What do you think of when you hear the term “the courage to lead”? Many people will say that it is the ability to make difficult decisions as the leader of a company or a team, to stand by them and to face adversity and change.

That is correct. However, the definition should be expanded. Beyond these elements, courage to lead also means having or developing the ability to create a tangible connection between the leadership and the teams and ensuring that everyone is on the same wavelength.

A concrete example

Let’s take a public institution with almost 100 employees as an example. The organization consists of a five-member management board, around ten middle managers and the teams. Despite this rather simple organization, the management board notices that the teams are becoming detached from their direct superiors and de facto also from the management. The teams resist change and do not make any suggestions. The management has the feeling that middle management “lacks courage”.

The implemented approach

As an external consultancy, we found that dialogue within the organization was limited or even non-existent in many places. This lack of interaction led to misunderstandings and frustration on both sides.

The aim of the project was to re-establish this dialog and to clarify the expectations and understanding of each individual. The proposed approach was to initially work with each target group separately, i.e., a group for senior management, a group for middle management and several sub-groups for employees. Each group was asked to formulate their expectations of the other two groups.

After this first step, the expectations of each group were compared with those of the others. This made it possible to determine, for example, whether my own expectations as a manager match what my superiors and my team on site expect.

The courage to deal with the expectations of other groups

In our specific case, the middle management team realized that their management and their teams had the same expectations. In particular, they were expected to take on more responsibility and form an independent level between the management and the local teams.

On this basis, an action plan was developed that enabled middle management to dare take his place as manager and adopt an assertive attitude. At the same time, there was the opportunity to receive individual coaching to develop the desired skills. In this case, this led to managers involving their teams more frequently in decision-making and adopting a more collaborative management approach. This also enabled managers to be bolder in their expectations for more initiative and suggestions to employees.

Depending on the size of the organization, the process can also be complemented by a meeting of all members of the organization (employees, managers, and executive management). The aim is to conduct a debriefing. On the one hand as a working session and on the other hand as a social event. This promotes exchange and breaks down any existing hierarchical barriers.

Get in touch with us

Is there a potential gap between teams and managers in your organization? If so, we will be happy to provide you with a proposal that is tailored to your needs and adapted to your working environment. We will work with you to develop a convincing solution. Do not hesitate to contact us.

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This is where change process support, commonly referred to as “change management,” comes into play. This discipline aims to facilitate the transition to new processes, systems or technologies, minimize disruption and promote acceptance of change within companies.

Take employees’ fears and uncertainties into account.

Many employees wonder whether these changes are really necessary. They fear losing their jobs, feel they are not competent enough to adapt, or have doubts about management’s strategy. These fears and uncertainties can hinder the success of change by leading to a decline in motivation and engagement, and thus productivity.

The success of change management depends on the involvement of those affected. That is why we support our clients in identifying the key people affected by the change and actively involve them in the process from the very beginning. 

Support for change must therefore be tailored to the (individual) employees. It is about helping them to understand the change, to recognize their fears and to overcome them. This can be done through training, individual coaching or group workshops. The goal is to give employees the tools and confidence they need to succeed in the new environment.

Every company is unique and every change requires specific competencies. That’s why we offer customized solutions that focus on the knowledge, skills and abilities relevant to each situation.

A concrete example

Recently, a large financial company asked our company as experts for change management to accompany a change process in the IT area. 

Our assignment

As consultants for change management, our task was to accompany a large financial company during the migrations to a new IT system. The company was looking for a fast and pragmatic approach that would involve the employees directly in the change process.

Our approach: key steps for successful change.

To ensure the success of our change management approach, short- and medium-term goals were jointly formulated. From these, a series of key steps for the development program was derived. This development program was aimed at all employees and managers. It included training on the new IT system, individual coaching and group workshops.

Our change management approach is based on concrete and pragmatic methods:

• The clear definition of change goals.
• The development of a concrete plan to achieve these goals.
• The implementation of hands-on workshops.
• The organization of appropriate exercises.
• The implementation of simulations in the form of role plays, so that employees learn the methods in a tangible way.
• The presentation of case studies that illustrate the longer-term effects on the company and thus strengthen acceptance of the change.

The result

In this example, we designed a development program tailored to the goals and needs of our client. Thanks to this support, the company was able to implement the changes without any major problems.

The fast and pragmatic approach as well as the involvement of the employees in the change process enabled a transition without major disruptions.

We accompany you on the way to a successful change.

Accompanying change is a crucial step in ensuring the success of any transformation. By addressing the individual needs of their employees, companies can help them reduce fears and accept change.

We support you throughout the entire process. Our customized workshops provide your employees with the skills they need to approach and successfully manage the transition with confidence. In addition, we provide them with the resources and support they need. One focus is individual coaching to overcome both psychological and organizational obstacles and create an environment that fosters acceptance of change. Our team of experienced coaches with diverse backgrounds will guide your company step-by-step through the change process.

Use change as an opportunity for growth and improvement. Contact us today to discuss your specific change management needs.

Der Beitrag Change management: Strategies for successful transformation erschien zuerst auf OTP.

Many partners wonder if they will find a job? What is the procedure in Switzerland? And what are the customs regarding application documents and job interviews in our country?

This was also the case for one of our clients, who asked us to support her in finding a job in her adopted country.

As a career coach, it is our job to facilitate the “expat” approach for spouses and help them overcome the challenges of finding a job when moving to another country.

Our mission

Our client had just arrived in Switzerland following the transfer of her husband and wished to work in her field of expertise, logistics management.

Our mission consisted in accompanying our client in the improvement of her application file and the development of her professional skills.

It is also an opportunity for her to reflect on her career evolution and to deal with the reality of the Swiss job market.

Our approach

A thorough needs assessment allowed us to identify the specific information, resources and support our client needed.

Our coaching program included eight face-to-face meetings over a three-month period. The goal of the coaching was to provide our client with the necessary tools to successfully position herself in the Swiss market.

During the coaching sessions, we worked on the following topics:

• Career assessment
• Work on her balance of achievements, CV, cover letter and building an application file
• Exploration of job opportunities
• Profile of cognitive preferences according to the HBDI questionnaire
• Personal branding and self-marketing
• Job search and networking
• Elaboration of a concrete action plan

The outcome

The results were convincing. Our client quickly recognized the benefit of our counseling and was extremely grateful to her husband’s employer for it. 

The various sessions enabled our client to clarify her thoughts about her professional future. She became aware of her position in the job market and developed an expanded vision of her professional future. 

She became aware that the recruitment process in Switzerland is very different from that in her country of origin. This was especially true for the application process, the CV, the cover letter, the job search itself and the interview. As a result, our client was able to adapt her procedure to match the local practices in recruitment. 

Today our client has found a new responsible job and she is very satisfied with our counseling. The joint review with our client at the end of the program confirmed the lasting effectiveness of the coaching. Our client was also very satisfied with the work done together and the development of her new professional role through the coaching.

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Our mission

Our client, a global logistics company, had implemented a comprehensive restructuring plan during 2021. This was dictated by headquarters and included a new organizational structure with new functions. The requirements for us were…

“The Management in Geneva is looking for ideas to strengthen team dynamics and work out new processes as part of a team building event.” 

The OTP Approach

OTP offers “tailor-made” programs that take into account the specific situation of each team and the needs and expectations of the managers. In this case, the proposed program consisted of three main parts:

• Various group exercises, to strengthen the relationship between participants.
• Interactive workshops, to refresh the basics of leading teams.
• Development workshops, to elaborate several roadmaps in “disruptive” mode on the company’s overall operations, as well as on specific projects to improve the quality of services and the cost efficiency of operations.

The seminar took place as a “retreat” over two days in a hotel near Geneva with an overnight stay for the 20 participants.

The interactive workshops

Three workshops of 2 hours duration were held to refresh and deepen the basics in the group on the following topics:

• – Initiating and implementing change
• – Leading in times of change
• – Communication and behavior in teams

In order to strengthen sustainability, the workshops were not conducted as a “presentation”, but included different sequential modules (group discussions, exercises, feedback, and experience sharing, and short presentations).

The development workshops

Three additional workshops were held with the employees and managers present on Day 2. Their goal was to question existing processes and develop new ones. This approach had several advantages 

• employees from different hierarchical levels work together as equal partners, 
• the creativity of each individual is challenged and stimulated 
• it is ensured that the ideas selected always represent a compromise 
• teamwork is established beyond the seminar, and 
• acceptance of change is increased because change is not imposed, but rather supported by all.

In our opinion, however, the following elements were also key to the success of the program: 

• active listening and clarification of the clients’ situation and challenges, 
• the creativity and commitment of the two OTP consultants/coaches, and
• adherence to the strict rule (agreed with the client) of not using phones or computers during the workshops and exercises.

The result

After a few weeks, management found that the momentum created was holding. Team leaders and management not only continue development work, but also work together openly, transparently, and smoothly. This dynamic makes it possible to continuously strengthen customer satisfaction, increase sales, and at the same time increase profit margins.

“OTP met our expectations. After two days of activities, discussions, and workshops, we could see the result. The team found each other. The new management team was able to clarify the new challenges, but also share their fears and approach the common goals with a new spirit. OTP managed to bring in something new and to inspire all participants. 

Thank you very much for the many inputs”. 

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