network. In pervisor asked if Muukkonen had everything in place for her job beginning that day. Of course. places, it has become so loose that a network of Muukkonen had received the office blueprint and human relations has been replaced by faces speakinstructions for picking up a plastic bag with her ing on screens, a calendar and list of work tasks. name, containing a laptop and other necessities. Like Finnish Energy’s Karoliina Muukkonen, The office lights were set off by the motion detec- many others have begun in their new work retor as Master of Science in Engineering Muuk- motely. This has made companies ponder how konen stepped into the empty space. She grabbed personnel can be engaged at a time like this. How the bag, returned home, opened her laptop and to engage people who are reconsidering the purbegan her new work as an advisor on bioenergy at Finnish Energy, which is Salary does not engage in the long run the trade association for the Finnish energy industry sector. Finnish Energy if the work itself is not appealing. It is has approximately 40 employees, most crucial that the employer communicates of them working as experts. It was April 2020, and Finland was experiencto the employee that they are valued. ing the Covid-19 lockdown. So this is “Get the feeling that a regular Joe can’t how I start my work, Muukkonen replace me in a heartbeat.That I matter,” thought. I’ll push through the summer and get a handle on things in the fall, Pekka Rintala formulates. once the situation normalizes, she decided. The return to normal never came, but Muukkonen realized that the excep- pose of work, and even life.What are the questions tional circumstances took the pressure off starting you should be asking an employee, what should a new job. It was a big relief. Everyone was just they be offered? What kind of circumstances allow employees to trying to survive, like her. do well and inspire them when uncertainty and a o you still remember what your work was state of emergency keep following each other and things appear to be in motion? like in 2019? You went to the office in the morning. The ritual was called commuting. For meetings, people n April 2021, Master of Science in Engiwent into meeting rooms, and colleagues were neering Pekka Rintala began work as asked out for lunch. Everything happened live. Karoliina Muukkonen’s colleague at Adato, The most progressive companies had practices an adult education company operating unfor remote work. Remote work usually involved der Finnish Energy. Rintala is a product manager requesting permission. in charge of the Certified Power Trader Education Daily commutes, lunch buffets and even some program. He also started his work during the pancolleagues could be irritating at times, but familiar demic. “At first, I tried to go to the office to meet routines also engaged us with work and the em- people. But hardly anyone was there,” Rintala

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Karoliina Muukkonen and Pekka Rintala and both changed jobs during the pandemic. They are now colleagues, and their office is at Eteläranta, Helsinki.

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T H E G R E AT R E S I G N AT I O N RO L L S I N T H E U N I T E D S TAT E S 4.5 million people resigned from their jobs in the United States during March 2022. The number is the largest since the measuring period, which began in 2000. A total of 11.5 million jobs were available the same month. This is also the largest figure in measuring history. The phenomenon was referred to as The Great Resignation once the number of resigners ex-

ceeded four million for the first time in July 2021. 69 million Americans left their jobs in 2021. Nearly 70 per cent did so voluntarily, that is, resigned. The figure is a record. 21 per cent of Americans started work at a new job last year. 40 per cent of those are already actively looking for a new one.

OPEN JOBS million persons (seasonally adjusted)

11.5

14.000

03/22

12.000 10.000 8.000 6.000 4.000 2.000 0

01/13

01/4

01/15

01/16

01/17

01/18

01/19

01/20

01/21

01/22

R E S I G N AT I O N S million persons (seasonally adjusted) 7.5

4.5

03/22 5.0

2.5

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

SOURCES: U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS, GRANT THORNTON STATE OF WORK IN AMERICA SURVEY

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2021

reminisces in a video interview. Back then, Finland was routined at remote work. Thankfully there were small happenings in the summer: an afternoon picnic at Tähtitorninmäki, an exercise day at the Hietaniemi beach. “There I played beach volley and got to know people.You can’t approach everyone the same way. First you need to get a sense of the person.” Both Muukkonen and Rintala have a feeling that many people are currently changing jobs. Rintala had considered a new job even before the pandemic. He wanted to develop and did not find the old workplace to provide enough support for change. “I even gave feedback on it. I needed a challenge. Then came the coronavirus and remote conditions. I made a New Year’s Resolution in 2020 to have a new job in 2021.” Muukkonen believes that leaving a job during the remote period is easier than before, since people are already apart from the work community. “All that’s left is the job.Then you can see more clearly if it’s the job you want.”

have included the 1960s, when women entered the workforce in large numbers, and the 1990s, when the thought of lifelong employment faded in the midst of globalization and the depression. The link between work and place and time had been loosened by digitalization even before the pandemic, but the pandemic accelerated the change, making work independent of place the mainstream. Employers and employees compromised significantly to keep the pandemic somewhat reigned in. It was both frightening and inspiring. Frightening, because the future was foggy. Inspiring, because it revealed what people are capable of in tough circumstances. We’ll manage! Researchers of working life say that as a result of all this, we are currently renegotiating the psychological contract on work: what we expect to gain from work and what we are willing to give. In practice, this means that many change jobs. At the same time, the relationship with work may also be reshaped.

or a while now, the question has been: how to find the so-called best people? The newer question is: how to retain the best people? The things that make a person stay at a job are, of course, personal. One rising engagement factor is the question of balancing work and other life. Increasingly many find it important that work is shaped around life, rather than life taking place around work. Another topic of negotiation is the place of work. How much should there be office work, how much remote work? People hope for different models, and flexibility has become a basic requirement. There is also a shortage of knowledge workers, which gives employees a bargaining advantage. When looking at the bigger picture, people talk about how employees’ relationship with work is changing. According to experts, we are experiencing a transformation period in work, and not just because of the pandemic. Previous transformation periods

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Karoliina Muukkonen works from her home, Töölö, Helsinki.

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Pekka Rintala has noticed a shift in employers’ thinking compared to ten years ago. “They understand that people have other things besides work, too. Or at least the employers worth working for do.”

or Karoliina Muukkonen, flexibility is “really important” and also conveys trust at the workplace. “Work should not dictate life but be a balanced part of it,” she states. Pekka Rintala also does not find work to be life’s top priority. Although he had always wanted to do his work as well as possible, children and well-being came first. And work does not go smoothly if one is not doing well. Rintala’s morning walks are transitions into work. He always tries to eat a decent lunch and takes breaks. He started going to yoga classes near his home when he noticed that sitting down constantly was taking its toll on his well-being. Yoga relaxes and gives a good night’s sleep. Rintala also does cycling and camping. “I like to be outside.” Rintala has noticed a shift in employers’ thinking compared to ten years ago.

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“They understand that people have other things besides work, too. Or at least the employers worth working for do. Personnel development has also become a priority.”

uukkonen and Rintala are individual examples of people who switched jobs during the pandemic. In the US, we are talking about masses. There the pandemic, along with the transformation of work and life priorities, have manifested as four million people resigning every month since summer 2021.The phenomenon was dubbed The Great Resignation.The group includes early retirees, and especially younger generations are changing jobs. They look for work that fits their life situation, values – and provides better pay.The economic expansion period has also seen a record number of jobs available. Resignations have been interpreted as a sign of people considering what is relevant in life. Setting work above everything else no longer seemed im-

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WO R K S E E K I N G I T S P L AC E The Covid pandemic thrust people into remote working. We have not seen a return to the offices since – the movement seems to have only begun. This transition stage is a challenge for engagement. Both companies and employees are wondering what the best and most functioning place for work is. Home, the office or metaverse?

of those doing hybrid work say their biggest challenge is to know when and why they are needed at the office.

51%

57%

T H O S E WO R K I N G THOSE DOING R E M OT E LY H Y B R I D WO R K who consider switching who consider switching into hybrid work into remote work

47%

of leaders have defined, together with their team, the rules of when and why they need to work at the office. of those working remotely say they feel left out in remote meetings.

47% of employees report being ready to use an avatar in meetings next year.

of companies have created an etiquette for remote meetings to ensure that everyone is present and active. The time spent by the average Teams user in meetings has increased by 252% since February 2020.

51%

Weekend work has increased by 14% since March 2020. Work outside working hours has increased by 28% since March 2020.

37%

13%

13% of employees do not know what the metaverse is – this is no surprise, as the term is vague and only taking shape. It can be interpreted to mean, for example, virtual spaces aimed at social interaction. The Microsoft 2022 Work Trend Index utilizes data on a total of 31,000 people in 31 countries. The index also draws on Microsoft 365’s Productivity Score and LinkedIn trends. SOURCE: MICROSOFT WORK TREND INDEX 2022

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28%

51% of Generation Z representatives, 48% of millennials, 37% of Generation X representatives and 28% of boomers predict that they will do a part of their work in the metaverse during the next two years.

The time spent by the average employee in chat has increased by 32% since March 2020. The length of the average Team user’s work day has increased by 13% since March 2020.

48%

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portant with a deadly pandemic raging around us. There have also been more practical reasons: lockdowns have made child care more inaccessible, outlooks in different industries have become uncertain, overtime work in healthcare has reached insane proportions, and so forth. Now The Great Resignation has advanced into The Great Reshuffle. Many have already changed jobs twice. The European labor market is more rigid compared to the US, and thus the resignation wave has not been nearly as visible as there. Also Europe is witnessing an examination of the relationship with work. Remote work has crumbled the lines between work and free time and the boundaries between the professional and private identities. The boss can be seen in an entirely new perspective with their neon-colored laundry hanging in the background at a remote meeting.And those cutie cats curling their paws on keyboards! The upside of general restlessness is that it facilitates trying new things. And organizations have indeed realized that you simply need to hold onto people. Companies have traditionally arranged exit interviews for resigned employees. Now also “Stay With Us” interviews have become a thing. They involve the employer asking every few months what makes the employee want to stay at the company. Companies have also established alumni networks for former employees – instead of considering ex-employees traitors, they are increasingly seen as resources. Companies also attract boomerang employees to return, i.e those who have left. This is what it means to renegotiate the relationship between work and employees.

aroliina Muukkonen highlights management as a factor influencing engagement. “We have a wonderfully low hierarchy at our organization. Our CEO sometimes asks us how something goes. He listens and has time,” she describes.

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In the United States, The Great Resignation has advanced, becoming The Great Reshuffle. Many have changed jobs more than once.The European labor market is stiffer compared to the US, and the resignation wave has not been nearly as visible as there.

Muukkonen finds it particularly important that the CEO says if he does not know something. “Changing situations include many matters, which no one is familiar with. It is important that the leader lets on if they do not know either. Being uncertain and confessing that you do not know what will happen next week are two different things. Running around and creating panic is not helpful. I would quote President Sauli Niinistö, who says that decisions must be made quickly but not in a rush,” Muukkonen says. She finds it crucial that bosses know their subordinates and the kind of management they need. Someone may benefit from direct feedback, while another will easily shut down. How can a superior tell how a subordinate reacts to feedback remotely? How can a difficult personal situation even be noticed, if people taking part in meetings do not turn their cameras on? “How can superiors, who have only met their subordinates once, know them?” asks Karoliina Muukkonen. She thinks it is also an investment into the future – that is, engagement. “All superiors may not think that individuals need to be managed differently.”

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Karoliina Muukkonen finds it important to visit the office for social reasons.

uukkonen’s example also connects work engagement with leadership, working culture, hierarchies, atmosphere, communications… Engagement truly is a combination of things. An employee is engaged once they experience management to be fair on a personal level. A good atmosphere at the workplace and work community engages. Wonderful colleagues are more precious than gold. Possibilities for advancing engages.

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The possibility to improve one’s skills and establish networks engages. What about money, which has traditionally been considered the cornerstone of engagement: contribution for you, pay for me? Appropriate compensation for work is a basic requirement in the current employees’ market. But as Muukkonen and Rintala say, money alone is not a long-term motivator. In terms of monetary compensation, the amount, as well as how it’s given, matter.

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Karoliina Muukkonen says that leaving a job during the remote period is easier than before, since people are already apart from the work community.

According to studies, it is better to pay 300 euros once in ten months than 600 euros once in 20 months. Small, concrete rewards become more significant when the employee finds that the compensation has been thought out and involves effort.

or Karoliina Muukkonen and Pekka Rintala, it is a basic assumption that monetary compensation at work is appropriate. But this is just the starting point. Salary is not a long-term engagement factor if the work itself is not motivating enough. What matters is that the employer communicates to the employee that they are valuable to the organization. “Get the feeling that a regular Joe can’t replace me in just a heartbeat.That I matter,” Rintala states.

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The feeling of being important may come from a dinner at the employer’s expense during a team night, or the employer simply making an effort, arranging something in the first place. “It’s kind of the same when you go to a friend’s house and they have prepared the food themselves. Even if it’s not gourmet food, I truly appreciate the effort and thought,” Rintala points out.

enior Advisor at Aalto University Executive Education, Pia Lappalainen, sees emotions as the key to employee well-being and thus also the company’s success and engagement. Lappalainen is also a Docent at National Defence University and LUT University. Lappalainen’s doctoral thesis in engineering focused on leaders’ social competence and emotional intelligence.

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Companies have traditionally arranged exit interviews for resigned employees. Now Stay with Us interviews have also become more common.They involve the employer asking the employee what would make them stay at the company.

Lappalainen offers dialogic leadership as a key to engagement. It is interactive and gives space to diversity, i.e multiple voices. She confesses that those working in organizations experience things in very different ways. In medicine, numerous measurements of pain have been developed for patient work, and treatment and medication are based on a scale of pain. “The doctor will no longer say that based on the size of the tumor, it cannot be very sore. We are moving from absolute measures of pain relief towards experientiality.The same applies to work,” Lappalainen notes.

“In the work transformation, dialogic leadership creates psychological safety: people feel noticed and experience involvement.They engage, unlike when receiving dictated instructions from above. Lappalainen describes how she tried to get organizations involved in her research fifteen years ago. She eagerly presented her project, and the business director listened politely. “Hey Pia, we have let go 500 employees today. Do you really think we’re interested in emotional intelligence?” the director finally replied. Earlier on, emotions were seen as a disruptive factor in business life. Now business goals are aligned with themes of emotions. “Previously we had to keep our eyes on output and amounts. Now we have noticed that they have contained a hidden resource all this time, one that could be utilized more. Many organizations have already understood this.” Feelings have always been there, of course. “Emotions are a biological part of us, a primitive function. Now they are allowed to emerge and be utilized.” Emotional intelligence is not sentimentality. It can mean rational, solution-oriented activities, which don’t involve emotions as a visible aspect. Empathy can be cognitive. You can understand

P I A L A P PA L A I N E N ’ S T H R E E P R AC T I C A L D I A LO G I C T I P S F O R E N G AG E M E N T

1 2

“How can I serve you better?” Pose the question to your team members when things are (still) good.

“What you just said sounds important. Can we talk about it further?” Take a timeout when a team member comments or does something disappointing. Superiors are under pressure to

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react quickly, because they mistakenly think that a fast reaction is a sign of intelligence.

A 10–15-minute afternoon jam session in (remote)work. Each can take turns selecting the music. Or come up with a different stunt to disrupt afternoon fatigue. It may seem crazy, but it works.

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that something is difficult for someone, even if you are unaffected. Because of cognitive empathy, a superior knows when to ask how a problem could be solved together. According to Lappalainen, the first step of engagement is to acknowledge different individual needs. A good leader recognizes different human types and leads them in differing ways. “Leadership has long involved the mantra that you need to know yourself and your subordinates. We have now discovered that different needs require a compatible voice. Leading multiple voices at work does not happen by going to a remote

THE PANDEMIC DID NOT CAUSE A WAVE OF RESIGNATIONS IN FINLAND

In Finland, work engagement even grew while the burnout rate dropped at the start of the pandemic

he Finnish Institute of Occupational Health monitors Finns’ sentiments at work with two surveys. Both the Miten Suomi voi? (How is Finland doing?) and Kimmoisat työntekijät muuttuvassa elämässä (Flexible employees in a changing working life) studies began just before Covid-19. According to the surveys, Finns do not have an increased willingness to resign with the exception of certain specialized fields including frontline healthcare workers and the restaurant industry, where business has not been normal for a couple of years. “I feel that Finland has somewhat artificially introduced the The Great Resignation discussion from the US. Although we may still see one emerge in Finland,” says Jari Hakanen, Research Professor at the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health.

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meeting and the boss saying, open up. You must first build psychological safety. The boss must indicate that it is ok to tell them things. Everyone must feel like they are heard equally.”

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hen I started remote work, I thought this is not what I want. But back then, nothing worked.” Sounds familiar. Everyone can remember devices acting up, microphones being on and off at online meetings, participants sometimes seeing way too much, sometimes nothing. Even daily routines were off.

The study surveys how often the employee considers changing or quitting their job. 24 per cent reveal thinking about it quite or very often. The figure is the same as before Covid-19. Reasons for why Finns remain in their jobs can only be guessed: there aren’t as many new jobs available as in the US, and the labor market itself is more rigid. “But it is interesting that so few think about it. Wanting to resign very much reflects how well people are doing at work. Employees are wondering if work is good or bad, whether they need a change,” Hakanen says. The fact that the pandemic has not statistically affected changing jobs is a sign of successful leadership and quality of working conditions in Finland, Hakanen believes. According to studies by the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, work and the employment relationship are strong factors behind intentions to resign. Although working from home may be taxing to employees in a different way than working at the office, it’s much less linked to thoughts about resigning than the work itself.

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Memes emerged, along with a feeling of survival, but it was also tormenting and exhausting. “At the start of this year, I thought, why go to the office when everything can be done from home,” Pekka Rintala points out. Home had finally become a default workplace. At home, he has good routines and devices work. Yet Rintala finds it important to visit the office a couple of days a week. Karoliina Muukkonen used to go to the office when she needed a big screen or two screens. Then she built a standing work station at home in her bookshelf.

In Finland during the crisis times, jobs have also been protected by the low hierarchy in society. Occupational safety and health have maintained good working conditions. They have brought resilience, adaptiveness and proactiveness to companies, Hakanen lists. In addition to its other advantages, the Nordic welfare state enhances commitment. Legislation defines working conditions extensively, and the strong trade union movement does its share in taking care of working conditions.The employer automatically pays pension. Lengthy parental leave and daycare ease working, while various other types of leave and the right to reduced working hours are provided for by the law. All of this helps in creating a good work-life balance. Although resignations have not increased in Finland, the pandemic has left its mark on young people and those starting their work life. The surveys by the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health show that the pandemic has been hardest on those under 36. “The mental health of school pupils and non-employed young people has been at stake. If young people have had work, it has been a positive thing.”

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“Mandatory attendance combined with long commutes would be a difficult combination. I used to live in Mankkaa, Espoo. It would feel terribly demanding to commute 40 minutes daily in one direction.” Muukkonen currently lives in downtown Helsinki with a short commute. She also finds it important to visit the office for social reasons. It is nice when a colleague gets excited about meeting live at the office. “Last time I spoke to a colleague for two hours about things we normally wouldn’t discuss on the phone, at least not for two hours.”

Hakanen refers to a type of psychological agreement young people commit to when entering working life. In the olden days, this agreement meant you could stay in the job until retirement if you did well. “The 1990s depression made this a thing of the past. Now the psychological agreement means that when I do my best at work, I learn a lot, gain mentors, create networks, and improve my chances of being employed in the future,” Hakanen describes. “The pandemic has been damn difficult. Not being able to see colleagues.” During the pandemic, many young people have entered the workforce. Studies by the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health show that settling into the workplace and finding a sense of belonging has been harder for them. And with the limited free time, it’s no wonder they don’t exactly enjoy themselves. It heightens shortcomings at the workplace and these easily becoming a problem.The things you would not normally pay attention to may suddenly become problems. From the company’s perspective, this is a challenge for leadership, and engagement.

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The office for the Finnish Energy is close to Tähtitorninmäki, Helsinki.

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Muukkonen knows people who work at companies with no office work. “Does one even get attached to the community?”

ome has become a comfort zone of work for many knowledge workers. It changes the relationship with work and the employer and may thus weaken commitment. Perhaps work begins to lose its appeal once it turns into another chore at home. After a couple of years of remote work, many are so used to it that turning up at the office seems unnecessary. The importance of the work community has been somewhat forgotten. How can management revive it? Research Professor at the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health Jari Hakanen has sensed that not returning to the office is even considered a subjective right. “It clearly takes effort to move back to the office. Both the employee and employer benefit from genuinely seeing eye-to-eye and working together in the future again," Hakanen says. According to Hakanen, it is not good to work just for yourself: work is not just a me project. “As part of a work community, we are at work also for each other. For many, remote work has probably worked out great, but we may forget everything else related to work.”

It is not good to believe that work is only for yourself: work is not just a me project. “As part of a work community, we are at work also for each other,” says Jari Hakanen. vol 10

Hakanen shies away from tough directives about visiting the office, but he also finds it important that the place of work is discussed face to face. Work also justifiably includes going to the office. During the pandemic, the discussion centered on how it would transform working life. An infectious disease made hybrid work the mainstream, but otherwise major working life innovations have yet to emerge. “I’m sure remote work will be more common in industries, which still have not introduced it. Later, we get to see if there are other permanent effects from the pandemic.” On the individual level, many may have had major revelations. A short working life experience before Covid-19 may have led to a thorough re-evaluation of values, whereas those who have worked longer have had an easier time adjusting. After all, they have seen countless changes take place at work. The moment is ripe to improve working and leadership. “Now would be the opportune moment to think of ways of working and working together. Is there enough energy, creativity and imagination for shared discussions? Could we be proactive? Will we learn something else besides remote working from this time?” Hakanen asks. Remote connections may work well in your own, familiar and relatively small team, where you know each other well and have become accustomed to interpreting each other remotely during Covid times. “Work communities need contacts across teams and departments. How do remote connections work then? What about unofficial encounters? Developing new forms of collaboration has been difficult in the remote setting, and siloes are not beneficial for any workplace.” Work intensification has increased with long days of meeting after meeting. If eight-hour Teams streaks are only cut off by five-minute bathroom and coffee breaks, you need to dig deep to find motivation.

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According to Professor Jari Hakanen, this seriously calls for reflection. “Is anyone apart from the individual employee coordinating the working day? Is it all remote meetings? How does having cameras off in a remote meeting, with no feedback, affect work motivation? These things should be discussed at the workplace smartly with the management involved,” Hakanen advises. A study by the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health reveals that commitment to work is high and people are clearly less inclined to quit their jobs when leadership serves others, practices

“In a way, micro management has made a comeback,” Pia Lappalainen sums up.

wo years of hybrid work have left their mark on Karoliina Muukkonen. “Now it has been proven that this work can be done remotely.” Muukkonen wouldn’t feel too pleased if rules were suddenly drawn up forcing to work at the office without justified reason.The flexibility of work is very important to her. “Of course it wouldn’t be an issue if the task needed me there. In that case I’d be present a great deal.” The community is also an attractive reason to come to the office, it is the glue holding the work Leading multiple voices at work does not happen by community together. Muukkonen is curious. going to a remote meeting and the boss saying, open What will working look up.You must first build psychological safety.The like in the future? boss must indicate that it is ok to tell them things. “I don’t know what this work has previously been Everyone must feel like they are heard equally. like. I am used to having everything done remotely, starting from parliamentary hearings. In my mind, are fair, and the relationship between employees I have the structures and routines of remote work. and management is based on trust. How can I manage to do everything when I have Caring is clearly important for employees. to schedule meetings in town or take a business Having leaders and the work community look trip to Brussels?” after each other during a moment of crisis is engaging. It keeps the social network around the ndeed. There are so many people already at work community intact. Many young people workplaces who have only experienced their work remotely, who have only entered the job through remote or hybrid work, and more workforce, sometimes during the pandemic. For people with this experience are on their way. them, leadership needs to be more than visual- They cannot go back to what was, because it does izing strategies. not exist for them. Organizations need to be able One everyday method for engaging leadership to engage them in the current reality. ◆ is to ask: how’s it going, or how is the work task progressing.The task of leadership is still to guide, supervise, monitor, give feedback and intervene. Communications has a central role.

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Karoliina Muukkonen often listens to audio books on her way to the office.

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“In these incredibly rapidly changing circumstances, we cannot test what we know nothing about; we must rely on intuition and make new types of decisions in novel ways.” Dr. Riitta Lumme-Tuomala, Aalto University Executive Education, page 48 Sanna Kannisto: Carpodacus Erythrinus (2019)

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BOOK 3 I T ’ S V E RY PERSONAL Justice is an extremely personal experience. Professor of Organization and Management Marjo-Riitta Diehl tells journalist Annukka Oksanen how justice removes uncertainty and creates stability at work. “I claim that most issues related to work and leadership are based on injustice: people feel they are being managed poorly.” PHOTOS: HELI SORJONEN

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Marjo-Riitta Diehl grew up in a working-class home and became a professor after journeying across Europe, and different societies and social environments.

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here are your books?” her boyfriend from school pried when he came over to Marjo-Riitta Diehl’s home. At his place, Diehl had seen a long corridor full of shelves stacked with books. Although there were no books in Diehl’s home, she had the impression that books are great.That is why her boyfriend’s question has stayed with her. At his house, they referred to people as “he or she”, not “it”, as Finns often say when referring to third-person singular in spoken language. Diehl would test the he/she pronoun at home.This upset her mother a bit. “We didn’t speak foreign languages or consume culture at home.” Diehl was born and raised in the small town of Pieksämäki, Eastern Finland, as the only child of a working-class family. The parents encouraged their daughter, telling her she was capable of anything. “They really believed in me, told me that everything is possible. I laughed at their claims, but I’m sure it gave me a basic sense of trust. As did the safety of the environment I grew up in, both in my family and the Finnish society.” Diehl says that she has enjoyed the fruits of an egalitarian Finnish society. Justice has been important to her ever since she was small. During her school years, Diehl worked as a tutor for those with special educational needs. Even at a young age, Diehl noticed the different starting points people have in life.

before warming up. She does not draw attention to herself, but also does not remain a bystander against her will. “We’re going to do something about this,” is how she typically reacts. The distance between Pieksämäki and Helsinki is approximately 300 kilometers, whereas Diehl’s journey towards becoming a professor has circled around Europe, across societies and social environments. Her observer character has been useful, and her experience as an outsider has not hurt, either, even if belonging to a community is a basic human need. During her high school Interrail trip, Diehl visited London. She had heard of London School of Economics and wanted to see it for herself. “The atmosphere in the LSE main building was incredible. I had no idea what it is they did there.” For the ambitious Diehl, attending university was a given, even if she did not know what a university really was. At first, she opted for educational sciences because being a teacher was the only academic profession she knew. Her parents also greatly valued teachers. The world of academia sucked the girl from Pieksämäki right in. Soon, she was spending an exchange year together with her boyfriend at Lancaster University in Britain, studying sociology and educational sciences. She was awarded as the best exchange student and received an offer for postgraduate studies. “It was empowering to take to something like a duck to water.” She returned to Jyväskylä to complete her master’s degree studies while participating in an internationalization program. It was not long before she found herself in Geneva at the International Labour Organization (ILO) headquarters for a six-month internship.

“Assumption is often a leader’s worst enemy. We should not assume we know what employees find fair.”

ow Professor Diehl has books, speaks several languages and can use the right pronouns in every situation. In her video interview, she answers calmly, carefully considering each question. She says she prefers to observe situations

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“There were a lot of different types of people there. A good friend of mine said they had never cleaned a bathroom.” For Diehl, it was very exotic. Diehl was in her element there as well. Six months turned into six years. Diehl was tasked with preparing background materials for UN organization ILO. The organization sought to improve working conditions, enlighten employees about their rights, and promote discussion on work-related issues. ILO is represented by employees, employers, and states. It is the only UN organization with a tripartite structure. Her life in Jyväskylä was replaced by international friends, nearly all of them doctors or doctoral students. When spending time with people from the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), it was natural to wonder if one of them might be next in line for a Nobel Prize in Physics. Diehl also began to consider postgraduate studies. She applied to LSE, the university she’d visited during her Interrail trip.

iehl began to work on her dissertation at the Department of Management. There, Professor Jacqueline Coyle-Shapiro was also researching the psychological contract, a relatively new concept in academic research at the time. The psychological contract refers to the ex-

“What kind of mark does it leave when leaders are forced to act against their own values?”

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pectations and obligations employees and employers assume employment contracts to have. “People have an innate need for justice.And everywhere you look, the psychological contract involves the notion of reciprocity. My school journey and personal experiences have reinforced this view.” Reciprocity means that the parties of the psychological contract receive exactly as they give. For example, being active at the workplace is reflected in the salary or as new, personally pleasant tasks. “I have always sought to work in places where promoting equality and justice have been driving factors. At ILO, it was about equality at work, and LSE also upheld a more leftist ideology than many business schools.” Diehl spent nearly six years in London, after which she returned to Finland to work at the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health and Hanken School of Economics. Around this time, they were debating with her German spouse on where to settle. Germany won. Diehl went on to becoming a teacher, researcher, Academic Director of the MBA and MSc in Management Programs, then the Head of Department and finally the Vice Dean of Research at the private EBS Business School in Wesbaden, near Frankfurt am Main. During her thirteen years in Germany, she also had her children, who are now 11 and 9. Neighbors wondered why mister Diehl spent his time in the playground with his children. Where is your wife, they would ask and were terrified to find out she was at work. In a small Catholic town, no other mother in the neighborhood had a full-time job: school days were short and children needed lunch after school. Diehl, on the other hand, was surrounded by an entirely new culture with notions of justice to observe.

‘Y

ou deserve a raise.You’ve achieved many goals and served enough years, but we cannot afford to give you one. It’s fairer to give it to your male colleague, who has a family to support. Your husband has good pay,” Diehl recalls

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Marja-Riitta Diehl was photographed at the new premises of Aalto University Töölö, along Runeberginkatu street in Helsinki.

her supervisor telling her early in her career concerning a raise she did not get. Perhaps Diehl’s supervisor was striving for justice in giving the raise to the man, but to Diehl, it was a sign of organizational injustice. These are the types of themes she studies at Aalto University. Diehl is now curious to discover the effects of organizational justice and injustice and how organizations can become fairer. What makes organizational justice fascinating and challenging is that there are no objective measures for it, because it is a personal experience. “It is instrumentally important that we get what is ours at work. We need the feeling of belonging and that we are appreciated as humans. When we are treated as equal members of society, we experience a sense of being included, a sense of caring.” The ethical and moral component is strong. “We want us and others to be treated justly.”

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Organizational justice can be divided into four themes. Distributive justice has to do with salaries, project funding and, for example, office and other benefits. Procedural justice draws attention to how processes work in an organization. What decisions are made in terms of distributing work, for example? Is the promotion process transparent and equal for all? Informational justice is just if everyone receives information equally and if the right people receive information at the right time. Interactional justice refers to the culture of discussion in the organization, and how people are treated. Culture impacts the experience of justice. “From a woman’s point of view, things are better at work in Finland than in Germany. In Germany, rules are set by men, making women strongly experience injustice,” says Diehl, who grew up in a Nordic society.

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Diehl says she has often wondered if she was ignored at meetings in Germany for frequently being the only woman at the table, or because she was a foreigner. The study of organizational justice focuses on these types of questions. “I am used to being the one who doesn’t quite understand. This is why I need to be very attentive, slightly on my toes even, at all times. I’m careful in the beginning.” The feeling of being an outsider is not a pleasant one, but it may have been useful as a researcher.

rganizational justice involves matters you never notice when they are in order. “I claim that most issues with work and leadership are based on problems of justice: people feel they are being managed poorly.” People compare different workplaces. Salary, personal treatment, and discussions with the superior are matters people talk about. Typically, feelings of injustice stem from decisions. “Once bad experiences begin to cumulate, trust is lost and the experience of work turns negative.” Diehl mentions Finland’s healthcare strike in the spring 2022 as an example of how a lack of justice can escalate at work. In a survey by Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat, nurses were asked to name three ways to improve their working conditions. Better pay, improved resources, and changes in the way healthcare is managed, nurses answered. According to Diehl, the battle initiated by nurses was exactly about justice. In Finland, nurses receive a low salary in relation to the challenging and responsible nature of their work compared to other industries requiring a similar level of education. Injustice in the distribution of healthcare

“Once bad experiences begin to cumulate, trust is lost and the experience of work turns negative.”

resources has also been visible in the lack of vacations or breaks due to employee scarcity. In her research, Diehl has focused on how people experience justice at work and the effects of this experience. Justice removes uncertainty at the workplace and creates stability. It is a proxy of trust. It’s about being able to trust things work out as agreed. “This is very important in changes and crises.”

s work changes, so do the dimensions of justice. Covid-19 has left a gap for improving justice too, as new practices at the workplace have not yet been established. “We are currently practicing hybrid work. How does it affect the flow of information or interaction, if some employees are out of sight? Are they also out of mind? Are employees who work a lot from home forgotten when it comes to promotions, because their work effort may be more difficult to evaluate compared to those working at the office? Who gets to work from home all the time?” Platform economy and network formation complicate the evaluation of organizational justice even further. Unified practices were easier to organize when everyone was employed by the same company. “Now we are witnessing situations where the supervisor is not a source of justice, because there are no supervisors in the classical sense.” How to implement organizational justice in networks or loose alliances where some people are only visiting for a short period or that do not have clear leader-subordinate relations like we used to? Sensitivity to justice within organizations can fluctuate. Organizations have justice climates. One organization may tolerate a great deal of injustice, whereas another intervenes easily. For example, sensitivity towards workplace bullying varies. How a supervisor reacts or does not react to bullying is a huge signal to the working

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community on the justice climate. Everyone creates a justice climate at work, but leaders have a key role, because they have power. “They say that people do not switch jobs but rather their boss.” Supervisors implement the decisions of top management: how resources are distributed, whose needs are prioritized and why, what kind of feedback is given, how processes are designed and who can influence them? How are decisions communicated? The employee experience of justice has been researched to a large degree, but the experience of leaders has thus far received less attention. “The first attempts were normative: a leader simply needs to first find out what justice is, then act justly.” This will only get one so far, as leaders need to accept that the experience of justice is personal and then figure out what it means for each employee. As such, justice is a question of resources. If a supervisor spends their time scraping enough employees to the workplace, they will not have time to lead. “Assumption is often a leader’s worst enemy. We should not assume we know what the employees’ view is, what they experience to be just. By seeking feedback and asking questions, we can learn.”

ccording to Diehl, supervisors think about justice a great deal in change situations. She describes their position as a crossfire of demands. It involves considering the financial goals of the company, employees’ expectations, and other stakeholders. “Everyone has different expectations. Who do you listen to? Financial goals are often the ones that are followed. I’m sure it’s impossible to be fair in the eyes of all stakeholders, no matter how you try.” Right now, companies are shaping ESG – Environmental, Social and Governance criteria – as part of their strategies and goals. These may even be conflicting at times. “I firmly believe we need to combine financial, social, and environmental goals. But it does add to

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A CAREER CAN BE A KALEIDOSCOPE INSTEAD OF A LADDER

Diehl justifies speaking of careers in gendered terms, because women still do not advance into top positions like men. For the same reason, Diehl is a supporter of quotas, at least for the time being. “Development has been extremely slow. Quotas are a push towards a cultural change.” Women’s rise into management positions has often started with politics. “Is it more acceptable for women to be leaders in collective issues?” In politics, women first became social and health ministers. In corporate management teams, women have traditionally represented HR and marketing.“There was a point when HR was perceived as just admin women and considered mostly an expense item. Now the position of HR has changed, suddenly it’s at the core of the company. Hybrid work, ESG, digitalization, the shift in leadership, talent management, employee scarcity, all of these strengthen the position of HR.” What type of career advice would Diehl give to those at the start of their career? “I find that a certain level of determination and dreams are good. Getting too fixated is not – keep

he Kaleidoscope Career Model was created in connection with gender studies, when it became obvious that climbing up the ladder towards better pay, a fancier title, or a corner office is not as linear for women as for men. A kaleidoscope is an optical tube. Once you roll it, the mirrors inside reflect symmetrical, moving patterns. A Kaleidoscope Career Model reveals a pattern of authenticity, balance and challenge. These three qualities fluctuate, reflecting in careers not advancing linearly but according to fluctuating emphases. In the beginning of a career, work providing challenge is important. Ambitious people want to show their true colors, advance. For women, balance may be important around the middle of their career. Women often struggle more with the work-life balance than men. Authenticity becomes increasingly important for women as their careers ad“Is it more acceptable for women vance. “You find our own to be leaders in collective issues?” voice,” explains Marjo-Riitta Diehl. “This can happen when others’ demands ease up and there is more room to lisan open mind and boldly seek new experiences ten to your own wishes.” “During my latest fast track, I realized that I actu- and challenges. Don’t forget about balance, and ally wanted to do research. It’s why I applied to Aalto. consider what is important at each stage in life. Naturally, my current job offers a challenge but is also When the opportunity comes, grab it. You can about finding authenticity. Reaching the age of often see the important conjunction points of fifty makes me think: here I am, and I can either your career afterwards.This advice applies to both men and women.” accept this or start looking for something new.”

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Marjo-Riitta Diehl describes the position of supervisors as a crossfire of demands. It involves considering the financial goals of the company, employees’ expectations, and other stakeholders. “Everyone has different expectations. Who do you listen to? I’m sure it’s impossible to be fair in the eyes of all stakeholders, no matter how you try.”

the leader’s pain if financial goals are not adjusted and ESG is only added on top of them.” We should be wondering what financial goals mean. “There are solid grounds for redefining capitalism thoroughly.” In the last couple of years, there has been plenty of discussion on how it is not sustainable for companies to seek maximum profit without considering the effects on the environment and stakeholders. Redefining leadership has been discussed in a similar vein. “It matters in our time especially. What is the significance of values and thus justice in leadership? What kind of mark does it leave when leaders are forced to act against their personal values, when they cannot be just, even if they want to? What effects does this have on the leader’s career?” Diehl wants to study how leaders and supervisors sailing the ripples of justice navigate these questions.

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“How are justice and also trust a part of leadership and the leader’s identity and principles? It is important to study the part justice plays at workplaces, the types of leadership people seek, and how they handle themes with an ethical or moral component.” Diehl mentions a research result which reveals that many supervisors drift into so-called robinhoodism. “They sort of secretly try to make up for injustice in the organization to employees, using either personal or the organization’s resources.”

ogether with Julia Swank (EBS Business School) and Marion Fortin (Université Toulouse 1 Capitole, TSM Research), Diehl has studied change situations in a bank. The researchers interviewed managers and executives at the bank before and after organizational

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change, observing three ways to process justice in change situations. For the first group, it was above all a question of personal values and morals. They battle against measures required by the change.They found dismissing employees, for example, to be dreadful. After the change, they would either leave the workplace or had already found a new one. Conflict would turn into a major career change. Members of the second group examined justice from several perspectives.They found dismissals to be terrible but fair because it was based on the company’s strategy.They did not have a clear philosophy on leadership but highlighted the importance of shared decision-making. For the third group, it was clear which teams should be dismissed, which retrained, and which merged. For them, strategy and financial goals, and thus the company’s performance, were guarantees for justice. The career paths of the second and third groups did not change as drastically as for the first one. “They say that the company culture connects, but experiences on this may be very different.” For Diehl, justice is at the core of responsible leadership in the sense that a company benefits from justice. “It is sustainable people management. If employees experience being treated justly, they commit, and work performance and well-being improve. Justice is also reflected in reputation and the employer brand.”

Diehl brings up another person with a long class trip behind her, Stora Enso’s CEO Annica Bresky. Bresky, who moved from Greece to wealthy Sweden as a child, has emphasized that compassion is important in leadership, along with the ability to step into another person’s shoes. It also helps to be interested in people. Bresky says that because of her long trip, she has that ability. “The class trip and leadership have not been researched a great deal. But the little that we have indicates directly that those who have moved between classes are more able to consider different employee groups and connect people,” says Diehl. In her own research, Diehl has stated that the experience of being different usually increases the ability to appreciate differences and use the situation to benefit the organization. “The experience can mean working abroad, a diverse friend group, volunteer work, a foreign spouse, anything.” Diehl’s journey from Pieksämäki to Aalto University circled through several countries. But the road back towards Pieksämäki is straight. She drives along it regularly to visit her dear summer place as well as her family. Her class trip has not affected her strong bond and sense of belonging with her home region. “It might be the force that has helped me tackle my feeling of being an outsider in different circumstances.” ◆

everal years ago, reading Luokkaretkellä hyvinvointiyhteiskunnassa (Engl. transl. Class Trip In a Welfare Society) by Katriina Järvinen and Laura Kolbe was a wakeup call for Diehl. She realized she had been on a lengthy class trip that had taught her to navigate in a range of communities.“I’ve had moments when I’ve realized the shortcomings in cultural and social equity. Many others have experienced this too! One writer mentions being ashamed of not having books in their home, for example.”

“I firmly believe we need to combine financial, social, and environmental goals.”

*The study Three Paths to Feeling Just: How Managers Grapple with Justice Conundrums During Organizational Change is currently being reviewed for possible publication in The Journal of Business Ethics.

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BOOK 4 T E C H N O LO G Y P S YC H O LO G Y Professor of Computer Science Janne Lindqvist examines topics related to the interaction between humans and computers. He is now in charge of a new BSc major: Engineering Psychology. A multidisciplinary approach is needed when for instance looking for ways to make technological solutions as humancentric and inclusive as possible. WO R D S : R E E T TA R ÄT Y PHOTOS: VILLE MAALI

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“Multidisciplinarity has been the word on everyone’s lips for as long as I remember.The current thinking is that whether you have a degree in engineering or theology, you can end up working in a range of areas.”

fter concluding a meeting with his research group at Aalto University in Espoo, Professor Janne Lindqvist explains what questions the members are focusing on in their studies. “Together with a doctoral student, we got carried away with whether it’s better to take notes using a pen or laptop. A high-profile study from 2014 found that in some cases the pen was mightier than the keyboard. Now it turns out it’s not necessarily so simple.What a fascinating topic, we thought. Let’s see where this will lead us, but at least we’ll be learning plenty on the way.” “A Master’s thesis student and I have interviewed adult gamers on how they negotiate playing with their children. Studies have usually focused on the opposite, examining the parents’ attitudes towards their playing children. We want to find out how parents manage to play when they have small children.” “Then there’s a study examining the ecosystem at Apple. What does user-friendliness mean for privacy? What do we give up when we allow a company like Apple to transfer our data from one device to another?”

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The list of current studies goes on.They all have at least two aspects in common: a focus on the interaction between computers and humans, and a practical quality – you don’t need to be an expert to understand. Listening to Lindqvist reveals a third common thread: many of the research questions stem from the researchers’ personal, everyday observations. To give an example, the research question about adult gaming was formulated when the professor himself started to play Assassin’s Creed Odyssey at home. The setting of the game is in Ancient Greece and the player controls a mercenary. But how does the father manage to play at home when the violent game isn’t suitable for the eyes of his two school-aged daughters? The family discussed the issue, set some rules, and realized they could still talk about how well or badly dad was doing in the Peloponnesian Wars even if the rest of the family weren’t playing. Clearly something that needs further examination, the professor thought. And so the research topic came about. “Most of my studies are rooted in similar real-life issues. They stem from anecdotes or my personal observations: How silly is this, how fun is that, this would be interesting to explore,” Lindqvist clarifies. This results in multidisciplinary research. The most convincing argument for the necessity of multidisciplinary research must be that the problems and especially the solutions of humankind cannot be categorized under a certain discipline.

anne Lindqvist is an Associate Professor of Computer Science at Aalto University, the Director of Helsinki-Aalto Institute for Cybersecurity (HAIC), and now also the professor in charge of the new Engineering Psychology major at Aalto University. He returned to Finland a couple of years ago after spending a decade as a research scientist and professor in the United States. Becoming profiled in a specific theme has often been seen as a prerequisite for professors to succeed on the global market. But it’s not the only way.

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Janne Lindqvist is an Associate Professor of Computer Science at Aalto University, the Director of Helsinki-Aalto Institute for Cybersecurity (HAIC), and now also the professor in charge of the new Engineering Psychology program at Aalto University.

“I’ve succeeded by doing what I feel like doing any given morning,” Lindqvist highlights. Lindqvist says he was already interested in ”everything possible” during his student days. At a Finnish university, you can pick studies here and there without extra fees. It could be called drifting and indecisiveness – or a multidisciplinary approach and acquiring a broad education. “Multidisciplinarity has been the word on everyone’s lips for as long as I remember,” explains Lindqvist. In recent years, it has been coupled with the notion of lifewide learning. “People have begun to accept that a clearly defined career path that starts from a degree and leads to a straightforward career offering possible advancement no longer exists. The current thinking is that

whether you have a degree in engineering or theology, you can end up working in a range of areas.” Lindqvist’s research topics highlight the point, ranging from data protection to video streaming evaluation methods, self-injury, privacy in automotive insurance, and experiences of racism. In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, he also got involved in creating an app for a small town in New Jersey designed to prevent hurricane damage. His topics are wide-ranging, and his colleagues have included psychologists and sociologists.

“Different disciplines cannot collaborate without smooth communication.”

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ultidisciplinarity has been a hot topic in universities, companies, and politics alike. It is a no-brainer after all: it makes sense that a complex problem is tackled by a multidisciplinary team

Janne Lindqvist with doctoral candidates Rongjun Ma and Amel Bourdoucen at the Aalto Computer Science Building in Espoo.

instead of each focusing on a point solution in their silo. Yet the majority of scientific and other types of work is still carried out with people in the same field. Researchers, officials, and business directors all complain about the silo effect. New communication channels and steering groups are established to counter the problem, which everyone finds draining. But what if activities were multidisciplinary from the onset? Engineering Psychology is a new BSc major at Aalto University that addresses the need for multidisciplinarity on an institutional level. The studies combine psychology, natural sciences, and technology. Graduates are promised a chance to solve issues like making the design of technological innovation

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increasingly human-centric and inclusive. Master’s students could specialize in, for instance, becoming an accessibility expert or developer of e-health services. Engineering Psychology is led by the Department of Computer Science and collaborates with the Department of Signal Processing and Acoustics, Department of Communications and Networking, and Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering. The new major was originally proposed by psychologists at Aalto University, and Janne Lindqvist was immediately excited to get onboard when he learned about it. Thinking about how computers are used, Engineering Psychology seems like an obvious combination. It is after all people who use technology, whether it be games, AI, security, medicine, or any other online activity.

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Let’s take a practical example: How many password-protected services do you use regularly? There’s email, Spotify, banking, insurance, Netflix, CMore, AppleID, Instagram, SnapChat, Slack, all those platforms for buying travel tickets, booking a yoga class, sending a message to my child’s teacher, reading newspapers and magazines… Dozens of passwords, a crazy amount. Here’s another question: Are your passwords secure, or do you at least keep them safe? Do you resort to the “Forgot your password?” link most weeks? Yes, the issue is both big and small, mundane and technical. Passwords are an example of something practical that’s linked to at least technology, business, and human behavior.

anne Lindqvist explains that psychology is applied to the development of computer security as research scientists examine replacing passwords with better solutions. Forgotten passwords

cost companies millions each year. It is also a question of services being accessible and inclusive. For instance, is online banking natural, safe, or even possible for everyone? Lindqvist has always been interested in computer security. He first delved into the technological side, learning encryption algorithms and protocols. But he soon realized technology alone could not solve real computer security issues. “An engineer will veer towards a technological approach to the problem but can soon notice there’s a bigger issue at play. People are constantly scammed online; they don’t realize they’ve contacted some impostor site instead of their own bank. It’s not just about technology.” Multidisciplinarity is connected to the trending topic of who has designed the services and on whose terms. In other words, it relates to diversity and inclusion. One of the verbalized aims of the new major subject is to increase the number of women and diverse backgrounds at Aalto University. The goal is to develop increasingly equal and human-centric technology. These days, there is a growing awareness of the importance of products being designed and tested by a diverse group of people representing different genders, abilities, and educational backgrounds. Lindqvist mentions that Engineering Psychology has been popular among women. He has chaired a committee for recruiting a new Assistant Professor for the major. The candidate should have a proven track record in computer science and a background in behavioral sciences or psychology. “Thinking that reflects people’s different educational backgrounds would bring genuine diversity to the department,” Lindqvist illustrates.

Not just remote work and research group meetings anymore: Amel Bourdoucen, and Janne Lindqvist at Aalto University, Espoo.

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“It’s easy to see that students will benefit from the ‘multilingualism’ of studying both psychology and technology: they speak the language of humans and machines.”

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Janne Lindqvist reminds that a study needs to include enough space for switching directions or discovering questions along side paths. The research plan or funding application form may require prior commitment to solving a specific problem within project X. “Not everything can or should be decided in advance. The mind needs to be able to wander,” the professor explains.

technology: they speak the language of humans and machines. Similar examples abound: medical doctors must be able to communicate with patients while increasingly needing to master administrative lingo, organizational psychology, leadership, and the possibilities of artificial intelligence. Multidisciplinarity requires investing in communications, which seems to be more of an attitude or relationship with one’s activities rather than a strategic focus area. Am I primarily a geek, boss, biologist, people person – or are we all here together to solve problems and think about intriguing questions, each from our backgrounds, curious about each other’s viewpoints?

“I put a lot of time and effort into making my research results easy to grasp.”

Multidisciplinarity also means examining the same topic but with differing viewpoints, methods, and theories from a range of fields. Although multidisciplinarity has been discussed for some time, it isn’t necessarily practiced by institutions and scientific communities. Therefore, are the top publications of different fields committed to a multidisciplinary approach?

s a research scientist, Janne Lindqvist is exceptionally articulate. He recounts small anecdotes, offers examples, and steers clear of jargon. It’s no coincidence. “I put a lot of time and effort into making my research results easy to grasp,” he says. Clear communication enables multidisciplinary work. It’s also linked to the relationship between society and research. To put it bluntly: no matter how fine your research, it won’t help society at large if the results or their potential practical application are not understood. A researcher can serve as a type of interpreter between the scientific field and the general public. Similarly, different disciplines cannot collaborate without smooth communication. It’s easy to see that students will benefit from the ”multilingualism” of studying both psychology and

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professor’s work involves research, teaching, and societal interaction (although many will complain their time is spent on admin, applying for funding, meetings, development, reforms, reporting…). We’ve mainly discussed research, which according to Lindqvist is not separate from teaching or societal interaction. He readily admits that behind his success is a group of people who have supported, mentored, pointed the way, and encouraged. He strives to do the same for his students. Young researchers are close to his heart. “Many of my former students have gone on to do their doctorate at one of the world’s top universities or have a successful career in industry. Knowing you’ve made a small contribution to their career and life is a wonderful feeling.” That contribution may be academic, but in Lindqvist’s case it’s easy to imagine there’s more. Curiosity catches on, as does an understanding that technology isn’t separate from humans. “Working with people is what inspires and motivates me,” the Computer Science professor concludes. ◆

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I M PA C T & EXPERIENCE PA RT I C I PA N T S , FA C U LT Y & ALUMNI

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PHOTO HELI SORJONEN

I M P A C T

E X P E R I E N C E

As Finnair began to shift from reorgani zation to a period of growth, Eija Hakakari, Finnair’s Senior Vice President (People & Culture), felt that new situation demanded new type of leadership.

Anne Remes received her Executive MBA diploma in spring 2022. She had completed most of the studies online, which came with many perks. The online studies meant she could stay in her hometown close to her colleagues.

“I Didn’t Let the Situation Bothe r Me” Anne Remes, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Helsinki, applied to the Aalto Executive MBA program in order to learn more about leadership principles and structures. In the end, she completed her studies almost fully online. >

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I M P A C T

E X P E R I E N C E

hen Anne Remes – a medical doctor, neurologist, and professor of neurology – was appointed Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Oulu in 2017, she found herself thinking that certain leadership principles and structures must apply to any discipline. She wanted to learn more about these topics, and when she had the opportunity to apply for the Aalto Executive MBA program, she decided to seize it. In March 2020, only a couple of months into her studies, the Covid-19 pandemic forced schools and universities all around the world to close their campuses. Also Aalto EE rapidly shifted from faceto-face to online teaching. A similar transition took place at Remes’s workplace, resulting in an increased workload for the university staff. As dean, it was Remes’s task to ensure everything was in line with rules and regulations. She’s a type of person who acts when something drastic happens, so it suited her well. “I’ve often said that I’m at my best under pressure when my adrenaline levels go up. Of course, it’s important not to be too stressed and for the situation not to continue for too long.” “When it came to my studies, I didn’t let the situation bother me,” she says.

emes received her Executive MBA diploma in spring 2022. She had completed most of the studies online, which came with many perks. At the start of the pandemic, Remes continued to work at the University of Oulu; the online studies meant she could stay in her hometown close to her colleagues. “In that situation and as a leader it was comforting to stay close to my work community.” On a personal note, the spring of 2020 turned out to be the last one for her aged dog, and Remes was able to spend plenty of time with her dear family member for the last months of its life.

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“Now that I’ve started in a new position surrounded by people new to me, I’ve listened and observed their behavior in a whole new way.”

A significant part of the EMBA studies involves identifying personal core qualities, strengths, and weaknesses; understanding the type of person and leader one is. “I now know more about myself, and I’ve realized that when my studies require my full attention, I prefer peace and quiet instead of a classroom full of people around me.” “When studies are delivered online, there’s less room for venting and exchanging thoughts – an integral part of my work and discipline – but I do prefer staying in my own bubble when learning new theories and concepts.” Besides, her studies weren’t only online. Remes and four other participants from her EMBA cohort worked on a six-month business project getting together in Helsinki once a month. “Carrying out the project completely online might have been difficult. Some of the other teams did that, but we felt it was important to meet up.” She’d spend the train journey to Helsinki and other parts of the country on pre- and post-lecture assignments. “The trips could take six or seven hours, which is excellent for working! On a train, the presence

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I M P A C T

E X P E R I E N C E

of other people doesn’t bother me at all because I don’t know anyone, and while I sit there, I cannot procrastinate because there’s nothing else to do.” Despite studying online, Remes feels that her group bonded well. According to her, everyone was highly motivated, and the study process made one interested in others. The program was also carried out creatively. “For example, during a few modules, we were sometimes asked to go out for a walk and listen to a podcast episode. We’d then come back for a group assignment or to discuss the topic. This ensured that participants took breaks and got some fresh air during the day – after all, walking improves cognitive functions and learning.”

A A LTO E X E C U T I V E M B A ( A A LTO E M B A ) Aalto EMBA challenges and stimulates, boosting highly experienced professionals to succeed further in senior leadership roles. The program strengthens and upskills participants’ ability and confidence to lead people and organizations at a top level. It cultivates strategic thinking and leadership capabilities in a global context and offers an invaluable professional network for life.

t the beginning of her EMBA journey, Remes didn’t consider changing jobs, but in spring 2021, she decided to apply for the esteemed position of Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Helsinki and was selected for the position. She feels the EMBA experience contributed significantly to the career shift. “I’d worked in Oulu for a long time and knew most of the people in the community even longer, as I’d also been a medical student there. Now that I’ve started in a new position surrounded by people new to me, I’ve listened and observed their behavior in a whole new way.” She says the studies have made her more openminded and appreciative of diversity, a range of personalities, and competencies. In practice, the experience has helped her select her own team in Helsinki. “I’ve understood that a team needs different kinds of people and the types of people I need around me. I no longer look for people like me, but those who will bring something that I lack.” Remes believes that along with her age and lengthy experience, the EMBA studies have made her a better leader. “I’ve gained a better under-

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“I’ve understood that a team needs different kinds of people and the types of people I need around me.”

standing of where to focus my attention as a leader and how to look to the future, taking risks and uncertainty into account. Most importantly, I’ve realized that a leader does not have to be superhuman.” ◆

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Anu Haapala

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Annika Jyllilä-Vertigans and Janina Ollberg.

Sustainabi lity and / or profit? How strongly does your company emphasize sustainability and how strongly does it emphasize profit? At Vieser, top management decided that sustainability and profit would be treated as equally important objectives.

ustainability was recently made a strategic spearhead project at Vieser Ltd. The company’s CEO Annika Jyllilä-Vertigans, Head of Sustainability, R&D and Quality Esa Mouhu, Head of Portfolio and Strategic Sourcing Janina Ollberg participated in Aalto EE and UC Berkeley Executive Education’s jointly created Strategic Sustainability for Business program to obtain new ideas for promoting sustainable business. The threesome decided to participate in the training program together to gain new ideas and a shared vocabulary for dealing with sustainability

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issues. At first, they – a visionary, a pragmatist, and an engineer – used very different terminology to discuss the issues. “Now we have a shared vocabulary. We also gained a comprehensive outlook on sustainability, which enables us to explain sustainability issues to others internally. All three of us now act as sustainability ambassadors at Vieser, using our own mandate to promote sustainability in our different functions,” Mouhu says. One of the key concepts introduced during the training, variance of purpose, was implemented

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“I learned a new word during the Strategic Sustainability for Business program: twalking”

at Vieser almost immediately. In essence, it means that top management and the board must determine where the company stands in terms of striving for sustainability or profit. “How strongly does the company emphasize sustainability and how strongly does it emphasize profit? The possible scale is considerable. On one end you have companies like Patagonia that aim to save the planet – and on the other end, a company that always aims at maximizing profit, no matter what the cost. Every company should define its own level of ambition and communicate it clearly,” Ollberg points out. At Vieser, top management decided that sustainability and profit would be treated as equally important objectives at Vieser and set KPIs for sustainable development. Top management also put together a conceptual plan of how sustainability will be part of the product design process and collaboration with partners. “We are looking at new sustainable solutions in our innovation pipeline, for example, and evaluating the entire life cycles of our existing products,” says Ollberg. “The materials used in Vieser’s products are also under focus: how they can be utilized at the end of their life cycles,” Esa Mouhu continues. Communication is an integral part of promoting sustainability. Internally, a company needs to

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communicate what it will take to reach the desired level of ambition. Externally, it must communicate what it is doing, where it is now, and what the goal is. “I learned a new word during the Strategic Sustainability for Business program: twalking. It means that communicating about sustainability is action in itself and promotes an important issue. There is no need to belittle communication and label it as mere greenwashing,” Jyllilä-Vertigans remarks. “Once we had made the strategic choice of emphasizing sustainability, we decided to start with sharpening our communication and smaller steps that bring fast wins. This will allow us to build a path to things that take more time, like researching novel materials,” she adds. No company can afford to ignore sustainability in their business. “The climate crisis, biodiversity loss, human right violations – these issues touch us all. In addition, sustainable business is good business. Investors see a lack of sustainability as a financial risk, which has its cost.” “If these two viewpoints are not enough to convince top management, regulation will soon require that all corporations follow the principles of sustainable business. The companies that are prepared for this will be in a better position.” Ollberg reminds that sustainability also increases brand value. Jyllilä-Vertigans concurs with her colleague: “Spot-on! These days, talent is drawn to meaningful jobs with self-development opportunities. You could even say that everything else is just hygiene. If you want to lure in the best talent, sustainability is irrefutably an advantage.” ◆

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Joanna Sinclair

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Strateg ic fore sight produce s a broad unde r standing of alte rnative future s “The Strategic Foresight in Business Management program brings new fuel to our iterative development work,” says Kai Kaasalainen, CEO of Tamro.

Anni Svala, Kai Kaasalainen and Tapio Ypyä.

amro, Finland’s leading distributor of medicines and health products, is known as a pioneering company in strategic foresight. According to Kai Kaasalainen, CEO of Tamro, many people tend to think that strategic foresight is all about following megatrends and preparing for the future. The fact that people are getting older and moving to cities is of no direct relevance to Tamro’s business. “But if we know what is happening in our operating environment and our customers’ operations in two months or two years' time, that is enormously relevant,” Kaasalainen says.

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Tamro invests heavily in strategic foresight and actively educates its experts and leaders in strategic foresight. Every year, new key personnel is sent to Aalto EE's Strategic Foresight in Business Management training program to learn more about strategic foresight. “The program was intensive and very well structured.The instructors Eeva Vilkkumaa and Antti-Jussi Tahvanainen were excellent. Both are extremely knowledgeable in the use of mathematical models and tools,” says Quality Director Anni Svala who participated in the program during summer 2021. “With such skilled instruc-

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tors guiding us, we could immediately delve deep into methods and useful tools that can be used to model different ways to predict the future.” “Perhaps the biggest lesson was that the purpose is not just to monitor and foresee change, but to be involved in building the future. Many companies are stuck in an adaptation mode.Vision and wisdom lie in aspiring to influence and shape the world,” Svala adds. Tamro started determined work in the field of strategic foresight in 2016, the same year that Aalto EE held its first Strategic Foresight in Business Management program. One of Tamro's first development steps in strategic foresight was a tool that monitors traditional and social media, public documents, and other sources 24/7, and reports interesting findings to Tamro. “Our foresight is an iterative process that is developed year by year. Aalto EE’s program has definitely helped in this development work,” Kai Kaasalainen says. “Today, we use a number of foresight tools which have been unequivocally useful. I can give

“Thanks to strategic foresight, we recognize changes in our business environment at a very early stage.”

a concrete example from a few years ago: just before the summer holidays, I sent our management team an email in which I listed six business critical things that – based on information provided by our foresight process – could occur by the end of the year. During the autumn, four of these six things happened exactly as we had anticipated,” Kai Kaasalainen explains. Strategic foresight has given Tamro the courage to launch significant new business ventures. Among other things, the company has expanded its operations to consumer business and health technology solutions. Tapio Ypyä, head of Tamro’s Health Technology Services business unit, attended the program a few years before Anni Svala. He emphasizes that strategic foresight is vital to the business unit he is in charge of. The business unit is a startup within Tamro, which needs in-depth knowledge of customer segments and markets, and strategic foresight gives situational information that enables targeting sales and marketing activities correctly, among other things. “At present, we are growing rapidly, and strategic foresight is a marvelous tool in roadmap work. We create different scenarios and harness tools to assess critical assumptions and measure the attractiveness of business ideas. It is difficult to imagine how this work could be done without strategic foresight. It is an organic part of our everyday business,” Ypyä underlines. Anni Svala, Tapio Ypyä and Kai Kaasalainen affirm that they warmly recommend Aalto EE's Strategic Foresight in Business Management program. According to Kaasalainen, “Continual training ensures that we have the competence and skills that are needed to develop strategic foresight. The Strategic Foresight in Business Management program brings new fuel to our iterative development work. ◆ Joanna Sinclair

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FINNAIR – EMPLOYMENT FOR LAID-OFF STAFF In 2020, Finnair was faced with a pandemic and extensive co-operation negotiations. With the NEXT change security scheme, Finnair supported laid off employees’ future opportunities, also relying on external partners.Within the program, Aalto PRO offered Finnair employees a wide variety of career coaching and change training.

n 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic transformed the operating environment of airlines and Finnair had to make exceptionally large cutbacks. With cooperation negotiations taking place, Finnair wanted to offer terminated employees significant support for their well-being, furthering employment as well as career development. This resulted in a change security scheme called NEXT, involving a range of educational and coaching opportunities, such as entrepreneurial guidance. “We started to plan a program for change security as soon as the co-operation negotiations started,” says Tiina Aavamaa, Head of Culture and

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Development at Finnair. “The change would affect a large number of employees across the organization, and we wanted to ensure our support would be timely,” Aavamaa notes. Because laid-off and furloughed employees had worked with a range of different tasks, Finnair sought to provide extensive support services that could be tailored to different needs. Aalto University Professional Development (Aalto PRO) was selected as a partner for career coaching and change training for experts and management.The collaboration began in October 2020 and covered a total of 140 Finnair employees.

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“After the training I feel confident to pursue a new direction if the opportunity arises.” Aalto PRO’s service suited Finnair’s needs in many ways. Aalto PRO could offer a unique package covering career coaching and change training. “It enabled a clear path for participants to advance on with their training,” Aavamaa notes. Aalto’s solid reputation also contributed to the decision. In Aalto PRO’s Change Training programs, participants can expand their expertise or study entirely new subjects, thus pursuing new areas and tasks. In career coaching, laid-off employees are offered personal support for job hunting and clarifying their career goals. One participant in the program was Antti Väisänen, who left his role as IT Architect and Team Lead at Finnair during the co-operation negotiations in fall 2020. He has since been employed by CGI. He chose two of Aalto PRO or Aalto EE's programs from an extensive training offering, as he felt that they would support his expertise the most. He is very pleased with his choice. “Both programs were extremely well organized.” One of the programs was Diploma in Artificial Intelligence, the other was Strategic Sustainability for Business. According to Väisänen, the programs were very extensive and gave an excellent overall view of the subjects, along with practical viewpoints. “I gained a thorough understanding of what types of automated analytics are available, and how they can be used in many areas,” Väisänen describes. In the future, Väisänen would not hesitate to apply for new tasks, or even new jobs, around the

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subjects covered by the programs.“After the training I feel confident to pursue a new direction if the opportunity arises. The programs were not just superficial overviews of the subjects, but deep-dives with plenty of work and exercises.” The programs also featured distinguished guest lecturers, and one of them was carried out in collaboration with the University of Berkeley, California. “We had world-class trainers, who were also extremely inspiring,” Väisänen continues. Finnair’s Aavamaa considers the change security program to be successful and finds it important that laid-off employees are looked after. From the employer’s perspective, the best aspect of NEXT was the good feedback from participants. “For example, Aalto PRO’s training stirred a very positive response, and attendants felt that it gave real value,” Aavamaa concludes. Väisänen is thankful for the support Finnair offered to its employees. “I think Finnair did a great job in the situation and proved that it looks after its own, even during hard times.” ◆

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Annika Rautakoura

FINNAIR NEXT CHANGE SECURITY SCHEME In 2020, Finnair was faced with a pandemic and extensive co-operation negotiations. With the NEXT change security scheme, Finnair supported laid-off employees’ future opportunities, also relying on external partners. Within the program, Aalto PRO offered Finnair employees a wide variety of career coaching and change training. aaltopro.fi/changesituations

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Rethinking Succe ss Factor s for the Future When UPM wanted to transform commercial excellence into competitive advantage, it turned to Aalto EE for help.The jointly designed program provided senior managers with the time and opportunity to learn how to future-proof the forest-based bioindustry giant's operations.

PM, the Finnish forestbased bioindustry company, launched an internal SmartFront initiative in 2017 with a focus on commercial expertise. The company, which employs 17,000 people worldwide and had annual sales of approximately EUR 9.8 billion in 2021, has traditionally relied on operative competence – high-quality machinery, talented engineer s, and streamlined processes. The initiative aimed at strengthening commercial excellence and securing a real competitive advantage. Once the commercial competence framework was created as part of the SmartFront initiative at the end of 2018, UPM selected Aalto EE as its partner to deliver a seniorlevel training program aimed at honing identified commercial competence areas, topics, and related skills.The Commercial Excellence program ran from 2019 to 2021, with about a hundred senior managers taking part. “Growth and commercial success are part of our strategy. We recognized a need to

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broaden our understanding of the commercialization process and strengthen our customer-centric growth mindset,” says Minna Katila, Business HR, UPM Raflatac. The program was tailored to meet UPM's specific requirements, with representatives of all business areas taking part in a planning workshop. The modules covered topics such as customer-dr iven growth, leading a commercial function, and building growth. The goal was to strengthen leadership capacity to make strategic decisions, recognize and seize opportunities for growth, and identify the best tools to do this. “With commercial excellence being such a diverse topic, we also wanted to stimulate discussion on what it actually entails and what options we have for moving forward,” says Katila. The SmartFront initiative also aimed at harmonizing commercial vocabulary and creating a network where experts across different business units share best practices and learn from each other.

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The company recognized that many business units had already made great progress in commercial development and wanted to take advantage of this. “The program provided networking opportunities, which are always useful. It enabled internal benchmarking between business areas operating in different markets, and this led to self-reflection and learning from others who look at things from a different viewpoint,” says Massimo Reynaudo, Executive Vice President, UPM Communication Papers, and one of the participants in the Commercial Excellence Program. He emphasizes that while participating in an extensive training program is time-intensive, it should be viewed as an investment. “These last few years – even before the pandemic – have been characterized by volatility and uncertainty, and for most of the time, the focus has been on coping with the present. The program provided us with the time and opportunity to lift our heads above the present and look at the situation from a longer-term perspective: to make sure we are not overlooking any major disruptors that have the potential to transform the industry in a way that is not incremental but abrupt,” Reynaudo explains. “The program also gave us tools, structures, and tasks to properly assess the health of our plans, the validity of what we are doing, and the robustness and agility of our assumptions – and adapt accordingly if and when required,” he continues. Reynaudo commends the program for yielding the right balance between theory and practice. With the pandemic hitting the world in 2020, there was plenty of opportunity for putting the tools and theories to use. “I think we did well in adapting to the new circumstances.We started early on to ask ourselves how to acclimatize to the new normal and launched initiatives aimed at reviewing or redesigning the way we serve customers while also

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UPM COMMERCIAL EXCELLENCE PROGRAM The jointly designed program, covering topics such as customer-driven growth, leading a commercial function and building growth, provided senior managers with the time and opportunity to learn how to future-proof the forestbased bioindustry giant's operations. The goal was to strengthen leadership capacity to make strategic decisions, and recognize and seize opportunities for growth. The program gave UPM tools, structures, and tasks to properly assess the health of their plans, the validity of what they are doing, and the robustness and agility of their assumptions. aaltoee.com/customized-solutions

maintaining or even improving value creation,” Reynaudo says. Discussions at UPM centered, for example, on the potential benefits of a self-service functionality available 24/7. Would customers continue to want to be served by phone during office hours or would they prefer an online portal where they can place their orders whenever they want? Reynaudo believes these deliberations resulted – whether consciously or unconsciously – from the training program. “I would definitely recommend the program for companies operating in highly volatile environments or industries, but maybe even more for companies who think they operate in a business that is safe and sound. This kind of thinking may lead to hazardous complacency in a world where geopolitical factors, for example, can quite suddenly disrupt value chains or reshape markets.” ◆

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Annamari Typpö

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Towards More Sustainable Choice s Lilli Norio’s MBA studies made her increasingly aware of how clothing can be manufactured as sustainably as possible. She also gained confidence and new tools.

hortly after graduating as a fashion designer just over a decade ago, Lilli Norio ended up working for Rockseri known for its R-Collection clothing label and relocated from Helsinki to the northern Finnish town of Kajaani. Working for a small family-run company, Norio has taken care of a whole lot more besides fashion design, such as marketing, leadership, and production process development. The wide scope of her role made her interested in further training. When a couple of friends recommended the Aalto MBA, it ticked the right boxes: the content

appealed, and the studies could be completed alongside work. “The program covered interesting areas of business that weren’t part of my design studies. Now I had a chance to delve into them intensively.” The start of the new studies felt nerve-wracking but rewarding. “My group includes a great bunch of people, and I’ve made lots of new friends and contacts.” As a small fashion company, Rockseri has always strived for sustainability. However, clothing manufacture is one of the most polluting industries, and

PHOTO ANNI MARTIKAINEN

Lilli Norio did her MBA studies in her hometown of Kajaani apart from the final module, which she completed while living in Spain. Norio pictured in Benalmádena in spring 2022.

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Norio is constantly thinking up ways to make activities as environmentally friendly as possible. The MBA studies gave plenty of food for thought and an increased understanding of alternative approaches. “One of the modules involved thinking about how Rockseri could apply a mindset of circular economy.” For some time now, the company has been discussing a new concept of customers returning used R-Collection products to the brand’s stores for repairs before being resold. Many sustainable fashion brands like Patagonia already include separate collections of recycled clothing. The MBA studies filled Norio with ideas and determination to take the concept forward. Rockseri is also figuring out ways to reduce textile waste and recycle surplus fabric into new material. The MBA modules made Norio consider different processes and stages, so the company could run in a new, more sustainable way.“In each module, I’ve found myself rethinking how we do things.” The MBA studies have made Norio more confident and brought new tools: “My interest has always gone beyond fashion design, but now I have the confidence to get involved in other areas in the company. I see what needs to be developed and how processes and methods could be changed.” The studies brought new knowledge and broad insight on where leadership is headed, and the impact of phenomena like the pandemic or the internet on business and decision-making. “The studies are well structured, and the literature is extensive including latest articles.” Norio managed to complete just a few modules in regular face-to-face teaching before Covid-19 forced everything online. She feels that the transition to online studies went smoothly. “Teams was working well, and the breakout rooms were an excellent addition. Each module involved discussing topics and doing assignments

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in small groups, which kept the vibe going. We kept the cameras on, so we couldn’t skive despite doing it remotely,” Norio laughs. Norio became pregnant with her first child at the start of her studies and gave birth to a daughter in February 2021. She would not have graduated on schedule without the possibility to study remotely and grandparents helping out. “Although I was in that lovely baby bubble, it was nice to switch into a completely different mode every now and then. Thanks to the remote studies, I kept up with my cohort.” Norio only had to postpone the People Management module from spring 2021 by a year. She completed it in Spain, where she spent a few months with her family and a few friends. “We had been thinking it would be fun to work remotely from another country, and it turned out a wonderful experience. The pandemic isn’t a good thing at all, but it has brought some flexibility to working life.” ◆

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Anu Haapala

AALTO MB A FOR EXECUTIVES (AALTO MB A) Aalto MBA is for ambitious professionals who want to take their career to the next level and transform into business leaders with an innovative and sustainable mindset. It boosts both business and leadership skills and critical and strategic thinking. The program develops a strong, lasting professional network and prepares the participants for the next steps in their careers. aaltoee.com/aaltomba

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A DBA deg re e fue le d with passion Susanna Takkunen’s doctoral research revealed that a consumer-centric identity is key to digital transformation in the consumer goods industry. For Takkunen, obtaining a doctorate meant achieving a longtime dream – and fulfilling a promise she made way back in 1999.

This revelation made Takkunen ponder how usanna Takkunen got her Doctor of Business Administration degree from Aalto EE’s Aalto large corporations would work if they understood Executive DBA program in September 2021. Al- everything that disruptive startups do.What would though it took Takkunen only 2.5 years to com- they do differently? Inspired by her startup experience, Takkunen plete her doctorate, her path to starting her studpromptly set up a research venture. She convinced ies was fairly long. “When my mother got her Ph.D. degree back in several large companies – both domestic and in1999, I gave a speech at her doctoral celebration. ternational – to collaborate in a project exploring I promised that one day, I would follow in her foot- how to accelerate digital transformation in the steps. Ever since then, the idea was rooted in consumer goods industry. “Prominent Aalto University professors exthe back of my mind,” pressed interest in the Takkunen explains. Over the years, Takventure, and I ended up “You get incredible guidance from working as a researcher kunen initiated discusat Aalto University for sions about obtaining a professors who are dedicated to doctorate a few times the duration of the helping you achieve your goal.” project – and conductwith Aalto University ing my doctorate on professors. The talks the same topic in Aalto were good but never led to her starting a doctorate. In hindsight, Tak- EE’s DBA program,” she says. For her, Aalto EE’s DBA program was a perfect fit. kunen describes these attempts as superficial. At “You get incredible guidance from professors who the time, she did not realize that you have to be truly passionate about your research subject, not are dedicated to helping you achieve your goal.The process is tailored to offer maximum support, which just the idea of getting a doctorate. She found such a topic upon starting work at a enables you to use your time very efficiently.” Takkunen’s research findings are highly relevant startup and everything fell into place. “Before joining the startup, I had worked for for any leader in the consumer goods industry large consumer goods companies for close to 20 aspiring to drive digital transformation. She years. It was rather shocking to discover that all demonstrated that a company’s attitude towards my digital expertise – which I thought to be quite digitalization is determined by its organizational plentiful – was just not up to speed compared to identity: whether it considers retailers or consumthe digital natives at the startup.” ers to be its primary stakeholders.

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Consumer centricity acts as a driving force for achieving digitalization – whereas a retailer-centric identity acts as a barrier to change, slowing down or even preventing digital transformation. “A consumer-centric identity promotes organization-wide understanding of the transformative nature of digitalization. It helps companies recognize that digitalization requires major changes, takes years to get rolling – and is never fully finished because digitalization must evolve together with the consumers and the customers,” Takkunen underlines. “A retailer-centric identity, on the other hand, leads organizations to either adopt a compartmentalized orientation – in which digitalization is perceived as a means to augment the existing business model – or an ambivalent orientation, in which the status quo is sustained.”

Many leaders have asked her, how can a retailer-centric company transform its identity and become consumer-centric. “My research indicates that the change has to come from the top. The CEO must be the driving force, empowering the entire organization to place consumers front and center.” Just a few weeks before graduating, Takkunen started a new job at Accenture Strategy & Consulting as Principal Director and Lead for Consumer Goods and Retail. “Several companies asked for my help when I was conducting my DBA degree. In consulting, I found my next passion,” Takkunen explains. “I was very fortunate to get a great position at Accenture. I am now continuing the work that I love: fostering transformation with incredible companies in the consumer goods industry.” ◆

Joanna Sinclair

AALTO EXECUTIVE DOCTOR OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (DB A)

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The Aalto Executive DBA is a structured program in business administration for individuals with considerable managerial experience who wish to merge professional practice with theoretical perspectives to discover novel insights. Graduates will develop doctoral-level in-depth knowledge of the latest theories and methodologies in business research and act as thought leaders for organizational change. aaltoee.com/aaltodba

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A A L TI O M P EA EC TI M &P AECXTP EI R N I ENNU CMEB E R S

A A LTO U N I V E R S I T Y IN THE RANKINGS Financial Times Executive Education Ranking 2022 – Combined (Overall Ranking)

in the world

Financial Times Executive Education Ranking 2022 – Customized Programs

Financial Times Executive Education Ranking 2022 – Open Programs

in the world

Financial Times European Business School Rankings 2021

QS Global Executive MBA Ranking 2021

The Financial Times ranks the top 50 executive education providers annually. Globally, executive education is offered by around 4,000 institutions

Financial Times Executive MBA Ranking 2021

in the world

in Europe

in Europe Around 4,000 EMBA programs are currently being offered around the world, with only the top 100 making it onto the Financial Times’ annual ranking.

QS Top 50 under 50 Ranking 2021

in the world

The European Business Schools Ranking 2021 lists the top 95 business schools in Europe.

Times Higher Education Young University Rankings 2022

ShanghaiRanking Global Ranking of Academic Subjects 2021 Business Administration

in the world QS Top 50 under 50 ranking lists the top young universities in the world founded less than 50 years ago.

QS Quacquarelli Symonds is the world’s leading provider of services, analytics, and insight to the global higher education sector. QS Global EMBA 2021 ranking includes 202 programs, 26 of which are joint EMBA programs.

in the world The Times Higher Education Young University Rankings list the world’s best universities that are aged 50 years or under. The 2022 ranking includes 539 institutions.

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The annual ShanghaiRankings evaluate universities in 54 subjects across the natural sciences, engineering, as well as life, medical and social sciences. In total, over 4,000 universities were evaluated in 2021.

A A L TI O M P EA EC TI M &P AE CX TP EI RN I ENNUCME B E R S

A A LTO E E I N 2 0 2 1 A RO U N D

M B A / E M B A G R A D U AT E S

PA RT I C I PA N T S A N N U A L LY

IN 2021

7,000 351 84

C U S TO M I Z E D P R O G R A M S W E R E R U N N I N G I N 2 0 2 1 .

N AT I O N A L I T I E S O F M B A A N D E M B A G R A D U AT E S

H I S TO RY O F H E A LT H C A R E M A N A G E M E N T E D U C AT I O N P RO G R A M

Aalto EE’s Healthcare Management Education Program (Johtaminen terveydenhuollossa) celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2022.

South Korea

As a versatile training program for leaders, supervisors, and experts dealing with change and management in healthcare, the program and its predecessor TEJOKO have been developing Finnish healthcare since 1992. The program has been completed by nearly 700 physicians and other healthcare professionals.

Finland

A remarkable number of participants continue their studies in the Aalto Executive MBA program (Aalto EMBA).

Taiwan Japan Germany Guatemala Indonesia Iran China Latvia Peru Russia Spain

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C SO

IET

Funding to research and teaching

Providing Aalto University faculty with networks and development opportunities

The operations of Aalto University Executive Education Ltd provide a sizeable income to the university community in the form of dividends, lecture fees, rent, and others. In 2021, the financial contribution of Aalto University Executive Education Ltd to the Aalto community amounted to approximately EUR 4.1 million (2.3 million in 2020).

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Multi-disciplinary faculty and latest knowledge

Equipping individuals with skills, competencies, self-awareness, and sense of achievement

Competitive Edge Competitive Advantage

Supporting organizations in building effective leadership pipelines and fostering strategic renewal

Customers

Aalto University Executive Education taps into the unique strengths and disciplines of Aalto University. Through our cooperation with the university, we bring a multidisciplinary approach, the latest knowledge and, new, innovative learning methods to the development of experts and leaders, while providing the Aalto faculty with networks and development opportunities.

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A A LTO L E A D E R S ’ I N S I G H T Vol 10: Summer 2022 Editor-in-Chief Riitta Lumme-Tuomala Executive Producer Anu Haapala Editor Reetta Räty

Creative Director Jutta Sutinen

Columnists Hanna-Riikka Myllymäki Suvi Halttula Riitta Lumme-Tuomala

Translations Rebecca Watson Annika Rautakoura

Contributors Otso Alasko Heli Blåfield Hudson Christie Anu Haapala Jaakko Kahilaniemi Junnu Lusa Ville Maali Anni Martikainen Annukka Oksanen Mikko Raskinen Annika Rautakoura Reetta Räty Joanna Sinclair Heli Sorjonen Annamari Typpö Concept Räty-Salovaara-Blåfield Ateljee Hyppönen Publisher Aalto University Executive Education Ltd Runeberginkatu 14–16, 00100 Helsinki, Finland tel. +358 10 837 3700, www.aaltoee.com Aalto University Executive Education Pte Ltd 36 Armenian Street, Unit 01–08 & 02–08, Singapore 179934, Singapore tel. +65 6339 7338, www.aaltoee.sg Printed by Grano Oy, Helsinki, ISSN 2342-3986 Address Register aaltoleadersinsight@aaltoee.fi

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Jutta Sutinen is a designer with more than a decade of experience in advertising, graphic design, digital design, and media. She has worked with several major media and consumer brands, and she believes in long-lasting design. In your hands you are holding her first collaboration with Aalto Leaders’ Insight.

A A LTO LEADERS’ INSIGHT ONLINE STREAM: A A LTO E E . C O M / I N S I G H T Aalto University Executive Education hosts and curates a stream of varied content online. You can find articles – i.e., the long from Books from this magazine – webinar recordings, podcasts, columns and blog posts by Aalto EE and Aalto University faculty, alumni and other guest writers invited to share their insights with the Aalto EE community.

E X A M P L E F RO M T H E D I G I TA L C O N T E N T : Hudson Christie is a Toronto-based illustrator who has worked with several esteemed media brands, including The New York Times, Bloomberg Businessweek, and The New Yorker. Hudson’s illustration work has earned him two National Magazine Awards and a 2021 feature in the illustration industry magazine 3x3.

Artistic Integrity and Leading a Culture Organization Are Two Different Things Amidst growing ambiguity, cultural organizations are feeling increasing pressure to strengthen their position and redefine how they create value. As board professional and business manager Karri Kaitue puts it, cultural organizations need to combine their true sense of purpose with business discipline. Only then can they make a difference and deliver extraordinary results. This is also what Aalto EE's Business of Culture program, an executive program for leaders from the Arts and Culture sector, aims to tackle. “The purpose is to help them implement their own vision and strategy in an efficient and sustainable way.”

Heli Sorjonen is a multifaceted photographer based in Helsinki and Paris. She has worked worldwide on travel, lifestyle, and portrait photography commissions for renowned media outlets such as Alma Media, Die Zeit,YLE, and Helsingin Sanomat. She has a master's degree in photography from Aalto University, and has studied environmental protection science and Latin American studies at the University of Helsinki.

C O N N E C T W I T H A A LTO E E ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Aalto EE – Aalto University Executive Education @aaltoee Aalto University Executive Education Ltd (company) @AaltoEE

Aalto Leaders’ Insight – the magazine by Aalto University Executive Education. Library of insights: We’ve been living through real-life crises for more than two years in a row. These accumulated times of emergency have quashed our ideas of “normal”. In this issue, we give you new ideas on how to prepare for what lies ahead. Those of you looking for new opportunities at work, make sure to read the article Eight Tips for Job Applicants. What is your superpower?