WELCOME ON BOARD!
For more than ten years we have successfully accompanied our customers through change processes. For us every change is unique in its complexity and its various interactions. We see these change programs as challenging and successful deep-sea expeditions which require weatherproof vessels and well-practiced and coordinated crews.
New corporate visions, associated strategies, internal interfaces and structures, IT-architectures, systems and platforms, innovative production technologies, diverse associated projects and, not
least, corporate culture, leadership, values and norms need to be interlinked and developed parallelly and consistently. At the same time, these elements need to be matched continuously. Changes
require a great deal of staying power, extensive and reliable experience as well as systemic thinking and acting in order to safely reach the new and promising destinations after an expedition
which usually takes several years. Numerous internal, technology- and market-related “storms” as well as unknown waters with depth and hard to make out shallows , treacherous riffs and fog
banks appearing suddenly need to be mastered time and again.
To this end, staff and executives on board need to be continuously motivated and effectively integrated in various roles on board.
At the same time, it needs to be ensured that everyone on board disposes of change qualifications such as handling frequently appearing change imponderables, managing conflicts on board, and
making brave and well thought-through decisions. The communication on board, i.e. internal corporate communication, is a critical success factor when it comes to keeping the orientation,
motivation and optimism throughout the journey and to reaching the port of destination despite a raging sea and strong winds.
Let’s head for new shores!
CAST OFF:
If the expedition is to be successful and not to come to an unwanted ending when the vessel leaves the harbour, a multitude of important tasks need to be completed before the ship’s departure from the port:
- The fact that change is necessary and urgent must be communicated in the company and needs to be thoroughly understood and accepted.
- The leadership team responsible for the change has to be put together in a well-thought-out manner.
- The vision of change, i.e. into which direction we are going to change, must be formulated clearly and realistically.
- Potential challenges of the expedition need to be foreseen wisely, as much as this is possible; hypotheses need to be formulated.
- First, realistic control points must be planned and routes need to be plotted on the map (rough programme planning) .
- Sufficient support such as resources, time, budget, and adequate qualification of the change team must be ensured.
Once the prerequisites are fulfilled, one can set sail, cast off and start the exciting journey.
“For travelling you need patience, courage, a good sense of humour, you have to forget all domestic worries and not let unfavourable coincidences, difficulties, bad weather, bad food and the like get you down …”
Adolph Freiherr von Knigge
(1752 - 1796),
German lawyer, civil servant and satirist