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business
IKEA has been cooperating with MiL around its need for management development for more than 20 years. The original attraction between the two companies sprung from having common values: a strong belief in entrepreneurship – in the individual and the importance of searching for inner driving forces and passion – and a focus on action, on doing while learning. MiL contributes by emphasising diversity, team and not least, reflection. Leadership programmes with business projects à la MiL develop the business. Three pioneers from IKEA and MiL talk about their views on leadership development in the past, present and future.
Svante Smedmark is business developer at IKEA of Sweden, and participated in the second MiPP (MiL International Partner Programme) in 1988. It gave many new insights, both on a personal level and about other companies and communication; it also gave him a broader network. Jörgen Svensson, business area manager for one of IKEA’s 11 business areas, agrees. He participated in the first MiPP programme in 87-88. Today both of them work with MiL in different internal processes, and they nominate participants to MiL programmes.
Projects = ideas & money
They both agree that the business projects have contributed a great deal to IKEA. They have gained an outside-in-perspective on their business and this has contributed positively to the IKEA business.
Mikael Krausz from MiL, programme director in the first four MiPP programmes, tells us about one of the business projects that actually led to a change in strategy for IKEA North America, a strategy that eventually became quite successful. Svante