Specialized Chinese: initiative and agile

COLUMN Benno Maggi* explains marketing and communication terms in his column "Technical jargon".Initiative, Noun, feminineA term that until recently was used almost exclusively in politics is currently finding its way into the field of marketing and communication. Strategic initiatives have moved from the PowerPoint charts of management consultants to the management boards of companies and from there to marketing and communications departments and agencies. This refers to the impetus for major changes. What used to be called an idea, project or campaign is now often considered an initiative - but is not. In order to launch such an initiative at federal level in Switzerland, 100,000 signatures of voters are required, collected within a period of 18 months. Signatures do not have to be collected for initiatives in marketing or communication, but the hope that initiatives from these areas will even reach a vote at management level is slim. Signature collectors at train stations and in front of polling stations are enviable, because in percentage terms they only have to get 1.9% of the country's voters to sign and the initiative is launched.agile, AdjectiveSuddenly everyone is: nimble, agile, lively, nimble - or simply: agile. In the face of the digital revolution, disruptive business models, Brexit, Trump, wild pandemics and crèche vacations and other game changers in business, politics and child education, it is also important to remain agile if we don't want to experience a rude awakening. The word of Latin origin appeared increasingly in Silicon Valley at the beginning of the noughties, and a decade later it also conquered the German-speaking world. Nowadays, many companies and all agencies in the marketing and communications industry want to be agile; this year, the Swiss Economic Forum has also chosen "agility" as its main theme - a sure indicator that the term is on the verge of inflation. The problem is that there is an ocean liner between wanting to be agile and being able to be agile. It's a label that everyone likes to pin on their lapel, but hardly anyone lives up to it. Because if you really want to be agile, you need the courage to experiment and a willingness to collaborate. Being agile is more than just reacting frantically to every change. It means much more than creating something new and making it profitable (business), acceptable to the majority (politics) or relevant to life (child education).*Benno Maggi is co-founder and CEO of Partner & Partner. He created the section "Vom Fach" in the NZZ FOLIO and was in charge of it for years. He presents and decodes words and terms that can be used either for small talk, being important, getting excited, playing Scrabble or simply for fun.