The Backdrop
My Compass
This is Eric’s compass. Not a map, but a mindset. It doesn’t promise shortcuts – it offers orientation. It’s how he chooses projects, partnerships and priorities. It’s how Eric stays aligned with what matters. Eric’s compass doesn’t chart a fixed path – it reveals how he navigates complexity, chooses collaborations and stays aligned with what matters. Each direction reflects a principle Eric returns to when the terrain shifts: Integrity, Curiosity, Empathy and Pragmatism. Together, they guide how he shows up – professionally and personally.
- NORTH – Integrity
- Eric commits to clarity, honesty and follow-through. He doesn’t overpromise. He doesn’t underdeliver. Integrity is his anchor.
- EAST – Curiosity
- Eric asks questions that challenge assumptions. He reads widely, thinks deeply and stays open to surprise.
- SOUTH – Empathy
- Eric listens before he speaks. He considers context. He cares about the human side of systems and decisions.
- WEST – Pragmatism
- Eric values ideas that work. He seeks elegant solutions that are grounded, sustainable and actionable.
WEST – Pragmatism
- Grounded, actionable thinking
NORTH – Integrity
- Staying true to one’s own principles
SOUTH – Empathy
- Understanding people and systems
EAST – Curiosity
- Always learning, always evolving
This compass also translates into Eric’s pragmatic, professional engagement rooted in global experience – Ninja Services to navigate complexity, optimize operations and drive results by also thinking Outside The Box.
"If a free market economy existed, was that a business anarchy?"
- Eric Roth
Compass Radius
True Navigation
A compass gives direction. Navigation is the harder part: Holding all four bearings at once while a situation moves. Most professionals have a dominant strength. They are the integrity person, the pragmatic person, the curious person or the empathetic person. The rarer capability is applying all four simultaneously as a single lens and not a sequence. When a problem lands, Eric does not cycle through steps. He holds the four questions together:
- Integrity: What did we commit to? What standards apply?
- Curiosity: What are we missing? What assumptions need testing?
- Empathy: Who carries the weight of this decision?
- Pragmatism: What works on Tuesday morning?
None of these dominates. Integrity without Empathy produces rigid systems. Empathy without Pragmatism produces meetings with no outcome. Curiosity without Integrity produces analysis that ignores commitments. Pragmatism without Curiosity produces quick fixes that return as slow problems. The value is holding all four until a path emerges – one that is sound, human, tested and executable.
Conflict Management
Change creates friction. Increased transparency or shifts in working methods naturally generate tension. In environments shaped by Business Excellence, Lean Management and Quality Management, these tensions often reflect underlying aspects of Corporate Culture that influence how roles, responsibilities and standards are perceived.
Structured conflict management is therefore essential for establishing stable, compliant and sustainable systems. Addressing tension directly helps close process gaps, align behaviours with defined standards and ensure that improvements remain effective in daily operations and under audit conditions according to ISO Standards.
Why are Conflicts so difficult?
- Emotional tensions often operate beneath the surface
- Objective solutions are ineffective when dealing with hurt feelings
- Lack of communication exacerbates the dynamics
Dealing with Conflicts
- Recognize and name conflicts early on
- Treat the causes, not the symptoms.
- Clarify roles and responsibilities
- Use moderation or external support
Typical Forms of Conflict
| Type of Conflict | Description |
|---|---|
| Goals | Conflicting goals hinder cooperation |
| Evaluation | Differing opinions, values and norms lead to disagreement. |
| Distribution | Dispute over resources such as time, money, tasks |
| Relationships | Personal hurt, misunderstandings, lack of appreciation |
| Roles | Unclear responsibilities, hidden power struggles |
| Power | Competitive behavior towards superiors or colleagues |
| Values | No common ground for viewpoints, moral tensions |
Non-verbal Communication
| Communication Share | Description | Influence |
|---|---|---|
| Body language | Gestures, mimics, breathing, clothing | > 50% |
| Voice | Quiet, loud, listless | > 30% |
| Factual statement | Message content | < 20% |
| Gestures and facial expressions significantly influence the effect of feedback! → Non-verbal communication = 80% | ||
«It’s the tone that makes the music»
«What goes around comes around»
Ninja Services
Ninja Services delivers Business Excellence through decisive, execution‑driven engagement. The focus is on Lean Management (KAIZEN / Six Sigma), Global Procurement and Quality Management including the design of systems according to ISO Standards, governance frameworks and resilient supply‑chain and sourcing architectures.
Assignments span Greenfield builds, OEM / ODM setups, international contracting and the redesign of risk‑aligned organisational models. Complex environments are assessed fast, priorities are set without ceremony and implementation follows with operational authority, resulting in clear improvements in cost structures, transparency, service levels and organisational reliability.
Eric’s Compass: Integrity, Curiosity, Empathy, Pragmatism. No unnecessary movements. Only Value Creation.
