Initial situation

Our client’s long-standing “Head of Sales and Marketing” is promoted to the role of “Commercial Director” as part of an internal reorganization. He was to be prepared for his new role in the best possible way. 

This new position, which involves a direct reporting line to the CEO and membership of the Executive Board, places high demands on his communication and leadership skills. In particular, he must be able to act in complex communication situations and take into account the different needs of his communication partners and find suitable solutions.

During the joint briefing, the new “Commercial Director” recognized the added value of the coaching and expressed his gratitude to his employer. 

Objectives

Our coaching pursued the following objectives:

• Clarity in the new role

To be able to find one’s place in the new role through clear boundaries and a deeper understanding of the new management position.

• Increase efficiency and effectiveness

To increase the personal efficiency and effectiveness by adapting the personal leadership behavior and reflecting the personal understanding of leadership. 

• Develop the personal leadership style

To further develop and adapt the personal leadership style and the relevant tools.

• Strengthen empathy and communication skills

To better understand the views and emotional states of one’s interlocutors and to manage the own communication behavior more consciously.

Results

The final debriefing of the coaching showed clear and sustainable developments, which were also confirmed by his feedback:

“I was impressed by my coach’s empathetic and structured approach.

When I started my new management position, I was excited, but also unsure how I would master the many challenges.

Thanks to the OTP coaching, I was able to master challenging communication situations with confidence. My coach helped me to recognize my strengths and use them in a targeted manner. Together, we developed strategies to lead my team effectively and at the same time drive my own development.

Today, I not only feel confident in my role, but am also able to inspire my team and motivate them to perform at their best. For me, the coaching was the key to a successful start and the foundation for long-term success in my new leadership role.”

Our client was also very satisfied with the positive development and the successful transition into the new management role. 

“Thanks to the coaching provided by OTP, our Commercial Director has successfully mastered the transition into his new leadership role. The targeted coaching sessions not only helped him to further develop his leadership skills, but also to gain a deeper understanding of the dynamics within the team. The coaching has demonstrably enabled him to proactively tackle challenges and clearly define goals. 

The support was invaluable at this crucial stage of his career. We can recommend OTP’s coaching to anyone who wants to get off to a successful start in a new management position.

A win-win situation for everyone involved! 

Are you interested in this topic? Give us a call!

Der Beitrag Leadership coaching: Successful transition into a higher management role erschien zuerst auf OTP.

You have probably already heard of it. You may still have a few questions about deploying this approach. A real-life example is therefore better than too much theory! For this reason, we would like to share with you a situation in which OTP was recently involved.

The starting point

The HR department of a large organisation, operating in a complex and demanding international environment, contacted us with a specific objective. Within their management team, one manager stood out for his very direct and analytical management style. This is useful in the context of his responsibilities, but also creates real problems in terms of communication with his team and within the organisation itself. Highly committed, he struggles to take a step back in many situations. As a starting point, we met with the management team to clarify and understand the situation and the issues at stake. The aim was to identify the specific requirements of this particular situation.

The coaching process

From the very first session, our work focused on developing the ability to take a step back. Challenged on his practices and the results obtained, the manager quickly realised that by adopting a more global perspective on the challenges he was facing, he would obtain better results. He was soon able to see the positive effects. At the same time, we used an HBDI © (Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument) assessment to gain a deeper understanding of his own way of functioning and that of others. The HBDI © assessment enabled the coachee to gain a better understanding of his cognitive preferences, as well as those of his colleagues. By identifying his comfort zones, as well as the aspects that were less natural for him, he was able to adapt his communication and leadership style to improve his interaction with the different personalities in his team.

We then worked on the impact of his communication. The coached manager had been perceived as distant and sometimes insensitive in the past, while he himself had a completely different perception. He adapted his approach to the different personality types that had been identified using the HBDI ©. He learned to defuse and manage conflicts with new efficiency. At the same time, he strengthened his interpersonal relationships. His behavioral changes all led to visible results immediately.

As the coaching progressed, we also introduced decision-making tools. These tools, tailored to his situation, enabled the coachee to develop a more nuanced decision-making process that combined detailed analysis and strategic vision.

The approach used by OTP

The coaching process followed a structured yet flexible methodology. This allowed the coaching sessions to be adapted to the changing needs of the manager. Each session included the analysis of specific situations and the reflection on how to approach the current challenges. Using the results of the HBDI © assessment was crucial in tailoring our approach to the coachee and thereby maximizing the benefit of the coaching. The tasks between sessions allowed the coachee to test new behaviors in real-life situations and return with the resulting feedback.

The process was framed by various sessions in a tripartite setting with the coachee, the HR manager and the OTP coach. The session at the beginning of the coaching was used to set goals together. The session halfway through the process was an initial review of the situation (after just four sessions). The process ended with a final session to evaluate the path travelled and determine the next steps to ensure sustainable success.

Results and added value of the development coaching

The results were significant. The manager has positively developed his leadership skills by becoming a considerate leader with a behavior adapted to the situation. The use of the HBDI Assessment © has enriched his understanding of team dynamics, which has led to better communication and collaboration with those around him. 

The behavioral changes made have had a direct impact on the group dynamics in his team, improving collaboration and productivity. Ultimately, he has also increased his work and decision-making efficiency.

The coaching has strengthened the coachee’s ability to operate in complex environments with a “macro” view. At the same time, he has maintained his ability to “micro” analyze. This development not only benefited his career, but also brought significant added value to the company due to optimized decision-making processes and a more positive and inclusive corporate culture.

This case study illustrates our approach to management coaching:

“A focused personal development support that turns challenges into growth opportunities, both for the coachee and the company.”

Do not hesitate to contact us so that we can work with you to develop the solution that suits you.

Der Beitrag Leadership coaching: A case study for sustainable success erschien zuerst auf OTP.

With our Topscore® approach, we look at the question of which values, standards, working methods and communication characterize our clients’ corporate culture as early as the evaluation of the requirements profile.

Thanks to our specific approach, we are able to make accurate statements about your company’s corporate culture and framework conditions as early as the job advertisement stage. In this way, we ensure that incoming applications are not only analyzed on the basis of their professional skills, experience and social skills, but also in terms of their cultural fit.

Important advantages of the “cultural fit” are:

• Team cohesion and cooperation:

A good cultural fit promotes harmonious team cohesion. Employees who fit in well with the corporate culture tend to interact better with their colleagues and work together more effectively to achieve company goals.

• Work morale and commitment:

Employees who identify with the company culture show higher morale and commitment. They feel more connected to the company values, which has a positive impact on their performance.

• Innovation and creativity:

A positive company culture fosters an environment that encourages creativity and innovation. Employees who feel comfortable in their working environment are more likely to come up with new ideas and develop and share innovative solutions.

• Employee retention and loyalty:

Cultural fit contributes to employee retention. Employees who identify with the corporate culture are more likely to stay with the company. This can reduce turnover and significantly reduce the cost of recruiting and training new employees.

• Communication and conflict resolution:

Employees who are a good cultural fit with the organization tend to have better communication and are more effective in resolving conflicts. Shared values and norms create a foundation for a positive communication culture.

• Ability to adapt to change:

Colleagues who fit in well with the company’s culture are often better able to adapt to change. A strong cultural base can help reduce resistance to change and facilitate the adaptation process.

• Corporate image and reputation:

Employees who represent the corporate culture help to build a positive image of the company. This can have an impact on the external perception of the company and on the attraction of potential candidates.

Our Topscore® approach – the match with your corporate culture

The corporate culture is the personality of your company. It influences how employees work and communicate with each other, how structures are set up and how the company itself functions.

To ensure that the candidates are a “cultural fit”, we use our Topscore® approach to record specific characteristics of your corporate culture according to the following dimensions:

• Leadership behavior
• Communication
• Work-life balance
• Development opportunities
• Team spirit, trust and respect between colleagues and superiors

By examining your company values and comparing them with the ideas and values of the candidates, we obtain solid information on the accuracy of fit. We identify and present you with candidates who show a high level of identification with your values!

We look forward to an initial discussion with you! We take the time to look at the situation from your perspective and find individual solutions.

Rolf Sommer
Senior Consultant

Der Beitrag OTP Topscore®-Recruiting with “Cultural Fit” erschien zuerst auf OTP.

That is quite normal. While some people appreciate confrontation, many others prefer to avoid conflict. This is even more pronounced in a professional environment where you don’t necessarily want to “make waves”. In fact, people tend to play down or even suppress conflicts within a team. This strategy is risky. However, confronting them can be too. But if a conflict is handled correctly, it also brings positive elements with it.

Yes, conflict can be positive!

Contrary to all expectations, conflict can be positive. When conflict arises in your team, it means that the team members are reacting to each other, contributing and getting involved. From this perspective, it is therefore positive. Of course, the biggest challenge is to manage the conflict successfully. This is also the reason why many of us dislike conflict: dealing with it can be painful. It is never pleasant to “put your finger where it hurts”.

Get the keys to managing conflict

Through situational role-plays, the teaching of specific methods and the transfer of best practices, OTP supports your teams and managers in successfully managing conflicts as part of training courses.

First, the team’s situation is examined in a reflection phase, the team members are listened to and the severity of the conflict is analyzed. Is the conflict emerging? Is it already entrenched? Is it recurring? These are questions that make it possible to defuse the conflict as early as possible or to deal with it if it has already become entrenched. 

The manager then has to choose the right course of action. Depending on the scenario and configuration of the conflict, they will sometimes adopt a more mediating stance (mediator). Sometimes they will take on more of a leadership role that sets the direction. If the leader is part of the conflict, the intervention of a third party is recommended.

A case from practice

Our case takes place in a medium-sized company. Within this organization, several teams from different departments work together. The managing director calls us and reports recognizable tensions between two very heterogeneous teams. The conflict is already deadlocked. Communication between the two teams is deteriorating. Individuals are finding it difficult to work with others and the actual business mission is being undermined. In this context, we intervene by offering a one-and-a-half day workshop on team building.

As a player outside the conflict, the role of the OTP consultant is to act as a facilitator, so that things that cause anger can be said. By providing a framework and avoiding certain excesses. 

The consultant also shares keys to communication, enabling participants to take a step back and realise that each person has different needs in terms of interaction and expresses themselves in a different way.

The second part of the day focuses on summarising the conflict situation, and above all on finding solutions, first individually or in sub-groups, and then together. The aim of this first day is to produce a plan with concrete, measurable actions.

It is advisable to schedule another half day several weeks or months after this first day to take stock of the situation in terms of managing the conflict and how it is evolving. And potentially to make relevant adjustments to the actions decided upon. During this final stage, it is interesting for the teams to take a step back and observe the progress made. It can be rewarding for the team to see that it has been able to move forward, evolve and progress.

Your benefit: An approach tailored to the respective situation

To prevent conflict situations and provide managers with tools, we can design training workshops that will not provide “turnkey” solutions, but will be fine-tuned according to your own structure, and to the needs of your company and your team.

In the case of a proven and established conflict situation, we can also intervene in the form of “team-building” days, as explained in the case study above.

Whatever the nature and format of the conflict, we’ll take the time to put together an appropriate package to meet your specific needs. So don’t hesitate to contact us.

So that the conflict can be positive and help your team to progress.

Der Beitrag Conflicts – a driving force to help your team evolve? erschien zuerst auf OTP.

These terms refer to the process of developing and updating skills and competencies, either to learn new technologies and working methods (upskilling) or to adapt or extend existing skills to meet the demands of new roles or responsibilities (reskilling).

The importance of reskilling and upskilling lies in several key factors:

1. Adaptability and future-proofing: In a rapidly changing workplace, it is of decisive importance that employees are flexible and able to adapt to new requirements and technologies. Through reskilling and upskilling, skills remain up-to-date and the employees have a better chance of being successful in their future career.
2. Competitiveness of companies: Companies that invest in upskilling their employees are better equipped to keep up with the changing demands of the market. They can drive innovation faster, retain and recruit qualified specialists and promote a culture of lifelong learning.
3. Solving skills shortages: In many industries, there is a shortage of skilled professionals with certain competencies and qualifications. By reskilling and upskilling, existing employees can be deployed more effectively and recruitment bottlenecks can be alleviated, ultimately increasing productivity and competitiveness.
4. Innovation and progress: New technologies and working procedures often offer unprecedented opportunities for innovation and progress. By providing employees with the necessary skills to use these technologies and apply them creatively, companies can open up new business opportunities and differentiate themselves from their competitors.

Our approach: OTP career management “CareerNavi”

OTP has a specific approach to reskilling and upskilling using a holistic career management that incorporates both the interests of the employee and the interests of the company. Our approach comprises the following steps:

Part1 ¦ My goals and values (analysis of own situation and preferences)

Part 2 ¦ My offer (analysis of my own skills portfolio)

Part 3 ¦ My employer’s goals and values (analysis of strategies and customer requirements)

Part 4¦ My employer’s offer (analysis of development opportunities)

Part 5 ¦ My career master plan (goals and milestones)

Part 6 ¦ Implementation of “My career masterplan” (concrete actions)

An essential part of personal career management is setting clear professional goals and designing a personal development plan to achieve these goals. This requires thorough self-reflection and a realistic assessment of one’s own abilities and interests. The OTP online platform offers sophisticated self-assessment tools for this self-reflection. This is then discussed and validated with the mentors and the coach. Based on these principles, the participant develops his/her personal goals and a plan for implementation. These goals and the plan are then compared with the employer’s goals and plans (represented by line managers, mentors and/or the HR department). Once defined, employees develop strategies to achieve their goals and actively manage their career development with the help of mentors and the coach.

In addition, individual career management also includes the development of soft skills and interpersonal skills that are crucial for professional success. This can include improving communication skills, time management, teamwork, or leadership skills. By specifically developing these skills, employees can not only increase their professional performance, but also improve their job satisfaction and motivation. As a result, they also stay longer in the organization.

Your benefits

The OTP approach to career management offers the following benefits:

• Stronger employee engagement through an integrated process with HR, mentors, and professional OTP career coaches
• An online platform developed specifically for this purpose, which can be adapted to the organization’s specific circumstances.
• Professional OTP career coaches who are familiar with current developments on the job market and provide employees with holistic support on career issues.

Overall, individual career management offers a structured and targeted approach to upskilling and reskilling that enables employees to achieve their professional goals and succeed in a constantly changing world of work. By continuously developing their skills, they remain competitive and are well equipped for the challenges of the future.

As an essential part of the modern workplace, individual career management not only promotes individual motivation and success, but also strengthens the competitiveness of companies and contributes to economic success. Talk to us!

Der Beitrag Career management for reskilling and upskilling erschien zuerst auf OTP.

This proactive approach can not only increase customer satisfaction, but also promote the generation of additional revenue and support the sales process. In this way, IT service employees make a significant contribution to building long-term positive relationships with customers and intensifying sales.

As the role of IT service employees changes, social and communicative consulting skills are becoming increasingly important alongside specialist technical skills. The soft skills required include a convincing appearance, confidence in decision-making situations, presentation skills and the ability to communicate appreciatively, advise and motivate customers. All of this is based on an entrepreneurial and sales-oriented understanding of the customer’s situation.

In summary, it can be said that it is becoming increasingly critical for IT companies to expand the mindset of their service employees.

The changing role of IT service employees: A hybrid training program for consulting skills at OTP

In order to support this change, the consulting firm OTP has developed a training program on the topic of “consulting skills” in collaboration with an IT company, based on many years of training experience in soft skills.

The six-month training program aims to transform the technical mentality and mindset of IT service employees into a consulting mindset. The program is characterized by a hybrid approach. It combines individual preparatory work, one-day classroom training and in-depth online coaching.

Advantages of the hybrid approach

The hybrid structure of the program means that information transfer and creative brainstorming on the module topics are outsourced to an individual preparation phase. This enables efficient face-to-face training that provides space for joint learning processes and complex exercises. The virtual elements in the form of individual coaching sessions are used for personal reflection and optimization of the implementation of the module content in consulting practice.

Learning objectives and modules of the program

The learning objectives include

• – Authentic and confident presentation in difficult conversations
• – Simple and understandable communication of complex knowledge
• – Convincing entrepreneurs and stakeholders in the long term 
• – Identifying customer bottlenecks and guiding them towards solutions (consultative selling)
• – Appreciative interaction with customers and employees
• – Implementing change projects that inspire customers
• – Positive shaping of the role change in the professional activity

The learning objectives are developed in six consecutive training modules (monthly cycle). The module topics are:

1. presentation 
2. rhetoric
3. consultative selling
4. conflict management
5. workshop moderation
6. digitalization of business processes 

Feedback and results: IT service employees with a new mindset after successful training program

Following the completion of the six-month “Consulting skills” training program for IT service employees by OTP, the feedback has been extremely positive.  

The feedback collected by the client documents a high level of satisfaction among participants with the program structure, content and training design. 

Tangible changes in customer interaction

The desired mindset changes can be seen directly in the daily work of IT service employees. In customer contact, they now take on presentation tasks and lead discussions with an enthusiasm and confidence that was previously lacking. This positive change is also reflected in the professional and sales-oriented design of customer events and meetings.

In-depth understanding of consulting and sales processes

An outstanding result of the program is the IT service employees’ deeper understanding of consulting and sales processes. They are now able to recognize upselling and cross-selling opportunities and communicate these to the company’s sales department in a targeted manner. This aspect not only demonstrates the effectiveness of the program, but also the direct applicability of the acquired knowledge in everyday working life.

Outlook and prospects

In view of the consistently positive feedback, our customer is planning to implement the training program for other IT service employees at the company. The successful transformation of the IT service employees into strategic consultants has not only increased customer satisfaction (and that of the employees), but has also had a positive impact on revenue generation and sales success. The program can therefore be seen as a pioneering example for the further development of IT service employees.

Der Beitrag IT service employees: From problem solving to sales-oriented consulting erschien zuerst auf OTP.

A high level of resilience can significantly enrich your life and contribute to a successful and fulfilling working life.

Why is resilience important?

Resilience is crucial because it is useful in almost all areas of life. It not only helps people to cope better with crises and stress, but can also improve their overall quality of life. Resilient people are often more successful in their professional endeavors, have more stable interpersonal relationships and better physical and mental health.

Our coaching improves your resilience

Our coaching can provide a variety of tools and approaches to strengthen resilience by promoting personal development, emotional intelligence, and coping skills. It provides a supportive framework to address individual challenges and deal with them in a positive way.

Here are some ways in which coaching can contribute to this:

• Awareness and self-reflection: a coach can help raise awareness of one’s strengths, weaknesses, values, and beliefs. Through self-reflection, individuals can better understand how they deal with stress and what resources they can use.
• Change of perspective: Coaching can help to develop new perspectives and find alternative ways of looking at challenges. This enables people to react more flexibly to difficult situations and be less discouraged by setbacks.
• Skills development: A coach can help to develop specific skills that strengthen resilience. These include communication skills, conflict resolution skills and stress management techniques.
• Goal setting and goal achievement: Coaching helps you to set clear goals and plan realistic steps to achieve them. Success in achieving goals can boost self-confidence and improve resilience in the face of future challenges.
• Emotional intelligence: A coach can help to develop emotional intelligence, which means understanding your own emotions better and dealing with them more effectively. This is crucial for coping with stress and adapting to change.
• Strengthening self-confidence: Coaching can help to strengthen self-confidence and promote a positive self-image. People who believe in themselves are often more resilient in the face of setbacks.
• Coping strategies: Coaching can develop individual coping strategies to deal with stress and pressure. This can include techniques such as mindfulness, meditation, or cognitive restructuring.
• Encouraging networks and social support: A coach can encourage people to build social networks and maintain supportive relationships. Social support plays an important role in developing resilience.

Remember that our coaching is not just about finding a job, but also about how you can deal with professional challenges and promote your personal development.

Let us advise you to get tailored support for your individual situation.

Der Beitrag Strengthening resilience thanks to coaching erschien zuerst auf OTP.

The appointment of a new manager is a pivotal moment in the life of a department or organization. Like the arrival of any new employee, the onboarding phase is a key stage. It’s just as important for the new manager, who needs to get to grips with his or her new duties, team and working environment.

This phase will be just as important for the team, who will be discovering a new manager, how he or she operates, his or her ambitions for the department, the directions he or she wishes to take, and the inspirations and values to be conveyed. Neglecting this onboarding phase and thinking that “things will take care of themselves” is a dangerous risk.

Taking on a management position is not an improvisation

Accompanying the new appointee is an important step in gaining perspective on the challenges of the job. Taking a step back will also prevent the new manager from “diving headlong” into operations, putting team needs and strategic issues to one side. 

A concrete example

Let’s take the example of this 6-strong team in the IT department of a company active in the leisure industry. The manager is retiring and will be replaced by one of the 6 team members. The company wants the transition to go as smoothly as possible, and calls in a professional coach to support the new manager a few weeks before his official appointment.

The process 

An initial meeting is held with the future manager, his or her director, the human resources manager and the coach. The aim is to launch the process and set clear objectives for all concerned. Immediately afterwards, individual coaching begins, with the new manager and the coach only. The manager can explain his or her working environment and how he or she sees the new position.

Taking height and advice

In this very real situation, the future manager in question, who was rather reserved by nature, thought it best to remain discreet when taking up his new post. He didn’t want to offend his colleagues, with whom he had already worked for a number of years; business as usual, so to speak. This onboarding coaching made it clear that the future manager had to take his place as manager with simplicity and determination. The coach was there to give him a sense of perspective and help him define appropriate and relevant actions.

Actions taken as part of this coaching programme

By taking into account the specifics of the team and the working environment, the coach was able to support the new manager during the first few weeks of his new role, by working on the following concrete actions: 

• Organizing the first working session with the team, 
• Sharing his vision for the department, 
• Setting up bilateral meetings with each member of the team, 
• Setting objectives discussed with the team. 

All these actions were challenged, prepared in advance and discussed after they had been put in place, during the coaching sessions.

The right managerial stance

On two occasions during the process, the 4 people involved (the new manager, the director, the HR manager and the coach) met; once halfway through to make an initial assessment and make a few adjustments, and the last time, several months later, to step back and take stock. In this particular case, the director and HR manager were unanimous in their view that the new manager had developed an appropriate attitude towards his team. This last stage therefore enabled the manager to obtain precise and, in this case, motivating feedback from his superiors. He felt valued and in his place. In all humility and transparency, he said that, without this coaching, he would certainly have made mistakes in his managerial posture, which would have had negative impacts, both from a human and economic point of view.

Contact us

Whether you have a collaborator in your company who is taking on a management role for the very first time, an experienced manager arriving from outside, or an internal change of position, onboarding coaching is the right solution. Onboarding coaching enables you to take a step back, assess the situation and the issues at stake, and ultimately identify and implement practical and coherent solutions. The coach is present at every stage, challenging and stimulating, and can share his experience and expertise.

If you are interested in this solution and would like to undertake such a process with one of our professional and experienced coaches, please contact us.

Der Beitrag All aboard for onboarding coaching! erschien zuerst auf OTP.

OTP offers comprehensive coaching services for leadership teams. Our experienced coaches have the expertise to develop the talents of your leaders to lead your organization successfully into the future.

Improve self-perception and perception of others

An important benefit of leadership coaching is gaining clarity about yourself and others. Managers gain insight into their personal strengths, weaknesses and blind spots. The outcome of such discussions is challenging, but the increased self-awareness enables managers to better understand their impact on others and consciously adapt their leadership style.

Unlocking leadership potential

Coaching helps managers to make the most of their existing strengths and talents. By focusing on these strengths, managers can increase their impact, build trust and make a decisive contribution to the development of the company. OTP offers customized consulting to strategically leverage these strengths, improve leadership skills and drive professional development.

Ability to act in challenging situations

Management tasks are often characterized by challenging situations. Through executive coaching, managers develop the ability to cope with complex situations under pressure, manage stress and make well-founded decisions. Through thoughtful action, managers can create trust, build resilience and successfully lead their teams through difficult situations.

Building resilient relationships

Successful leaders know the importance of building good relationships with colleagues. OTP coaching focuses on developing the interpersonal skills needed to build trust, collaboration and healthy working relationships. Through improved communication and empathy, leaders can create an environment of respect and open dialog, which helps teams achieve common goals.

Achieving and exceeding goals

Executive coaching is a powerful catalyst for achieving your goals. Our coaches work closely with executives to set clear goals aligned with organizational objectives. Through the structured coaching process, executives gain clarity, focus and accountability for important progress. OTP coaching provides the support needed to overcome obstacles, adjust strategies and exceed expectations.

Soft skills: the key to effective leadership

Soft skills such as communication, open-mindedness and emotional intelligence are critical to good leadership. OTP integrates these skills into its coaching services to train leaders in time management, delegation and people management. In this way, teams can be inspired, conflicts resolved and different situations managed.

Transformation

Leadership coaching is a transformative tool for leaders who want to excel in the dynamic business world. Through executive coaching, leaders gain self-awareness, leverage their strengths, respond thoughtfully, build relationships and achieve their goals. OTP coaching is a valuable resource for executives who want to maximize their potential and drive business success. Invest in executive coaching and develop your leadership skills today.

Qualified coaches

OTP offers enormous added value with its coaching services. Our coaches offer personalized advice tailored to individual organizational circumstances. With diverse and extensive industry experience, they provide valuable insights and strategies that address specific professional challenges. 

Contact OTP to learn more about our coaching services and get on the path to leadership excellence.

Der Beitrag Why executive coaching? erschien zuerst auf OTP.

With the increasing complexity of IT systems, the job of IT service technicians in contact with customers is changing fundamentally. In service, social and communication skills, in addition to technical know-how, are becoming more and more important for the company’s business success. 

One of OTP’s customers, an IT firm, planned to promote its highly qualified service specialists by professionalizing their customer service skills.

Background: Because this company’s service technicians work with complex e-commerce systems, the “just be friendly all the time” approach to service is not sufficient. Customers increasingly need proactive advice on how to get the most out of the systems. In challenging situations – malfunctions, time delays, system failures, customer anger – the service technicians should also be able to communicate in a professional manner so as not to create problems for further the cooperation with the customers.

The IT company wanted the IT technicians to have command of the communication tools needed to actively shape a positive customer relationship in the scope of their service activity. This includes a customer-focused and benefit-oriented argumentation, taking a de-escalating approach in crisis situations, and binding the customer to the service provider through a professional approach in discussions and presentations. 

The OTP program: starting with an individual assessment of the situation

The “Consulting Competence” training program, developed by OTP, comprises various modules that extend over six months. The first step is an individual competence-oriented assessment of the participants. Then, the various aspects of consulting competence are trained and practically applied based on theoretical background information and exercises.

The assessment is the basis and the key for the learning process in the training program. The behavioral styles of the participants are analyzed, and a forecast is made of how their behavioral characteristics will affect the desired consulting activity in IT service. This gives a picture in which competencies the participants have their strengths and in which they would need special support from the training program (e.g., through exercises in the seminar, through personal feedback, and through coaching). 

Tool for the assessment of the current situation: OPQ32

The assessment tool used by OTP is the digital test OPQ32 (“Occupational Personality Questionaire”). This test evaluates 32 personality traits in three personality dimensions that provide information about individual work behavior. The high accuracy of this assessment tool is internationally recognized.

The test consists of 107 questions measuring 32 specific personality traits. There are no right or wrong answers. Traits that are desirable for some tasks and positions may be detrimental for others.

The OPQ32 gives companies insight into how aspects of employees’ individual behavior affect their performance on the job. In the context of human resource development, the test can be used for a wide variety of objectives, whether it is to align the internal career promotion (as in the present case), for internal career management, for evaluating the talent pool, or for evaluating applicants as part of an assessment.

Personality dimensions of the OPQ32

The analysis of the OPQ 32 is focused on the following three dimensions:

Outcome of OPQ32 use: Individualized learning. 

The assessment at the start of the training program was first analyzed with all participants in one-hour individual meetings. In this analysis, the participants were encouraged to focus on their strengths and weaknesses. They determined individually in which areas they personally saw a particular need for learning. For her part, the training leader and coach was able to use this exchange to determine for each participant the specific learning objectives that needed to be worked on in the training and the individual coaching.

In particular, the OPQ32 analysis made it possible to track and reflect the continuous progress and results of each participant over the course of the training and coaching – e.g., professionalization of presentation skills. Using specific checklists for the different areas of competence – presentation, rhetoric, consultative selling, conflict management, leading discussions, understanding of business roles – the personal learning progress was determined in a before-and-after analysis and future learning areas were identified. In addition, it was also possible to determine the specific strengths of each participant in respect to his or her approach to the customer.

Last but not least, the test results of the OPQ32 also gave the supervisors the opportunity to evaluate on site with the customer the work of their collaborators in the ongoing appraisal meetings and to define goals for employee development.

Overall, working with the OPQ32 test tool proved to be extremely fruitful for the IT company, its employees and managers. For its part and on the basis of many years of work with personality assessment, OTP was able to open up another interesting use of this job-related personality test as part of the training program.

Der Beitrag Employee development: Assessment with the OPQ32 personality test erschien zuerst auf OTP.