In the evolving technical communication and information management landscape, Harald S. has distinguished himself for his innovative approach and dedication to excellence. As the General Manager of the NINEFEB Group of companies, Harald has been instrumental in driving the adoption of cutting-edge technologies like iiRDS. He is also a key contributor to the AAS (Asset Administration Shell) submodels of the IDTA (Industrial Digital Twin Association), which showcase his commitment to advancing the field. His journey is marked by a passion for innovation, expertise, and shaping the future of technical communication.
The Story Behind NINEFEB
The name, NINEFEB, carries a personal origin that has profoundly shaped the company’s working relationship and culture. The story behind the name is one that many people find intriguing, and once they learn its significance, they never forget it. The company was founded on 8th Feb and its name commemorates 9th Feb, the accidental joint birthday of the two founders, making the two dates closely connected in the company’s history.
Guiding Principles and Philosophies
For Harald and his team, respect is the cornerstone of their business philosophy. Harald always emphasizes respect for the customer and colleague. This value is lived through NINEFEB’s coaching system, where every individual is paired with an experienced colleague, known as a Buddy. The Buddy cares for daily problems and shares the best practice recommendations, creating a nurturing relationship.
Balancing Structure and Agility: Amid a Fast-Evolving Environment
NINEFEB achieves a balance between structure and agility through its innovative approach to hierarchy and development. With a flat hierarchy, decisions are made swiftly without getting bogged down in organizational layers. This streamlined structure enables the company to respond quickly to changing client needs NINEFEB’s multi T-model of individual development empowers employees with a broad range of skills and expertise. This approach enables employees to see the bigger picture and facilitates f lexible, fast-paced management of resources for customers, new projects, and customer demands within a short timeframe.
A deep competency system, including soft skills, ensures that employees are matched with projects that align with their strengths and customer needs. This thoughtful approach to resource planning enables NINEFEB to deliver high-quality services that meet client expectations.
Fostering Cultural Cohesion across Borders
NINEFEB maintains cultural cohesion and alignment across its international branches with a combination of strategic initiatives and personal connections. Despite NINEFEB UK being a separate company, strong ties and regular contact between the UK team and headquarters ensure a unified spirit. Mixed teams working on projects further strengthen this bond.
Weekly virtual meetings facilitate the exchange of best practices, while a joint intranet and eLearning Academy promote knowledge sharing and collaboration. The initial team immersion in Vienna laid the foundation for a lasting connection, and they continue to uphold the company’s spirit. This blend of technology and personal interaction enables NINEFEB to maintain a cohesive culture across its Austrian and UK operations.
Leadership Style: Built on Respect and Potential
Under Harald’s leadership, NINEFEB has thrived on a culture of respect, trust, and support. This approach has been a cornerstone of his leadership style since the company’s inception. One notable innovation is the FEEDFORWARD approach, which focuses on future potentials instead of dwelling on past mistakes. This forward-thinking method promotes growth and development.
Harald’s participatory leadership style, combined with clear goals and KPIs, gives employees the freedom to work with a defined framework. The BUDDY system has been instrumental in driving employee satisfaction, which scores an impressive 8.3 out of 10. This exceptional achievement earned NINEFEB a place in the League of Extraordinary Companies, a testament to the impact of its innovative approaches.
The Most Difficult Decisions and Key Learning
As the MD of NINEFEB, Harald faced a significant hurdle, transitioning from a control-focused corporate leadership style to one that focuses on trust and freedom, inspired by his experience in large MNCs. Influenced by Ken Blanchard’s situational people development model and the principles of “The One Minute Manager,” Harald chose to give employees more autonomy, letting go of traditional control mechanisms. This approach allowed them to take ownership of their work, become accountable, and help their colleagues. Harald learned that growth and development thrive in an environment of trust.
Cultivating Leadership from Within
As NINEFEB expands globally, experienced team members are challenged to progress beyond their expertise. Everybody is challenged to grow beyond their expertise. Harald identifies potential leaders and nurtures their development by assigning them challenging projects that test their problem-solving skills, accountability, and project management abilities. Through a 360-degree coaching approach, he guides them from behind, using targeted questions and discussions, presenting them just the right tools at the right time.
A Remarkable Career Defined by Growth
Harald’s career path has been shaped by a series of pivotal roles in an esteemed corporation. From his early days as a project manager at SONY Europe to executive positions at Cap Gemini and T-Mobile International, he has consistently taken on demanding projects that test his leadership and strategic thinking.
A defining moment came when Harald transitioned to founding and leading NINEFEB, driven by the desire to develop and implement his market strategies. This shift brought new challenges, as he had to rely on his strengths rather than the power of a large brand. This experience has been transformative, allowing him to grow as a leader and entrepreneur.
From Executive to Entrepreneur: The Mindset Shift
As a business leader, Harald became fully responsible and accountable for the whole company and his colleagues. Unlike his executive role, where he could rely on specialists and support, Harald now had to dive into every aspect of the business to make informed decisions. This shift required adaptability and an updated knowledge of the market trends. Harald refers to these skills as having “the nose to sense bullshit” that allows him to navigate the changing market of Technical Documentation and keep NINEFEB ahead of the curve.
The Enduring Value of Human Expertise
Harald envisions a supportive role for automation tools and AI in technical documents. Rather than replacing human expertise, automation will augment it by handling non value-adding tasks like research and data collection. Human experts will remain in charge of curricula for complex decision-making and high-value tasks, harnessing the results of automation tools to inform their judgments. This collaboration of humans and technology will foster a more efficient and effective technical documentation process, while humans focus on tasks requiring their expertise and judgement.
NINEFEB’s Future Plans: Innovation and Global Expansion
Looking ahead, NINEFEB is poised for geographical expansion within Europe and the US, particularly in the realm of standardized contextualized information provisioning using Trusted AI based on iiRDS. The company will continue to expand its offerings and services to future market demands, addressing the forthcoming skills shortages due to the retirement of the baby boomers through innovative solutions in Technical Documentation.
NINEFEB’s vision is driven by the belief that information is the oil for the next wave of the economy. To stay innovative and competitive, the company develops methods and concepts that anticipate market needs. Initiatives like iNEED, a method for needs-based content structuring, and iLEARN, a method for targeted learning development, have proven effective. Currently, NINEFEB is advancing this concept with AiNEED, ensuring the company stands at the forefront of tech advancement and continues adding value in the field.
