Europe geared up. Europe growing. It was merely a few months ago that ten new countries joined the European Union which now embraces 25 members. Despite all the heterogeneity between the individual regions and countries there is nevertheless the joint search for the one European identity. Which is why we find this question of particular interest: What is Europe? Where are its frontiers? In this respect, an entire continent is searching for itself, trying to get to the bottom of what and who belongs there. The controversial discussion about the potential accession candidate Turkey is a good indicator of how difficult this process of finding oneself, in fact, is. Is Istanbul, just as an example, part of Europe or does it belong to Asia? Is it still closely attached to fundamental European principles or indigenous to Islam? Difficult questions, contention being rife about unequivocal answers.

Europe geared up. Europe growing. In many places, the will to do so is tangible. Hand in hand with a host of hopes, but also with copious qualms. Politics, the economy and society at large are in the throes of formatting and configuring. One example takes us to Brussels where the Bavarian Premier recently inaugurated a city palace as headquarters for the Bavarian State delegation. Another to Lisbon where old parts of the city are being redeveloped, renovated and reactivated with EU resources. Yet another to Slovakia where slowly but surely wealth and prosperity is trickling down into people’s everyday lives. Under the European label, the old continent is girding up its loins for the balancing act needed to unite its citizens from all regions under one cultural and economic roof. With guarantees simultaneously being asserted for the free pursuit of happiness and material security.

For this very reason, the European unification process cannot be ordained from above. It must spread upwards. From the bottom up! Which is naturally a long-drawn-out process. How did Willy Brandt put it once so strikingly: “European negotiations are rather like the love-play between elephants: Everything happens on a high level, kicking up no end of dust – and it takes a very long time before anything at all emerges”. He was quite right – hardly anything at all happens in Europe spontaneously overnight. Which is why we should not be surprised at present at observing an ambivalent attitude regarding European progress and regression.

On the one hand: There has as yet never been so much Europe. A common constitution, a common currency, common values and styles of life, the world’s largest domestic market and a commercially attractive partner for other budding economic regions throughout the world. On the other hand: There has as yet never been so little Europe either. National and regional separatism, no European symbolism, no European way of life, an impenetrable bureaucratic legal jungle, no European media, no European blue chips.

This, however, is normal. In periods of transformation, the ancien régime invariably barricades itself desperately behind its stronghold walls, whilst new buildings and settlements mushroom all around. These contrary powers of perseverance still generate cultural and intellectual differences. Yet just as, in times of yore, in the “period of cathedrals”, gigantic churches and cathedrals used to be the central point of all perception, they are today just one amongst many building blocks in urban diversity. And I feel sure that this is precisely what is going to happen to present-day Europe. While it may be true that some regions and countries deem themselves outstanding cultural, political and economic originals, they will nonetheless be playing in tune with the entire European orchestra tomorrow.

Which by no means must portend that diversity has to be reduced to simplicity. Quite the contrary: The challenge lies in maintaining the diversity, at the same time, however, promoting joint team structures, strategies and societal models.

And this brings us to a central issue of European thinking: interlinking this diversity to form a harmonious whole. Without hierarchies. Without dominance from above. Or as Paul Lacroix wrote in the 19th century: “Unifying Europe is rather like attempting to make an omelette without breaking any eggs”. This was impossible in the provincial parochialism of that time, today in the age of the network economy it will soon be reality!

To this end, Europe must take its leave of its hierarchical thinking and turn into a flowing network. Why? Well, this has to do with the fact that networks are fundamentally different from rigid hierarchies. The publisher Michael Gleich writes: “Networks connect the most diverse nodes to form a uniform whole, balancing order and chaos, organising win-win relations and, above all, withstanding attacks from outside: They do not break down, but elegantly cushion disruptions – provided they are correctly linked”. Quite right – that’s what it’s all about. Each node is autonomous, yet can only survive in the system as a whole. The cleverest networker that we know and which ticks precisely like this is the Earth itself. For some 3.5 billion years, its nodes and filaments have been absorbing gigantic burdens and catastrophic disruptions without the development of the whole having once been put out of joint.

Europe as a network is just discovering its multilateral intelligence. This, in turn, assumes that it will first have to encounter an entirely new world: Namely Europe – and this on all levels. Let’s take just as an example businesses. They have to be set up and organised in this network logic in an unequivocally hyper-European manner. For example, filling company headquarters with people from all nodes and countries. Or Europeanising, expanding and extending their communications and marketing. But not too far. To begin with, on the major play area of globalisation, we should be focussing on the home market of Europe. Here the music is being played that will secure prosperity and liberty for us tomorrow as well. Only few are aware that at the moment the majority of products and services – and the net profits from them – remain within Europe. In this vein, the Select Committee “Globalisation of the World Economy” writes in its final report: “Europe transacts more than two-thirds of its exports intra-regionally”. The rest of the world also does this incidentally. Only Asia and the USA are economically interwoven to an appreciable degree. And an even stronger continental economic intranet is anticipated in future.

The order of the day must therefore run: We must focus on the new network enterprise Europe. The upshot: Management of unity and diversity is a communicative challenge for all consultancies. Above all else, if they intend to participate in the new European market game. We have therefore reached the decision: We shall consistently think of our business processes within the European framework right from the word go. This means: With multinational, European teams to ensure that ideas, strategies, projects, decision and innovations are kept within a European context from the outset. It´s not enough and should be stopped that Germans advise only Germans, or Englishmen alone are able to explain the strategy of English businesses.

Pleon is the unambiguous answer to this geared-up Europe. It unites the multilateral intelligence of various cultural and intellectual nodes. Without hierarchies. Without dominance from above. In its federal corporate culture, genuine – and not only sham – European competence is becoming discernible. We are already well aware that Europe’s path lies in balancing varying interests and viewpoints. Over 680 members of staff in 23 of our own office locations and in 21 associated office locations in 27 countries will be demonstrating every day in future how modern business Europe is ticking. And making a contribution to Europe finding its place in the hearts of its citizens and no longer having to serve as a synonym for Brussels red tape.

Thinking European means overcoming conventional frontiers. Above all in business thinking. This is the reason for Pleon working, firstly, on a managerial and analytical level in terms of business consultancy. Secondly, on a political level in terms of discovering positions capable of winning a majority and that are enforceable. And, thirdly, on a communicative and journalistic level in terms of a critical and innovative discussion of the pertinent subject matter. This, too, is part of a multilateral intelligence that, at one and the same time, overcomes frontiers and fosters autonomy.

Dr. Rainer Zimmermann is the CEO of Pleon, a PR consultancy leader in Europe and a subsidiary of BBDO Europe.



This article appeared on changex.de