CONNECT, COLLABORATE, CELEBRATE!
The latest global events reinforce the importance of what Classic Confucianism was teaching thousands of years ago: that we should be focused on human feeling, compassion and the importance of personal ethics and morality. How do we do that? By building partner ecosystems that are putting people and a joint purpose at the core.
During these uncertain times, people are looking for consistency, predictability and scalability. We want to feel connected, we want to collaborate with likeminded humans and we want to celebrate our impact – if big or small.
For me, after spending more than 2o years in the Hightech industry and focusing on ecosystems and partnerships, meeting Magdalena Hauser, Hermann Hauser, Klara Brandstätter and the entire team at the Institute for Entrepreneurship Cambridge-Tirol - Hermann Hauser (I.E.C.T.), was a highlight of creating and curating long-lasting partnerships.
One of the key celebrations this summer is my participation at the I.E.C.T. Summer School in Wattens, Austria. The Summer School goes into the 8th round and I am happy to be part of it for the third year! It will take place at the Werkstätte Wattens in August 2022, and it is renowned for attracting the best talent from all over the world, enabling cross-border cooperation and promoting entrepreneurship. Over 100 experts, serial entrepreneurs, investors and mentors will work with the 30 international participants to further develop their idea. Hands-on, practically experienced, networked!
As I am reflecting on how to best contribute as a mentor and coach for the young entrepreneurs supported by the I.E.C.T., I realize that some of the key questions to ask are centered on partnerships. While thinking about bringing a new investor, board member, employee, or coach on board, entrepreneurs should reflect about these 5 areas (to name just a few):
· TRUST: Can you build trust with this person? This is non-negotiable...
· VALUES: Do you share similar values? What are they?
· CONFLICT: How does your prospective partner deal with conflict?
· WORK ETHIC: What type of work ethic does this partner/person have?
· COMPATIBLE COMMUNICATIONS STYLES: Is this person assertive, aggressive, passive...? And how is their style connecting to yours?
In this spirit, I am very much looking forward to contribute to the I.E.C.T. Summer School and to meet everyone in person there!
You can apply to join the I.E.C.T. Summer School! The target group of the Summer School are Master and Ph.D. students, post-docs and researchers from the fields of technology, advanced engineering, natural science, life science, physics, mathematics, IT and AI as well as early-stage start-ups with science or technology projects.