World Cup 2014 Semi-Final - Learning points for OCM

Germany - Brazil 7-1, a spectacular match - What can we learn from it?

Like in the corporate world, the pressure is on. Because they are condensed to the max, and success and failure are so measurably apparent, joint efforts such as football matches - and music concerts - serve as good examples on how we do in Organizational Change and what the big points are.

Agility & Team spirit

From the beginning right through to the very end the German players were agile and purposeful, they kept eye contact with the others on the team, they were able to let go and pass the ball to a team-mate in orchestrated choreographies, each team member doing their part but also keeping an eye out for the whole.
For a change project in the corporate environment this means that the information flow needs to keep going. Communication channels within the project / project office have to have the necessary definition to spur purposeful action, and at the same time enough openness to keep the teams motivated.
Even in large corporate companies, or even in Tech Consultancies, as many colleagues have confirmed in 'shop talks', there is often no - or not enough - culture of communicating with each other, and social/knowledge management apps are often merely a sad document grave. 
And if this is in the change project teams themselves - how can the word be spread out to the company?

Freedom & Responsibility

Teams need leeway to act on opportunities & synergies, in football and in corporate life. Overcautious micro-management only displays lack of trust, and kills motivation and 'enablement'. 
Participative leadership means team players can grasp opportunities, or create synergies, in OCM for example with SMEs, or the communications or organizational development departments, to optimize success.
It also means they will be able - and willing - to take responsibility and take charge of emerging needs. In the semi-final for example, the 3-0 was scored, because ".. There are lots of defenders in there but nobody is taking responsibility to pick anyone up." (Rio Ferdinand, in the BBC Analysis of the match).

Strategy & "Setting the Course" from the get-go

First of all: Having a Strategy is good. Change has become such a big issue, spanning whole organizations, so it becomes more and more apparent that OCM, as well as Organizational Communication & Culture are STRATEGIC issues. Yes, the ROI is not as easily measured as the goals and chances in football, but if you look at any successful initiative they will have had a STRATEGY on change and company culture, and, what's more important, they will have ACTED ON IT.
There is nothing like setting the course from the get-go - in our example scoring 5 goals in the first 29 minutes - to boost the morale of a team, because it takes pressure off the players. Aligned with the overall strategy, this move is likely to foster more success.
In change initiatives, the OCM Lead is often brought in 6, 8, 10 months into the initiative. This does not only not save money, as intended, it also looses the strategic point and the chance to boost motivation on the project tremendously.

Leadership & Lack of Leadership

The 5-0 in our example was scored due to lack of leadership in the other team: ".. the captain, supposed to be the leader, .. has abandoned ship I am afraid. He has disappeared." (Alan Hansen), and "That is embarrassing. When you do that, you are leaving your team-mates in the lurch. As a centre-half, he has to win the ball there." (Rio Ferdinand)
Much more could be said here, watch this spot for blog posts on Leadership topics.

Don't give up

From many examples we know about "not giving up when times get rough", and Oscar's goal in the last minute is one strong demonstration.
However, "not giving up when things go well" is also important. How many times have teams felt safe and leaned back into complacency. And then lost

DO IT

Football is not rocket science. Change Management is not rocket science. What a facebook friend commented on as "the unrelenting efficiency of the German team" is merely doing what is known to work. To the last consequence.

Yes, it takes creativity, yes, it takes the magic of the moment. Like jazz improvisation.
And like jazz improvisation, that too, can be learned. But most of all it takes a team.
And, yes, especially in this moment, I am proud of having grown up in a culture where there is a notion of "doing the right thing" - effectiveness, and "doing things right" - efficiency.

Success factors of Organizational Change Management are out there, and one just has to take them seriously and act on them. More on this in my next posts.

Thanks for your time, feel free to comment!

All quotes are from http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/28221160, the BBC Analysis of the match.

Competitive edge in Diversity: Female project management experts take off

On 09 July 2007,  Entrepreneuresses and female project managers from all over Germany met at the Frankfurt “Cosmopolitan” on invitation of Roswitha Müller-Ettrich (Munich, founding member and Head of the Board of Trustees of the GPM, (German project management association-IPMA) and Dr. Dorothee Feldmüller (Bochum, IT-project management and consulting; Leaders’ Team of GPM Chapter Dortmund). 

Dr. Katharina Kettner took part in the newly founded GPM work group as an associated expert for Diversity and Inclusion.

Strategic objective is the creating space for themes of gender within project management, and will be basis for enhancing collaboration and effectiveness in project management work by diversity, as well as tackling questions of marketing achievements, image and profile, for example by means of success stories.
Talking about successes and failures is an important element of future oriented management. Diversity belongs to the field of intercultural competencens, by which added value can be improved in many projects. Contrarily, ignoring cross cultural differences not only wastes nerves, but also assignments, time and money.

Expertise, tools & innovation to tackle „Change Management“ - 1st milestones of associate work group reached

As we know nothing is as constant as change: the frequency of restructuring and change processes is rising – after the Change is before the Change.
On 12 June 2007, Dr. Dorothee Feldmüller, Dr. Jan Mütter and Dr. Katharina Kettner presented the topics that have been explored in the workgroup „Change Management“ since August 2006 at IT-Center Dortmund. The next group meeting will be on 31 August 2007 in Düsseldorf.

“Professional Women’s Excellency – The Renaissance of Global Economy”

5. Juni 2007, IEDC-Bled School of Management, Bled, Slowenien Mit Vergnügen folgte Dr. Katharina Kettner der Einladung zur 6. Konferenz “Professional Women’s Excellency”, organisiert durch die Managers’ Association of Slovenia und GV Planet, in Kooperation mit der IEDC-Bled School of Management. 
Die beeindruckende Teilnehmerliste von Sloweniens und Europas Powerfrauen in Wissenschaft und Business, unter ihnen Laurence Danon (zuletzt Generaldirektorin bei Bostik Adhesives, einer 100% Tochter von Total Fina Elf, später Vorstandsvorsitzende des Modehauses Printemps), interessante Themen und die fantastische Organisation durch die “School with a View” (Schule mit Aussicht) ergaben eine umfassende Perspektive auf das enorme Potential Europäischer Frauen im Business, die in diesem Treffen als “The Network of Women Management” in die Zukunft starten.

Die Diskussion auf der hochkarätigen Konferenz zeigte erneut, dass die Erfolgswege von Frauen auf Top-Level hoch individuell und Kontext-gebunden verlaufen. Darüber hinaus wurde deutlich, dass Frauen einen ernstzunehmenden globalen Business-Faktor darstellen.

Romana Pajenk, Präsidentin der Women Management Section der Managers’ Association von Slowenien, Dr. Daniela Brečko, Geschäftsführende Direktorin von Planet GV,and Prof. Danica Purg, Präsidentin der IEDC-Bled School of Management, eröffneten das gehaltvolle Programm.
Prof. Alenka Šelih, Vice-President, Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, präsentierte weitere Einsichten aus Biographien, publiziert in der neu erschienenen “Anthology of Women’s Success in Slovenian History”.
Nach wie vor ein Klassiker: How to Break a Glass Ceiling, How a Glass Wall? (Wie frau gläserne Decken durchbricht..) Unter anderem befanden sich unter den Round-Table-Gästen Prof. Andreja Kocijančič, Rektorin der Universität von Ljubljana, sowie die energiegeladene Jungunternehmerin Marjeta Tič-Vesel, Pristop, moderiert durch Sonja Šmuc,  Geschäftsführende Direktorin der Managers’ Association of Slovenia. 

Jahrzehntelange Erfahrung und Know-How im Technologietransfer vermittelte Prof. Aleksandra Kornhauser, Professor Emeritus und Direktor des UNESCO International Centre for Chemical Studies,  in ihrem Vortrag “Science as a Foundation of Economic Development”.
Zwei faszinierende Gäste standem im Mittelpunkt von HOT-CHAIR-Runden: Dr. Alenka Žnidaršič Krajnc, der Generaldirektorin der First Pension Company und Laurence Danon, Top Managerin sowie Mitglied des Gründungskommittees des Women’s Forum for Economy and Society. Die Interviews – jeweils durch Vita Cajnko Javornik, Chefredakteurin der Zeitschrift Manager und durch Prof. Danica Purg, brachten im Gespräch die individuellen biographischen und Persönlichkeitsfaktoren zweier engagierter, brillianer Topkarrieren hervor.

Abschließende Highlights waren die Preisverleihungen der Artemida 2007 durch die Zeitschrift Manager, für herausragende Performance von Frauen im Business und die beste wissenschaftliche Arbeit zu Frauen und Management.

Intensives Netzwerken in den Pausen, auf der Terrasse der Management Schule mit Blick auf den pittoresken See von Bled machte das High Quality Event rund. 

2004 Pflege und Pflegewissenschaft - Ausbildung, Berufspraxis und Kultur im internationalen Vergleich

23.-27. Mai 2004 - London, UK

In einer Exkursion nach London entdeckt eine Studiengruppe der Ev. Fachhochschule Rheinland Westfalen Lippe die 'Roots of Nursing and Care Culture' mit Dr. Katharina Kettner.

Die "Medical History Tour" umfasst interessante Themen wie "Operations without Anaesthetics" im Old Operating Theatre & Herb Garret, oder "The Early Hospitals", "Body Snatchers" im St Bartholomew's Hospital Museum in Smithfield

Neben kulturell orientierten Entdeckungsgängen durch die pulsierende Stadt - und natürlich auch Camden und andere Märkte ;), wird sicherlich ein besonderes Highlight das interkulturelle Erlebnis sein: Wie Kollegen in einem anderen europäischen Land leben und arbeiten, sowie der Vortrag über (universitäre) Ausbildung in Großbritannien "The provision of nurse education in the UK", Florence Nightingale College for Nursing and Midwifery, King's College.

Nursing & Care - Comparing Education, Vocational Practice and Cultures Internationally

23 - 27 May 2004 - London, UK

In an excursion to London a group of students of the Ev. Fachhochschule Rheinland Westfalen Lippe (University of Applied Science) will discover the 'Roots of Nursing and Care Culture', led by Dr. Katharina Kettner.

Next to interesting topics like "Operations without Anaesthetics" at the "Old Operating Theatre & Herb Garret" or "Early Hospitals", "Body Snatchers" at St Bartholomew's Hospital Museum in Smithfield - part of the "Medical History" tour -, next to cultural walks and explorations through that vibrant city, including Camden and other markets ;)

A particular highlight will surely be the intercultural experience, to see how colleagues work and live in another European country and a talk and discussion about "The provision of nurse education in the UK", at the Florence Nightingale College for Nursing and Midwifery, King's College.

Training & Coaching between cultures: Arts & Business, or What can business people learn from artists?

Around 20 leaders from Rhine and Ruhr came together for an interactive lecture concerning the question: "Arts & Business: What can business people learn from artists?" by Dr. Katharina Kettner of wave-concepts.

Usually these two contexts are thought of as "two separate worlds" but here they were explored for their cultural common grounds, transfer possibilities and value systems.

This meeting has not only been interactive because of the stimulating questions, and all participants  sharing insights, but the rather special exercises.

An extraordinary highlight were the emerging synergetic light sculptures made - almost in silent consonance, as it were - from all the single light spots created by the participants.

Here, input, reflection and action combined into a new, direct experience.

Special Thanks to the Gabal-Team for their support and to IHK-Bochum (Bochum Chamber of Commerce) for the workshop  space!