Currently, as an organisational consultant, I am advising an ambitious, crafts-oriented Westphalian medium-sized company with around 40 employees. The aim is to drive forward holistic company development and, at the same time, to sustainably establish a modern form of employee management. More specifically: transformation in medium-sized businesses.
Our goal
We want to create a company that, after an intensive period of growth, not only gains structure and clarity but also consistently puts its employees at the centre. Because only in this way can a healthy and future-proof organisation be created in the long term.
Establish leadership system
Together, we are working to develop a leadership system that on the one hand creates clear responsibilities and on the other hand enables distributed leadership. This creates a dynamic interplay between management and self-responsibility – fitting for the company culture.
Strategic employee participation
Especially in times of change, actively involving employees is crucial. That's why we focus on workshops, dialogue, and transparent communication. In this way, we create a culture in which everyone can contribute to strategic development, alongside their day-to-day business.
Learning by leadership
Leadership development forms a central element of the transformation. Targeted coaching, continuous training, and practical impulses strengthen leadership qualities at all levels. This is not just about methods, but about attitude, effectiveness, and personal development.
Develop and unite vision and goals
Shared alignment on a vision as well as on concrete, annual target pictures provides orientation. Because only when there is clarity about the „why“, „where to“ and „how“, can the path into the future be designed to be understandable and motivating.
Methods and Tools
To achieve these goals, we rely on proven as well as innovative methods:
- Elements from the LOOP approach (https://www.thedive.com/en/the-loop-approach), to tackle changes appropriately and in manageable portions.
- Narrative methods to make invisible organisational knowledge visible and simultaneously foster exchange about the future (according to Christine Erlach & Michael Müller).
- The values and principles underpinning the OKR framework, with the aim of making strategic work collaborative and purpose-drivenwww.die-agilen.de).
Effect that becomes noticeable
A particularly noticeable example of the success of this work was evident when, about three months after the transformation began, a technician from production approached me and said:
„Jens, good that you're here! I've been here for 10 years now – and in such a short time, a lot has already changed for the better.“
More than change
This transformation in the mid-market is far more than just structural change. It is a shared process in which agility becomes tangible, not as a buzzword, but as an attitude and a daily practice on equal footing.
