Interview

expertise is needed. The interviewee envisioned that in the future there would be a real estate company as a unit of its own, that would include a real estate executive, this if not thinking about the financial side but more functionally. The need clearly is now for the stakeholders in the organization to also see how the future is structured with the essential roles, even if the formal structure is functional. The interviewee indicated that there is more forward movement together as to develop further as an organization, one person can only do so much.

Strategy and planning

The interviewee sees that the organization is doing the strategy steps already by having quality services for families according to the values of the organization. It all in some way already exists, but it is more in words than deeds, because those deeds are not going to be enough. The strategy is clear, and it can be developed, it can be changed but the interviewee does not see any immediate need for it from her perspective. If the current situation were to be strengthened, that there would be more persons in the administrative and executive work, then perhaps it would be possible for the organization to move more strongly towards some specific strategy goals. At this point the interviewee felt it is time to realize also one’s own limitations of developing further with the existing resources but is excited for the future because sees there is change in this. Now when the interviewee is having so many roles in the organization, it is becoming more impossible to focus on larger internal projects, even if subduing them, the time many times goes to situations that need immediate help and clarification in daily working life. The interviewee deliberated that the strategy is how to get to the organization’s vision and mission, the stairs to get there. The mission is clear and stable, but it does not need to be so stable, it could be more evolving, and it could be more forward-looking. The strategic steps are squeaking and needs strengthening. The strategy would be built if the structure and essential roles were defined, and there would be human resources to do it. The topics really, are going hand in hand, strategy and the structure as its essential roles. Strategic decision and strategy can be the same thing, but not always. The interviewee was concluding that the organization’s strategy after all is not clear but loose.

Also, the strategy could be more evolving. The roles of the two boards here would be greater, but there are no capabilities right now. For the future the strategy needs to be assertive and clarified. The strategy should remain as planned. There are great opportunities for development just when the interviewee leaves the tasks and retires, and change is a must.

When establishing the strategy further, it will need the essential roles of human resources to be involved in the strategy if implemented at the same time of change. In particular the boards and the essential leadership roles should be taken into account. The work towards the

mission is not self-evident without strategy steps or leadership. The organization should at the start again look at what it wants to preserve and what it wants to develop, and then how to do it. Many incidents cannot be predicted but there are models of what could be used to foresee the future and factors that impact the organization’s operations to start the planning.

Resources and investments

Many things in this category are in order and they are clear, but they are not enough anymore, said the interviewee. It is encountered at every point that when a particular person has decision-making power in all activities, has made the organization a way of agile, quick and handy but not longer. The organization has developed to the degree of what the interviewee has been able to develop. It has been cost-effective, and what has been needed to act on has been done and has made it this far. However, now it is obvious that one person can only do so much, and it is only possible to move a certain part forward. Now and in the future the organization should have more human resources in the administrative work so that it can do different things and thereby accomplish new things. The simple answer is that not enough investment has been made and not at the right time. The discussion should be more about what a system or resource will produce as added value as it is usually expensive to invest in.

The organization is moderately advanced in many investments if related to other actors. But the interviewee also pointed out that does not know or recognize enough of the shortcomings internally. Overall, an organization of this size is not easy to maintain, the current system is that small organizations are agile, and the large organizations act with their volume. The discussion about real estate investment was left out of the discussion in the interview, it is a discussion of its own whether the organization should have more real estate investments.

Leadership

The interview touched on the subject of leadership needed in the future, especially during and after the generational change. The interviewee mentioned many traits and skills that are seen needed. It should be a mix of the following needs for the future dynamic leadership role: a brave, skilled, very outgoing and developing person. At the same time a different kind of leadership is needed, one that is not based on a person but on a person’s skills. Leadership with knowledge and skills in the field is important. There are also general needs today in Finland, as multilingual, digital competence, agile information searching and technology skills. Concluding the needs, is that agile leadership in many ways is what is needed.

Charisma arises from warmth and approachability as well as genuine encounters with

internal and external stakeholders. Also, setting positive thoughts when creating the cultural atmosphere is important together with the change. Finance and legal expertise are the key elements that are needed, they define the operation conditions. Still, it would be important to see leadership and management perspectives, finance is knowledge management when again leadership is towards the employees. People should be led by joy, caring and determination. The interviewee ended the discussion about leadership that there is no longer a need for an organization figurehead or face, it is not the future.

Change, planning and development

The interviewee said that the activities of the organization are not planned for a long-term time span. The strength is having the operating conditions in order. Also, without finances there are no operations, but it is still accurate to have planned the action steps. The discussion was that do we know any other organizations in this scale of business where there is no finance executive or more human resources in administrational or executive work. The growth of the organization has changed the needs but also the opportunities. The organization is now in a situation where the strategy and structure are starting to squeak because it is not possible to move forward according to the strategy or its existent is not current because of lack of planning and foresight. For the future the need is change leadership towards the generational change phase. Many have a negative relation to change leadership, such as corporate restructuring or procedures. In the commissioner organization, however, this now means a generational change which is a positive possibility. The interviewee said that the biggest threat is personal, becoming opposing to the change without realizing it.

Giving up something can be a sore place, at the time now it is a possibility. Many in the organization will probably also have feelings towards the change, such as board members, managers, and even employees. All emotions are allowed and will appear at different stages.

The generational change is now coming at a good stage as the organization is developing the structure, action steps and strategy. It is essential to always be ready to have open discussions, to build and seek enough trust to say the things as we see it. That is the mode, where it is easy to build the change leadership needed for the future. This all implies to the two boards, executive leader, managers and administration. The managers are the ones that are making the change with their employees and on operation field. They will be key to a good change process, the planning and the communication. The interviewee said it will serve and it is necessary to take onboard outside expertise coaching to start the change process.

When is a good time to take outside expertise onboard is still not defined because of wanted to see the outcomes of this thesis as well as other administrative work.

The importance of business development matters was scaled during the interview. The most important was about continuously developing the organization’s operations and foresight as well as planning. The next essential ones were the practicality of the strategy and the scheduling of measures followed by the completion of planned development measures.

Utilization of external experts in critical development areas was evaluated as least importance to the business development depending on the subject.

Future

Both early childhood education sector as well as the social sector, both will be even more important in the future from the interviewee's perspective. The field will remain and possibly be strengthened. Private and third sector service providers will be strengthened in the field, in what kind of time span remains to be seen. The health and social care reform will restructure the field and it remains to be seen when it is when implemented. The private and third sectors will become service providers for the municipality. The municipality will increasingly take care that services are available but that they are produced in many ways.

The health and social care reform will revolutionize the field.

From the interviewee’s perspective factors that impact the organization’s success can sometimes be as simple as luck and right timing. The core is the customer-centric view of responding to customer needs on field. Key essentials are also enthusiastic motivated employees and good networks. Success also can depend on ability to innovate, that finances are in order, relationships with internal key persons, courage and ability to embrace hardship alongside ability to transform. Also, being interested in the future has impact.

For the future the interviewee was glad about the formal structure and that the ownership of the services of the limited company is a non-profit organization, general interest association.

The interview ended on the note that when the organization still develops its essential roles and leadership there are opportunities for anything in the future, what the organization then wants is yet to be seen.

Summary

The interview overall gave good insights to define the problem and how to develop it further for possible solutions. All the ideas and insights became part of the next stage of the double diamond process to ideate and create solutions for the organization in the time of change in the future. The formal structure and essential roles are a big part of the generational change

and the process to define the strategy. The future is full of possibilities if the changes are communicated and implemented throughout the organization. There is a need to evaluate what is still needed within the strategy content and how the essential roles are planned.

Overall, it is now accurate to plan, foresee and measure the work to develop into the future of the field.