An interview with Professor Dr. Daniel Graewe and Andreas Renner
Ever since the 1990s, models such as VUCA, BANI, TUNA, RUPT, CLEAR and VOPA Plus have attempted to provide companies with guidance in an increasingly unpredictable world. But all of these models have their limitations – although they analyze complex, dynamic environments, they rarely provide practical solutions for a company’s management and organization. Each model has its own particular focus and strengths – but what if these could be combined? With this in mind, a think tank team at the Steinbeis Consulting Center Institute for Effective Management’s Augsburg Business School developed a meta-model called “VIRAL”. TRANSFER spoke to Professor Dr. Daniel Graewe of the WIRE Institute for Applied Business Law and Andreas Renner of the Steinbeis Consulting Center Institute for Effective Management about the model, how to apply it in practice, and the benefits it offers businesses.
Professor Graewe, Mr. Renner, what do you see as the main catalyst behind the current transformation of management in and of companies? And exactly how is this impacting day-to-day management practice?
Andreas Renner:
It all comes down to the fundamental changes occurring in the world today. The speed at which things are currently changing for companies is completely unprecedented. Technological advances, global interconnectedness, geopolitical uncertainty and changing social values are conspiring to make traditional management principles obsolete. In years gone by, planning and control could create stability – Germany was a prime example of this. But today, this approach often falls down because it is unable to cope with the current pace of change.
Daniel Graewe:
Managers are under growing pressure to respond flexibly and rapidly to new situations. And it’s no longer enough to use the same old toolkit as before. Instead, they need to constantly assess which approaches still work and which need to be rethought. Responsibility must be shared more widely, while communication, participation and the ability to productively deal with uncertainty have all become key skills.
What were the benefits of the older models and where do they fall short in terms of today’s requirements?
Daniel Graewe:
These models succeeded in giving a name to the uncertainties and challenges and establishing a clear vocabulary for them. For example, VUCA made people more aware of the fact that our markets, technologies and society as a whole are no longer stable. BANI introduces the emotional dimension and highlights how overwhelming the complexity of the modern world can feel. TUNA, RUPT, CLEAR and VOPA Plus supplement these models with additional dimensions such as strategy, disruption, collaboration and culture.
Andreas Renner:
They are useful analytical tools and help to classify different situations. But they can often be rather abstract. They don’t offer managers much specific guidance on what to do in practice. In addition, each model only addresses certain aspects of reality. What is lacking is a framework that combines systemic thinking, emotional intelligence, strategic compatibility and concrete recommendations. And managers also need guidance on how to keep showing leadership in difficult situations. We need a single model that reconciles complexity with the need for focus, resilience and agility. The key is integration, rather than fragmentation.
What’s unique about the VIRAL model you developed?
Daniel Graewe:
In order to address the current challenges, a modern model needs to bring all the relevant dimensions together while still retaining a practical focus. It needs a clear structure that helps managers accept uncertainty and delegate responsibility effectively. Ultimately, it’s about empowering employees to be agents of change rather than just reacting to it.
What sets VIRAL apart is that rather than competing with the established models, it incorporates their strongest elements into a meta-model. The acronym stands for Volatility, Intelligence, Resilience, Agility and Limitation. Each of these dimensions is clearly defined and has practical action areas attached to it. VIRAL works across a wide range of organizations and industries because it is designed to be adaptive rather than dogmatic.
How can managers use the VIRAL model in their day-to-day work and what specific benefits does it offer organizations?
Andreas Renner:
Every dimension of the VIRAL model comes with clear implementation guidance. Management is treated as a collective endeavor rather than an individual responsibility. The model’s practical implementation is critical, so we suggest four specific measures to facilitate transfer for each dimension.
This provides organizations with clear overarching guidance and a range of concrete actions for complex situations. It enables more flexible management, more independent teams and more resilient organizations. Instead of aiming for perfection, they learn to deal productively with uncertainty.
Have you got any tips for managers using VIRAL for the first time?
Daniel Graewe:
They should engage in regular reflection about how they deal with uncertainty, how they use collective intelligence, how they promote resilience, how they can become truly agile and how to stay focused. If you want to make your organization fit for the future, you need to answer these questions honestly and take the corresponding measures.
And what if you don’t use VIRAL?
Andreas Renner:
Organizations that don’t use VIRAL will remain stuck in the old ways of thinking. They’ll continue simply reacting to change rather than actively shaping it. This leads to overburdening, indecision and a gradual erosion of trust among employees. The company may well still survive, but it will fall a long way short of its growth and value creation potential.
The VIRAL model and its measures
- “Volatility” dimension: Actively manage issues instead of ignoring them:
- Work with scenarios rather than rigid forecasts – e.g. through regular future workshops.
- Shorten planning cycles, e.g. switch from annual to quarterly targets.
- Establish early warning systems to identify changes early on.
- Collective reflection: change isn’t the exception, it’s the new normal.
- “Intelligence” dimension: Sharing and joining up knowledge:
- Allow teams a degree of freedom to make decisions so they can act on their own initiative.
- Establish learning formats and cross-functional discussion groups.
- Actively break down silo mentality, e.g. through cross-functional projects.
- Use digital tools to document and share knowledge.
- “Resilience” dimension: Retain agency and remain willing to learn even during crises:
- Nurture psychological security, see mistakes as opportunity to learn.
- Regular reflection routines, e.g. lessons learned meetings.
- Measures to strengthen self-management and mindfulness.
- Allow for redundancies to safeguard critical processes.
- “Agility” dimension: An organizational principle, not a fad:
- Use iterative working methods like sprints and short feedback cycles.
- Shorten decision-making processes, delegate responsibility to teams.
- Establish feedback systems that enable continuous improvement.
- Provide management and employees with regular training in agile principles.
- “Limitation” dimension: Deliberately set limits during particularly stressful times:
- Challenge routines by adopting “stop doing and listen” approach.
- Radical prioritization, e.g. using Eisenhower Matrix.
- Decision-making focused on vision and values.
- Clear limits and realistic resource allocation to prevent overburdening.
Jointly developed by the WIRE Institute for Applied Business Law under Dr. Daniel Graewe and the Augsburg Business School under Andreas Renner and Dr. Philipp Rodrian, VIRAL is a meta-model that describes a new OE framework. It integrates various existing approaches, combining them to achieve the best of all worlds.
Although an independent legal entity, the WIRE center of excellence for legal research is closely affiliated with HSBA Hamburg School of Business Administration. The Steinbeis Augsburg Business School offers professional development and certification services in the field of organizational development. As well as helping skilled professionals and managers achieve certification, the comprehensive array of courses offered by the Steinbeis experts supports companies as they work towards a successful transformation.
Contact
Andreas Renner (interviewee)
Steinbeis Entrepreneur
Steinbeis Consulting Center Institute for Effective Management (Augsburg)
www.steinbeis-ifem.de
Prof. Dr. Daniel Graewe (interviewee)
Director
WIRE Institute for Applied Business Law (Hamburg)