change management

Giving direction. Implementing change.

  • How can we as a leadership team create a common vision of the future and act as role models?
  • How can I design the change process so that my people accept and support it?
  • How do I achieve sustainable changes in mindset and behavior?

„But we have always done it this way...“ Statetements like this show how difficult it is to communicate the reasons and objectives of a change without depreciating the previous way of working.

Space for Inspiration

Be it the incremental optimization of processes or be it a fundamental realignment of roles and responsibilities – it’s not about organizational structures or flow charts. Every change provides a new perspective on the previous work in a way that it also creates new options. You “reinvent” yourself and your work in the sense of a different understanding of the role and approach. It is exactly this change of perspective that the whole organization needs to undergo in order to support the change.

I order to achieve this change of perspective, we reflect with you the objectives of the change, define the necessary steps of the change process (change architecture) and coach you in your (leadership) role to implement the change.

  • What are the objectives of the change?
  • Who is affected by the change directly or indirectly?
  • Do they employees recognize the need for the change?
  • Which aspects of the change do they welcome, which aspects do they worry about?
  • How concrete is their understanding of what they should do differently or should not do anymore?
  • What do they expect from the leadership team?
  • Which traditions and behavioural patterns within the organization need to be overcome to come to sustainable changes?

Reflecting these questions before, during and after the change helps to steer and orchestrate the measures, so that employees become engaged rather than be affected and that the change becomes sustainable. Because every change is only as effective as it is lived.

We offer consulting and pragmatic solutions for the following topics:

Off-site leadership meetings are about discussing strategic questions as a leadership team – with sufficient distance to daily business. We support you in selecting and working up topics and strategic questions, so the agenda has an arc of suspense and the discussion leads to results. As professional facilitators we ensure result-oriented debates with a difference – to help you advance not only content-wise but also as a team.

We support you in the analysis phase prior to a potential change. Whether with focus groups on specific topics or with taylor-made workshops to find improvement areas.

A Change Architecture defines the systematic observation and organisation of psychological and structural success factors in a change process. One important result is the action plan which defines measures of communication and involvement of employees along the change process (see figure for example). The plan is reflected and adapted continually to fit new developments and expectations that occur during the change process. We recommend nominating individual employees as „change agents“ to build a broader basis for the change, especially when it is global.

We consult and coach the leadership or project team along the change process, mostly acting as part of the extended project team. Together with you we clarify whom the change affects in what way, and how these people can be involved and taken onboard. Also, change architecture  and project management are defined. In regular meetings we reflect the progress and potential issues or pitfalls together, and give an outside perspective to support you in defining your role throughout the change.

You want to get your organization fit for change? We offer trainings and workshops for leaders and/or change agents. To develop a common understanding of change management and the role leaders or change agents play in it. Particularly with regard to the sandwich position and to practical tools including the preparation of sensitive personnel discussions.

In change processes workshops are a helpful means to discuss background and goals of the change, and to engage the employees in the implementation. We support you in preparing the workshops or large-group events, and facilitate them in a professional way. Whether with 20 or 250 participants.  
Workshop example:

Contact us - we are happy to answer your request!

Dipl.-Psych. Friedhelm Köhler
Managing Director

friedhelm.koehler(at)ifm-heidelberg.de
+49 176 10212240