An explain article

explain is Germany's leading company for presentations. The last few years have been characterized by double-digit growth rates. The result was awards from Focus and Financial Times. Meanwhile, the two partners (Sven Hager and Jonas Keller) are among Germany's TOP 100 entrepreneurs.

The strong growth is also a great challenge. Many new employees every year mean new cultural influences and structural changes. In leadership, communication is a central component. With "Leading by Presentations," explain has developed its own success model for this.

The methodology is easily explained. Whether it's a job interview, a weekly management update, project briefing, or annual kickoff: presentations are used at all communication interfaces in leadership. Through regular presentation formats, transparency and appreciative exchange are ensured within the company. Additionally, events create a brand experience that motivates employees and inspires them about their own employer.

For Jonas Keller, CEO of explain, “Leading by Presentations” is a leadership philosophy that makes it possible to communicate at eye level, establish a very special team spirit, and thus lead a young company successfully into the future.

Anna Meyr (26), Junior Concept Designer at explain, describes how “Leading by Presentations” feels.

It's Thursday morning, eight o'clock. I'm standing on the escalator at Karlsruhe station heading up to track three. It smells like winter and cinnamon. Today is our big year-end event with an ensuing Christmas party. Every three months, at the end of each quarter, our management organizes top-tier presentation events.

A day full of emotional moments that come together in the evening to form a complete picture. The company comes together to reflect on past business weeks and to look ahead to the future. “What went really well this year? What can we do even better next year? Where are we now and where do we want to go? And most importantly: What do we have to do to achieve our high-set goals?”

All packaged into an exciting day full of presentations. Designed and delivered by both CEOs and employees. This year, we celebrate the winter festivity in idyllic Baden-Baden, a place that has hosted even Barack Obama.

explain provides us with a journey on the crème de la crème of the German rail system – an ICE. It will take us to the little town in the Black Forest in less than 15 minutes.

We sit in a light-flooded room with meter-high walls in Lichtentaler Allee. Around us parks covered with frost, a Christmas market, fine restaurants, and a theater. No wonder our CEOs keep raving about this place.

In front of us, a large screen. Stunning slides fly through the room. Apprentices, CEOs, and designers pass the microphone to each other. Sales targets, strategies, and project cases are lightened up by humorous interludes. It’s a lot of fun – it feels like interactive cinema.

Our CEOs come on stage. The light changes, and a tense silence fills the room. They project a mysterious image on the screen. We see a building with the inscription: "explain. The world of presentations.”

A murmur sweeps through the room like a wave. We are getting a new property!

I'm excited. Although I love our charming old office: high ceilings, squeaky parquet floors, and a small park with a fountain right opposite. But if explain changes something, the new solution will be even better!

I feel like a little kid at Christmas. Where will the new building be? Maybe on the creative cultural site? Or in the business park? Both are brilliant and easily reachable by bike.

Our bosses tell us about setbacks, hopes, and glimpses of light. They lead us through all kinds of buildings. They show us pictures, describe conversations, and express thoughts. They talk about our specific requirements and mention it's difficult. They say: finding parking and commute time. And then: 15 minutes, ICE, and Barack Obama.

Suddenly, it hits like a bomb: explain is moving. To Baden-Baden.

I'm so shocked that I can't say a word. My thoughts are racing. Baden-Baden. My friends, my club, my favorite apartment – everything I've built over the past twelve months. In Karlsruhe. My future workplace. In Baden-Baden. A completely different city! 40 kilometers away!

I barely notice as, with a lump in my throat, I'm herded out of the light-flooded room to the cloakroom and into a shuttle bus. Can a company just do that? Change cities? Is that possible? What if the move changes us? Will I still want to go to work as much?

We get off the shuttle bus and walk to a meadow. There’s mulled wine from thermos flasks, protective foot coverings, and a small tour of the marked-out blueprint.

I see that my colleagues are affected too. But they smile. They joke, as always. They drink mulled wine and listen intently to the building tour. I am relieved and know: We could move to the heights of the Himalayas with explain. Nothing in the world could destroy our unique team spirit. And that, in the end, is the most important thing.

Slowly, I come back from my thoughts. My footsteps crunch on the frosty ground. The place feels right. A beautiful view on one side and the train station within “walking distance” on the other.

I chuckle – the entire day today was one big presentation. This morning’s fifteen-minute journey on the ICE was an introduction to our future commute. The Christmas party in Lichtentaler Allee in Baden-Baden was the exploration of our new home. And as I continue pondering, I have to say: I understand!

It smells like oranges and pastries. A year has passed, and our new headquarters is now in the hot planning phase. Last week, the initial designs were presented to the gathered team. Really great – we could discuss the first models live.

I can't deny it – a year ago, I was shocked by the location change. Today, I am a great fan and even a proponent of the idea. I firmly believe that Baden-Baden is the right place for us. And I firmly believe that "Leading By Presentations" brought me to this stance.

Our CEOs spared no expense or effort to take us on a trip last Christmas: Together, we visited different properties and collectively made the decision to relocate. All within the framework of a major presentation.

The thought that a location change might be announced without comment in another company's intranet makes me smile. Such a thing is unthinkable at 'Leading by Presentations', just as much as 'breaking up via SMS'! And I am very glad about that.