Headquarters and Global Business Management!

“Where’s the HeadQuarter of your company?” He asked over lunch.

“At the wrong place”, I answered.

“What’s wrong about the place?”

“It’s doesn’t match our ambitions”.

“Why not?”

“We want to be a successful GLOBAL company”.

“Yes ….and?”

“We need to grow in Asia, Central Europe, South America and more regions”.

“And your HQ is where?

“Silicon Valley”

“Is that a problem?”

“It’s where it all began.”

“The first generation lives there; the VP’s and the managers who were part of the successful past”.

“The past, you say, and they are not the people for the future?”

“Some try, but it’s difficult to escape old circles and thinking.”

“More obstacles?”

“Many are rich and settled and not so eager to change anymore”.

“A barrier?”

“If you want to serve a global market, definitely”

“Headquarters should be there where you want to be, not where you came from?”

“You’re close!”

“How close?”

“Many HQ’s will disappear”

“How many?”

“If you want to compete on a global market!”

Why?”

“They slow down your speed and agility to react and compete.”

“So how to behave then?”

”If you want Asia, you need to be there, VP-level full authority and permanent”

“You can’t run Asia from California?”

“Wrong priorities, wrong language, lack of cultural understanding,”

“So what will it look like?”

“The future of HQ’s?

“Dynamic!”

“Dynamic?”

“HQ will be spread over different places.

“Around the globe?

“Depending on the business priorities.”

“Nothing permanent?

“Moving over the globe.”

 “Coordination?”

“Senior decisionmakers coming together.”

“Biggest barrier?”

Break down the old HQ!”

“More?”

“Find top-people in the regions you want to win. And more then anything else……..give them trust and empower them to make their regions successful.”

“What’s this new approach called? “

“Global Business Management.”

2009, Hans-Jaap Moes