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ASTROLOGY
AS A MANAGEMENT TOOL
Structural
analysis and strategic planning
Case story - Novo Nordisk A/S ©
Karen Boesen
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The
history of astrology is long and comprehensive. This means that we as
astrologers can draw on knowledge reaching back several thousand years
- knowledge that through its own development and experiences offer a wealth
of counseling possibilities. This is the case when we talk of the individual,
which is what astrologers primarily have worked with, but most certainly
also the case when we discuss businesses, selection and development of
employees, just to mention a few of the areas on which astrologers offer
business counseling. The holistic way of thinking, which is increasing
its hold of society in general has also influenced businesses and more
managers are motivated to look into for instance astrology. They use it
when they are considering important decisions that will touch on the future
of the company and its employees. This could be strategic planning, mergers,
acquisition of companies, strategic alliances and expansion through subsidiaries
at home and abroad, just to mention a few of the various tasks that business
astrologers face.
Why
is Astrology unique?
But
what is the strength of astrology seen in relation to other present analytical
tools? Why should a company choose to work with a business astrologer
instead of working with the usual set of counselors? The business management
counselors, the CPAs, the lawyers. Well, said in all modesty, astrology
and business astrologers have far more to offer than the traditional analyses
provide. Traditional analyses and prognosis are usually produced based
on historical and present experiences and studies. Strategy plans are
prognosticated based on the expectations of the company and its industry
vertical. This means a certain of uncertainty will always be tied to decisions
and timing founded in the plans. Astrology can determine future needs,
and importantly, the optimum timing for any action as a horoscope is calculated
based on the past, the present and the future. An astrological analysis
can thus reveal when specific actions or activities can best be initiated.
It can identify unused resources in the company - resources that can be
used when expanding or rationalizing. These are just a few of the core
areas that a business astrologer woks with. I wish to stress that an astrological
client should not use astrology exclusively, but continue to listen to
the counselors that have normally been used. Astrology is not the only
source of information or a replacement of traditional counseling, but
a complementary tool. One of the most unique characteristics of astrology
is its ability to help companies time their actions and projects. Projects
or plans that and organization has worked on for several years. We all
know from experience what the results are if we are in the wrong place
at the wrong time. If the organization has worked for several years on
a new product or concept that is now ready for introduction on the market,
and astrologer can help the company time this entrance. As far as I know,
none other than astrologers can offer this service.
Astrology
in Management
How much influence has business astrology in relation to society and management?
This questions is, of course, difficult to answer. Probably only a very
small percentage of the business world uses this type of counseling on
a regular basis. It isn't difficult to explain why we don't know the exact
number. First and foremost, astrology is in many ways still regarded as
a discipline belonging to women's magazines or in the tabloid press -
pure entertainment. Computerized chart interpretations, which can only
provide a simplified and primitive view, are also among the things that
have ridiculed astrology. As you can see, astrology must combat a lot
of prejudice. This prejudice is created through the lack of seriousness
among many professional astrologers. Generally, business astrology also
face the antagonism of the public in general. This is not only caused
by the above- mentioned factors, but by the entirely sensible attitude
of ordinary people that it is rather improbable that you can dictate a
company strategy based only on its chart. In spite of so many people today
going through changes in their mental outlook, also called a paradigm
shift, we will still see many good and productive ides not being carried
out because of prejudice and lack of knowledge in persons limited by their
thought and action patterns. This is probably the largest obstacle preventing
astrology taking its position as a management tool beside other acknowledge
tools. But we have to accept that it takes time to change an individuals
perception of reality. You could almost say that on the management/employee
level, there is a certain inertia - conscious or more probably unconscious
- connected to change and using new instruments in the development process.
Everyone is more or less tied to the usual way of thinking in an organization,
and that is not necessarily a fertile way of preparing for the future.
No phenomenon stands as much in the way of the future as traditions -
speaking generally and not just about embracing the world of astrology.
Traditions often prevent new thoughts, ideas and visions from being tested
based on the prejudice connected with the traditions. Well-known opinions
and attitudes are celebrated at the cost of curiosity and the wish to
acquaint oneself with new management theories. No other tool will as astrology
be able to add completely new opportunities and insight to the business
world and add a spiritual and humanistic touch to this world of fact and
exact data. In short, we as business astrologers are on a mission to make
our message known to as many people in companies as possible. This task
is simply performed by acquainting managers and employees of the diligently
executed work business astrologers supply, and little by little opening
their minds to the fact that there could be another way of viewing the
world than the one they have so far used. Natural science, which has blossomed
for some centuries has, after all, only those few hundred years of experience.
As mentioned earlier, astrology and the astrological science and wisdom
has been acknowledged and used for several thousands of years. A great
task for astrologers is to phrase and develop concepts on an astrological
foundation that can be shared and understood by all in a company. This
is one of the ways in which you can develop visions and ideas that hold
true in the future. Happily, more and more people are making use of our
work and are also ready to step forward and make their experiences available
to others. This, however, often takes several years of experience as an
astrological user, and as the discipline business astrology is still comparatively
new, perhaps 20 years old, there are only a few cases. Personally I am
happy to say that I have business clients whom I have worked with since
the mid-eighties, who know my product and myself intimately. These clients
do step forward and tell of their experiences in daily press, radio, tv
and at congresses and conferences on business astrology. Such openness
lead to more contacts in our target group. When I get new clients who
haven't contacted me through personal recommendation, and thus may be
a little skeptical of trusting my advice 100%, I usually recommend that
they take the analysis home and leave it in a drawer for 3 months. Once
the three months have passed they can take it out and evaluate it. This
enables them to see if they would have made other decisions if they had
used the horoscope, and if these would have had a beneficial impact on
the company and the employees. Business astrology is a new area for astrologers.
This means there isn't much research on the subject, in other words -
not much documentation.
Structural
analysis
In this section I will describe two types of business astrology analyses.
To me, these are of large importance to my clients. Usually these analyses
are also what a business astrologer performs initially when entering into
a relationship with a new client. The analyses are the structural analysis
and the prognosis - also called strategic planning analysis. As all managers
know the last discipline is of extreme importance on most companies.
A
structural analysis analyzes the company's core, its starting point. It
is calculated based on the company's founding data:
1. year and date of founding
2. Time of founding
3. Longitude and latitude of the company's location
Is
it really that simple, I'm sure many will ask. Yes, it really is. Often
things are much easier than you try to make them. On these data the business
astrologer calculates the natal chart - called the structural analysis
by me - and as you can see from the illustration, this analysis deals
with all issues that have impact in the everyday life of the company,
as well as with themes such as strategic planning. Examples to follow.
In
this very brief presentation of a structural analysis I have chosen to
look at Novo Nordisk A/S. A large Danish corporation operating worldwide,
three fore of interest to many people. Novo Nordisk A/S, www.novo.com,
is an organization within the medical industry. The company produces insulin
and research is a core element in its existence. At the end of 2000, the
company was divided into two independent units - of which one is the company
I am using in my example. (The other one produces enzymes and is called
Novozymes). Novo Nordisk has had a good reputation for many years in Denmark.
Its management methods, its employees policies and its employee benefits
have all been applauded. Employees felt safely employed and they were
proud to work for an organization producing medicine, thus working for
sick people and their improvement. The chart I am using is the most recent
for Novo Nordisk A/S and as you can see from the below data, it is from
2000.
It
will be far to extensive to go into the entire analysis for this purpose.
Such an analysis is a written report, usually 25-30 pages long. If you
are a small company, you can minimize the cost by having the analysis
spoken onto a tape of app. 1- 11/4 hours long. In both cases the analysis
is elaborated through 3 hours of consultation, and subsequent consultation
based on the company's needs. I have chosen these two areas for my example:
1.
management profile and management strategy
2. external communication, customer policies, reputation
In
an analysis it will often be relevant to draw in other areas of the company
- for this example I have chosen to omit such references. Furthermore,
this presentation is meant only to illustrate how an astrologer would
attack such a task.
1). Novo Nordisk's manager, a very qualified and much respected man, resigned
his post this year. A new CEO took over the post and he is described trough
this chart as he joined the new company when it was started. It is always
difficult to replace a king. No matter how qualified you are. This problem
is actually enlightened through the horoscope where it is obvious that
there are some problems with the role of the manager. These, on the other
hand, are problems that you can remedy through changes to daily work routines,
methods, areas of responsibility and social relations. If you wish to
work with the challenging aspects, work with internal communication. It
is necessary that the challenges have found their solution before you
can draw on the positive influences. We have to face that Novo Nordisk
has trouble with the authority and visibility which ought to come from
the CEO. This important figure does not manifest enough externally regarding
the employees conditions. The immediate conclusion would be that the employees
feel insecure. They don't know if they have a job or not, they do not
feel comfortable about what is going on behind the scene. Accordingly,
a manager should focus on an open and visible management strategy and
profile, which incorporates the employees as much as at all possible.
The chart reflects that the overall structure and management role in regard
to internal communication is not sufficient to make it work well. Communication
is hidden. This will directly or indirectly affect areas such as earnings,
quite important, but also the development potential, contact to employees
abroad and research capacity, which is what the company lives off. Many
things indicate that management is based on control. At the same time,
employees feel uncertain as to what drives the managers. In this specific
area - and not generally in Novo Nordisk - they lack a father figure,
more open, more flexible, and better at communicating the strategy to
the employees. In this horoscope we see a formal authority with invisible
power and influence. These aspects touch on vital areas in the company's
existence, more so reason to take seriously the changing of the situation.
A research company that cannot develop because of impractical daily work
routines really has a problem which will threaten its existence in the
long run. In relation to internal communication, I would advise managers
to open up the rigid structures and use the positive aspects in the horoscope.
There are many positive aspects, much more so than challenging ones. However,
let's stay with the challenging ones, there is another one that affects
the situation described just now. The management role is influenced by
the aspect in a impenetrable, opaque manner which almost seems dishonest.
An unpleasant conclusion, but there it is. The groups and teamwork of
Novo Nordisk only strengthen what we have arrived at so far. These elements
do in no way create the security and solidity that is needed by the employees.
Furthermore the aspect influences the external communication, and here
we find the customers of Novo Nordisk - or, you might say, its financial
foundation. It is unfortunate to have external communication involved
in the aspects we have located so far - this means that it is apparent
to the public that internal work routines are blurred and that this may
affect confidence in the management. 3)
This
aspect can be one of the most oppressive for a company if you are not
able to work with it. The aspect focuses on the company's relationship
with its community in a time where ethical leadership is discussed frequently.
And it is present in NN, although through other aspects, but the internal
problems results in the information flow being controlled in an ungainly
manner. Already 3-4 months after Novo Nordisk was established as an independent
company in November 2000, the company hit the limelight in a negative
way. It was precisely the company's ethics - or lack of them -that was
being looked at. Together with 38 other medical companies, Novo Nordisk
A/S sued the South African government for wanting to produce copy of AIDS
medicine. The original version was too expensive for the patients. Novo
Nordisk A/S does not produce medicine for South Africa, but participated
in the law suit out of principle. They wanted to continue to protect their
copyright. This specific case causes me to bring in the following aspect
which is closely linked to the situation. 4) This aspect reflects the
formal manager role, lacking in flexibility and the ability to evaluate
the best path of action regarding ethical management. Ethical management
is very important in profiling Novo Nordisk to the community. Their actions
in the South Africa case resulted in severe damage to their reputation
in most of Denmark.
The
first step when advising companies is to localize and describe the challenges
they are facing. This is what we have very briefly done here. The second
step is the acknowledgement of the problems. Usually the client has been
through both processes to some extent the first time they contact an astrologer.
Usually, management problems are exactly why a manager contacts an astrologer,
so getting them to acknowledge the problems is there not very hard. Our
challenge is to provide the client a guide or tools to start solving the
problems. This we will attempt to do now - again very briefly. Suggestion
for changes in management strategy We will concentrate on the astrological
aspect of footnote 5. These influences can in many ways help the management
of Novo Nordisk establish far more positive internal communication structures,
than what they started out with. More importantly, they will gain a better
relationship with their community, which is crucial to all companies.
The positive aspects are, amusingly, found in the same areas where the
challenges are located. With one exception. When we evaluate the resources
and potential for development, we must also look at the 4th house, which
deals with Human Resources. Aspects in this area contain one of the most
important competitive parameters - the human factor. We will look at timing
later on, when we determine the implementation of the strategic goals.
As you can see, there are many areas to consider, when advising a company.
Let us now recapitulate in which areas we initially determined that the
company faced challenges.
1.
Management strategy, management potential
2. Internal communication process The problems in these areas affected
the following other areas
1.
Earnings and financial relations
2. Development potential and research
3. External communications
4. Internal communications
5. Foreign relations (internally as well as externally)
Quite
a handful! One of the best aids in this connection is the field of Human
Resources, but furthermore the group resources connected to the IT strategies,
teamwork as well as new an untraditional types of groups - areas which
are also connected to Human Resources. For instance, I would recommend
using an Intranet to solve some of the problems in the internal communications
process.
Human
Resources and Teamwork
In
brief, the field of Human Resources contain all the below-surface activities
happening in a company. These could be:
1. Informal groups and contacts
2. The emotional relations of the employees towards the management and
their colleagues
3. Security factors
4. Values and attitudes
These
issues are, of course, also connected to the field of teamwork. Whether
we discuss formal groups with specific targets, a specific task to be
solved or less formal groupings that may affect the employees. No matter
which type of group we look at, we always have to consider the social
processes in the groups. In this horoscope it is apparent that when solving
the challenges within management and internal communications one is very
much supported by closer interaction with the informal groups in the company.
Provided, that the management understands the processes in the groups.
This horoscope is aspected in such a wise manner, that the planets connected
to the resources are also action-oriented planets. These further influence
the company's overall strategy, symbolized by the collective group - or
the company's employees. The management acknowledgement processes are
also involved, through the external communication. The fact that the collective
planets are so strongly represented in itself indicates that group activities
are in focus. My primary advice to a company such as Novo Nordisk would
be to establish cross-function teams. Such teams involve people from all
over the company, from all kinds of functions, with all kinds of backgrounds
etc. It will shed light on the company activities and provide different
points-of-view. This is the most important aspect because we are working
with team-building and human resources. (7) (When these groups are established,
their job is first and foremost to define the problems. Then, through
the analysis of Jupiter in particular (8), to point out the roads for
acknowledging the company situation - in regard to management problems,
internal and external communication, foreign matters and research. The
planet Jupiter is an excellent help here, because it produces knowledge
and insight, (contrary to the reproduction of knowledge in Gemini/Mercury).
Its placement in the chart and its aspects to other planets control all
relevant energy fields. Jupiter strongly relates to the area which happens
to be this company's core business area - research. The planet has a positive
aspect to Mars, which is action-oriented, and which can thereby assist
the various groups in actually implementing their new strategies in the
company. All daily group work methods, routines, etc. are givne the structure
and ability to plan which is necessary in this connection. Furthermore,
Mars is the planet of leadership, which provides the groups with the natural
authority and independence which is also required to make things happen
- and prevents them from being to influenced by outside pressure. Mars
is the key planet in this proces because it relates to the human resource
area in this chart and the planet's fine aspect to Jupiter (controlling
leadership and strategy) gives this organization the best possible tools
- provided leadership is based on teamwork and independent groups. In
fact, with the structure we see here, the management style must never
be too formal or traditional. It must instead build on development, improvement
and acknowledgement processes to be able to produce pioneer work. This
means that Novo Nordisk A/S actually do not have all the many resources
to draw on when implementing management strategies in the traditional
sense. This company does best by being a pioneer of management principles.
This problem, the conflict between tradition and pioneer thinking, is
permeating the chart structure. (8) There will always be problems in the
area Internal Communication - between on the one hand what is usual, the
traditional and safe, and on the other hand the experimenting and untraditional.
The company should always opt for the latter path. Also because Uranus
controls all parts of the company that are related to the learning organization,
meaning that the new thoughts this planet generates are very useful for
implementing new forms of education among employees of Novo Nordisk A/S.
The company is also lucky enough to be able to benefit financially, if
it adopts the above sketched strategy. In spite of the formerly discussed
problems of internal communication that will come up, even these will
in a long-term view work out better with pioneer processes. Before we
leave the structure analysis and move on to strategic planning, I would
like to comment on the last competitive advantage that can support the
internal communication and management - the IT strategy.
Implementing
a new IT Strategy
(9) The planet constellations involved in this to Novo Nordisk so important
area are connected to the internal communication process, the external
communication process, management strategy, generation of ideas and research
as well as anything connected to the overall strategy and objectives.
In other words an important tool for problem solving. IT strategies are
connected to information of any type. In this case the company can use
the resource in several areas. If we choose to first look at the internal
communication and the management problems connected to this area, managers
should look at any past teamwork and processes for knowledge and recommendations
for creating open and visible structures for daily work routines, and
suggestions for flexibility. Making life easier for the employee makes
it easier for the company as a whole. Using an Intranet is an excellent
idea, making sure that all employees can access the same information and
possibly also influence the on-going development process. This is a brilliant
way to counter the rater rigid structure that has previously made the
employees feel insecure and uninformed. It also helps employees shape
their daily work routines. This type of counseling will of course be much
more detailed in a face-to-face consultation with a client than what we
are able to describe here. On of the important fields of astrology is
to create action plans and time schedules that help decision makers implement
new strategies at the right time. More about this later. When we look
at external communication, overall strategy and IT in Novo Nordisk A/S,
it is quite apparent that Internet and other types of electronic news
can be communicated through customer groups and the general public. Such
a strategy will also help improve the company's image - which is extremely
important for a company whose products arouse strong feelings in the majority
of the general public because of the capitalization of the health industry.
As
you can see, there are many resources in this chart - and we've looked
at only a few of them. The business astrologer's job is to make these
resources visible to the company. But, as mentioned earlier, the strength
of astrology is first and foremost strategy planning. No other consultants
are as astrologers able to time the implementation of strategy correctly.
This is some of what we will be looking at in the following for Novo Nordisk
A/S in the year 2003 - remembering, that we do not know the starting point
of the company as we write (in March 2001). Remembering also, that this
is an example and not an actual strategy. In connection with business
counseling in the real world, of course you have personal meetings and
follow-up talks.
Strategy
for Novo Nordisk A/S - 2003 Progressive Chart
The first thing an experienced business astrologer looks at for any company
is the structure of the annual prognosis. The strategy is always founded
in the chart fields (or houses) that are activated. Activated fields can
be explained as areas of the chart that are especially prominent in the
coming year. These prominent areas are the ones that company decision-
makers must concentrate their energy within - at least to start with.
Next step in the process is an interpretation of the socalled large aspects.
They furnish the company with valuable information about the conditions
is can act under throughout the year. Questions such as: should the strategy
be defensive, aggressive, where are our resources located etc. can be
answered when looking at the large aspects. The uniqueness of astrology
shows, however, in the timing of events. We go through these in what I
call the specific part of the analysis. We look at time spans of a month,
sometimes even shorter and try to pinpoint in time when it would be recommendable
to run marketing campaigns, when it is a good idea to hire new employees,
when you benefit the most if you start an internal training program etc.
All important company areas are dealt with in this part of the analysis.
In other words, in the planning phase we supply the company with a tool
that it can use to draw up an action plan and an overall strategy for
the year to come. Usually a company will not look at a time span of only
one year - 2-3 years is the normal span of a strategic plan from an astrologer.
Let
us look at the advice we will give Novo Nordisk A/S for acting in the
year of 2003. Please bear in mind that this brief and sketchy picture
can in no way be considered a complete astrological strategy plan -it
is as said before only an example. A strategy plan which can be considered
to barely cover a year will contain 25-30 pages as well as several consultations
to discuss the report.
Activated
fields
There are four separate areas that should have the attention of Novo Nordisk
A/S decision-makers in 2003. They are:
a) Locations
b) financing, vendor policies, debit and credit policies, capital from
business partners
c) development potential
d) human resources
These
are each and all large and important areas. Furthermore they operate in
both a definite level where definite decisions are made but also on an
level dealing with more abstract conditions in the company. It is important
here in the beginning of the analysis to point out that these fields are
of neutral value. They only indicate the areas that must be worked with
in the organization. It says nothing about the conditions that are present
or when action should take place. We will return to that in a minute.
Use these energy fields, as we can call them, as headlines for company
growth and/or company challenges in 2003 - depending on how the chart
is activated, which we will look at now.
Permanent
large aspects in 2003
As you have seen in the previous, there is an astrological differentiation
between on the one hand positive aspects that immediately provide opportunity
for development and expansion in the pertinent areas of the company, and,
on the other hand hard or challenging aspects. The positive influences
are of course very comfortable because they give the company extra resources
to draw on, ensuring or at least facilitate that plans and objectives
to be carried out and achieved easily and successfully. However, we must
first concentrate on the hard aspects. Not because they are the most exciting.
Hard aspects are viewed by most people as generating problems of various
natures and difficulties. On the positive side you could also say that
the hard aspects give the organization a chance of development, because
they force it to think in other directions than it would usually do. These
new thoughts and concepts may result in new doors being opened. This is
why I prefer to call hard aspects development aspects.
The
active influences in 2003 in this company go in very different directions.
There are 5 aspects:
a) 2 positive aspects (11)
b) 3 development aspects (12)
All
three development aspects are among the mild ones, not until 2004 do we
encounter more tough influences. (13)
Problem
acknowledgement
The three influences that Novo Nordisk A/S should focus on are in an intricate
way also oriented towards some of the activated fields. They also contain
other elements which we will not go into here, as the analysis would then
be too immense. The first problem Novo Nordisk will encounter is creating
a new structure for the corporate culture. This is a psychological problem
with its roots in the company locations. This challenge is found in some
of the development aspects but is also reflected in the positive influences.
When several aspects of otherwise varied characted - positive and development
- touch on the same areas in a company chart this does not mean that the
problems will disappear, but that the company though the positive aspects
is provided with the resources that enables the company to solve the challenge
through new and positive ways. The first piece of advice we can offer
the management of Novo Nordisk A/S's in regard to the human resource area
is that the managerial roles and external communication related to this
creates psychological insecurity among the employees. How this managerial
behavior actually works is something that should be discussed with the
company when the dialogue about the analysis takes place. However, keeping
the planet that is involved in the aspect in mind, we can at least say
that the lack of correspondence between on the one hand the objectives
and plans that managers feel the need to effect, and on the other hand
the employees' need for security most likely is about questions regarding
ethics, morality and general deliberations about how the company handles
external communication. This could be rules and norms regarding marketing,
possibly abroad, since the planet in question, Jupiter, is strongly related
to the international and therefore is important in this chart. But Jupiter
also has great importance regarding research and product development,
which will be another challenge for company mangers to face: giving research
employees the work conditions they need and want. Any solutions in this
field must be designed by the relevant managers in this field. The two
other challenging aspects are also closely related to human resources,
but in a slightly different way. They also have, indirectly, at least,
an effect on external communication and marketing. But other challenges
are pointed out by these two development aspects: The problem of integrating
human resource initiatives in the overall strategy. The consequence is
that management must focus attention on all issues which reflect on how
the company wishes to view things and follow up decisions by goals for
the years to come. These aspects will have effect in the next couple of
years, and in a way the problems are inbred in the company and have probably
take up time during the first years of the company's existence. If not,
2003 is an excellent year to try and solve as many problems as possible
in this area - otherwise the company will experience far larger difficulties
in the years to come. Not exactly within human resources but rather the
management and structures of daily work processes, methods, routines etc.
But these future problems are not within the scope of this analysis. All
development aspects in this prognosis involve the management, quite natural,
as it carries the responsibility of the overall strategy. To summarize
the challenges in the development aspects you could say that the goals
of the company strategy in 2003 must be to promote the humanistic dimension,
to stimulate the creation of ideas (central to this type of company) and
create a marketing strategy founded on ethics and morality. And this just
mentions the most important issues. The human resource challenges must
be solved through the overall strategy in the shape of new management
decisions regarding how external communication and product development
is structured and carried out. Many things point to the fact that this
company has a problem creating the right managerial parameters in elation
to development - parameters that must also satisfy the employee need for
insight in the company direction and company plans for resources. Another
way of summarizing the challenges is values - the administration of these
and the signals they send to the general public. The conflict is between
the employee perception of the issue and their needs is relation to the
subject versus the managerial overall strategy. Management has a tendency
to drop employees between chairs and this affects the creation and development
of ideas in the organization.
Problem
solving
The first step in the process is defining the challenging areas. Some
new organizational theories are changing their views to only focus on
the things that a company excels at - leaving all problems aside. This
may be understandable, but not recommendable when working with astrology.
In astrology, if you don't work with challenging apsects, they will work
with you. The problems found in the difficult aspects must be solved,
they won't solve themselves nor be ignored. As I usually tell my clients:
There are two possibilities when challenging aspects appear in the charts
and thus in everyday company life. The one, the best one, is to acknowledge
the problems, deal with them and try to solve them. In this case the company
itself defines it situation and its future. The other way is to try and
keep a status quo, an unchanged situation. This will simply not work in
the long run, but to the contrary affect that the surroundings starts
acting on behalf of the company - the problems inherent in the chart will
be forced on the company by outside events. If you should choose the last
"solution", the surroundings will define the company now and in the future.
Therefore, the best advice for a company encountering challenging aspects
is to take action and try to control the development. This is what we
must try through the use of the two positive aspects which present several
possibilities for solving the problems in the development aspects, because
they affect some of the same areas. This is actually not always the case.
Sometimes the positive combinations give opportunity to expand in other
fields of the company - which usually makes it more complicated to handle
the challenges. Looking at this chart however, both positive influences
connect to the human resource area. This means that once the company acknowledges
the problems and tries to think innovatively, the positive aspects will
facilitate the achievement of results in the relevant areas. In short,
these are:
a) management strategy and human resources
b) external communication and human resources
c) education and human resources
d) longterm strategy and human resources
Apart
from one field which is not repeated in the challenging aspects (the creation
of ideas) the ingredients for thinking in new directions are present.
As something new, the 3rd house connected with the 9th house are strongly
represented. If we consider employee conditions, physical and psychological
it is apparent that this company will benefit from launching an educational
program, courses etc. as a tool to reveal the nature of the problems.
Talking of psychological mechanisms, they are usually unacknowledged,
repressed and unconscious. A first step of the way could be to establish
new types of employee development programs to encourage employees to work
with the problems that are very visible in this chart, but not in the
company. Another type of psychological course activity that would benefit
this company is management training. The planet involved is strongly related
to the manager and the management team. Since human resources also is
about employees this company must find a combination that involves both
parties. And courses should involve marketing and external communication
- how does the individual employee perceive the managerial strategy in
relation to himself/herself, when this employee acts outside the company?
The courses could very well take place abroad, or could communicate foreign
theories, or have foreign teachers. This last paragraph may sound banal
- but is pays off to exploit the aspects as much as possible. Finally
another model could be brought into action, nut as a replacement but as
a supplement: Add new employees that possess knowledge and expertise not
formerly present in the organization. Fresh outside air in many forms
will help this organization. We could elaborate much more but this chapter
is only intended to show the reader how to handle a structure analysis
and strategic planning, so let us move on to timing the actions of the
company.
Timing
January 1st. 2003 - medio March 2003
This is a period of which the company must make optimum use, because several
positive aspects to very important company areas are activated. They are
(14):
a) longterm strategy
b) management strategy
c) external communication
d) internal communication
e) sales strategy f) IT-strategy
g) Educational measures - the learning organization
It
is time to act, when the positive aspects are in your favor. I am often
asked by my clients if it is possible to continue working on projects
that were initiated in a fertile period even though you then move on to
less positive times. Of course it is. Very often a project involving for
instance external communication and its action plan will stretch over
several years. The important thing about astrology and timing is to start
the projects at a time that bears a positive influence. In astrology,
the time when a project is started carries the energy of the project.
This means that you can continue forever working on project started within
a positive time influence.
Medio
March 2003 - Medio May 2003
(15) Another beneficial period, before the challenges show up. Yet another
questions is if the structure of positive/challenging aspects repeats
itself: No, it does not. It is quite individual how a chart is structured,
and the periods will vary from year to year. In the Spring of 2003, the
company must try to think in a new direction as regards the below areas
(some are the same as the previous months):
a) management strategy
b) IT-strategy
c) establishing development teams
d) credit and debit policies, credit terms, loans, bank contacts, insurance
e) international expansion
This
is time I recommend that the company exploit in any possible manner -
not least because of the influences in the months to come require that
there are not many important plans that need to be set in motion, apart
from the ones already launched. These spring months can also be used to
establish a group working with areas such as industrial espionage, company
enemies/competitors, unfair competition and disloyalty. This period offers
sort of a tube into the collective unconscious - the company intuitively
senses or accesses information regarding what cannot be seen with the
eye.
Below
surface activities.
Regarding point c: April and the first half of May can be used to launch
group activities and establish development teams. (16) Regarding point
d: Even though this period is generally positive towards the named activities,
management must be ready to face some inertia in the process in the last
week of March and in all of April. Be especially active in the third week
of March and the two first weeks of May. (17)
Medio
May 2003 - August 1st 2003
A difficult time where the company shouldn't do anything but mind everyday
business and consider any outside problems that appear. The one area that
the company can do something about is the area of cooperation, partnerships,
strategic alliances and anything labeled external communication. Even
within these areas the company must be cautious. The areas in the company
that are especially afflicted by the challenging aspects are:
a) internal communication and all employee issues
b) sales strategy
c) finances - company's own earning ability and outside financial conditions
such as creditors, debitors, back transactions, loans etc.
d) employee education
e) development strategy
f) IT-strategy
g) Teamwork
All
areas demand a much more detailed explanation than we can offer here.
One of the aspects that is released here is one of the most difficult
to handle: first of all it makes it difficult to think clearly, see things
clearly and thus difficult to make informed decisions. You may almost
say that you can't see the forest for the trees - not practical when running
a company. There is a marked tendency to make poor assessments of the
situations you encounter and you may be defrauded. The difficult thing
about the aspect is that the owner of the company attracts dishonesty,
disloyalty, breach of confidence, unfair competition etc. in all areas
which does nothing to improve the influence to the company and its decision-makers.
Regarding point a, c and d: If the company has to initiate important projects
within these areas, avoid the first three weeks of June. The challenging
aspects are the strongest at this time. (18) Regarding point b, d, f and
g: Even thought the entire period from the middle of May until 1st of
August is difficult, a company cannot lie still for months. Within the
above areas the company couls act in the last two weeks of June and the
first week of July. (19) Still, a decision-make must keep the difficulties
in mind for the entire period, but could use the mentioned three weeks
as the least afflicted in the current situation. We will not continue
further with the specific timing aspects.
You
as a reader have now gained some insight in what a business astrologer
can offer in relation to structural analysis and strategic planning. Those
of my clients who have made use of this tool are fully aware of how to
design a strategy based on astrological recommendations. As I mentioned
earlier, the usual time span I work with is 2-3 years, which allows a
company an overview of the upcoming conditions for a comparatively long
period of time. The astrologer then makes detailed recommendations in
the time analysis to offer the company the best times to initiate action
plans. Business Astrology in the new century When I started working with
astrology in 1972, the concept of business astrology did not exist. Astrology
was more or less - at least in Denmark - considered a female hobby of
sorts. In spite of that, I know more male astrologers than female. Astrology
was not considered a craft but a pastime or hobby, only taken seriously
in our own environment. In the eighties, the general public took a new
attitude and from the middle of the eighties until the end, business astrology
was gradually introduced in a few companies. As the years have passed,
business astrology has through its own efforts acquired a comparatively
commonly accepted position in the society along with other forms of business
counseling. In astrological circles, this is pleasing, especially since
for most astrologers, their vocation is also their passion. To be an astrologer
or business astrologer is not just a job to be done, it is something we
burn for and into which we pour our soul. Therefore we are grateful that
we are allowed to pass on the riches of our craft to others, individuals
and companies. To me, there is no doubt that our special astrological
area, business astrology, will take on entirely new forms in the next
10-20 years - and thus also develop greatly.
Notes:
1) Ascendant - 1. house - Sun - Saturn - planets in the first house as
well as aspects to all axis' and planets.
2) Venus as the natural ruler of the 7. house. Mercury as individual ruler.
Placement in houses and signs and aspects to these planets must be reviewed.
3) Mercury square Neptune.
4) Pluto opposing Jupiter
5) Mars sextile Pluto. Mars trine Neptune. Mars trine Jupiter. Mars trine
Saturn.
6) The planets Mars and the Moon + 4. house. The planets Uranus and Mercury.
Also Pluto, because of its sextile to Mars. Otherwise the placement of
and aspects to these planets.
7) Uranus trine the Moon
8) Uranus square Saturn
9) 11. house in the chart. The planet Uranus, Pluto as ruler of 11. house,
Mercury placed in the house, aspects to these planets. Evaluation of the
planets placement in the chart.
10) Look at the placement of the Moons and the Part of Fortuneets in signs
and houses. In this case Cancer, Leo and 5th and 8th house.
11) The Ascendant sextile Mars. Mars trine Jupiter.
12) The Ascendant opposing Jupiter. Venus square MC. Venus square Mars.
13) The Sun opposing Saturn.
14) Progressive Moon sextile Saturn. Progressive Part of Fortune sextile
Jupiter and MC.
15) Progressive Part of Fortune trine Pluto
16) Transit Uranus trine Mercury
17) Transit Saturn conjunct the Moon.
18) Transit Saturn opposing Venus
19) Transit Saturn trine Mercury.
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