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Blog for Executives, Managers and Entrepreneurs (all articles)

As company for organisational and leadership development we share experience, knowledge, methods and practical examples in blog articles on our whiteboard. Here you will find publications on the topics Leadership, Organisational development, Team developmentChange management & Transformation and Personality development.

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Schach König steht und alle Figuren liegen - Die überforderte Organisation - netzwerk managementberatung | coaching
Foto | Prostock-studio on Shutterstock

Die überforderte Organisation

Viele Organisationen sind schon seit langem überfordert. Fehltage, innere und ausgesprochene Kündigungen nehmen zu. Der daraus resultierende volkswirtschaftliche Schaden lag 2022 allein in Deutschland bei ca. 150 Mrd. Euro!

With our work, we would like to make a contribution to changing this! That is why this article deals with three central questions:

Woran erkennen Sie, ob Ihre Organisation überfordert ist?

What could be the reasons for this?

What are the ways out of the misery and what are the first concrete steps you can take?

9 min.
Feedback geben - netzwerk managementberatung | coaching

Feedback - a leadership instrument

Feedback is one of the key leadership tools. However, many companies find it difficult to live a constructive feedback culture. Too little praise is given and critical feedback is either given in an unconstructive way or kept quiet for fear of conflict.

This article addresses three questions:

What is the benefit of constructive feedback?

What is needed for feedback to be heard and accepted?

How can feedback be provided constructively?

5 min.
Dealing with low performers - netzwerk managementberatung | coaching
Graphic | Lightspring on shutterstock

Dealing with Low Performers

In leadership coaching we often get the question: "What is the best way to deal with low performers?". There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. Rather, it invites a differentiated view.

In this article, I address the following questions: How do you find out the cause(s) of the drop in performance or underperformance?
How can you structure and conduct an appropriate appraisal interview?
What can you do to achieve an increase in performance?

If you have found the real causes of the low performance and the measures help to eliminate them, you have a very good chance of turning a low performer into a top performer.

11 min.
Bernd Kratochwille
Photo | Kratochwille

Leadership culture in transition

How can the change towards a modern leadership culture succeed?

The BLANC & FISCHER Group from Oberderdingen joined us on the path of this cultural change at the beginning of 2022.

Bernd Kratochwille, Head of Corporate Human Resources, in conversation with Sabine Walter, gives a very good overview of the procedure, the challenges and critical success factors in this process of change.

18 min.
Emphatic manager as coach - netzwerk managementberatung | coaching
Photo | Ground Picture on Shutterstock

The manager as coach

In the course of the change in the understanding of leadership and leadership styles, managers in many companies are also expected to fill the role of coach.

In this article I answer the following questions:
What framework conditions enable goal-oriented and effective coaching?

Where are the limits for the manager?

Which coaching tools can be integrated into leadership work?
What opportunities does this open up?

10 min.
Teambuilding - network management consulting | coaching
Photo | fizkes on shutterstock

Teambuilding - The path to trustful cooperation

At the start of the year, many teams are working on the measures and priority issues that should be on the content agenda for the new year.

Too little attention is paid, in our opinion, to the interpersonal component. But we all know that if there are problems with cooperation, the substantive issues also make slow progress.
Therefore, in this article you will get concrete approaches on how to improve the culture in your team.

9 min.
Strategy development - netzwerk managementberatung | coaching
Graphic | Uthai pr on Shutterstock

Target and strategy development for sustainable corporate success

The Classic goal-setting and strategy process usually focuses on Growth. In a world of scarce resources, this represents No basis for sustainable entrepreneurial success dar.

Therefore, in this article we explain a Alternative procedure for goal and strategy development.

9 min.
Change Management - Dealing with resistance in change processes - netzwerk managementberatung coaching
Cartoon Resource on Shutterstock

Dealing with resistance in change processes

"We've always done it that way!", is probably the most common killer phrase when it comes to defending the known and hindering or stopping new ways, ideas, improvements or changes. In this article I give seven courses of action to help minimise the number of killer phrases, i.e. the frequency of resistance. The eighth recommendation for action shows you, how to rhetorically debunk killer phrases.

10 min.
Sabine Walter - Head of netzwerk managementberatung | coaching
Photo | Claus Pescha

Entrepreneurial talk with Sabine Walter

"Why not interview the woman who initiated this format?" thought Tomislav Bodrozic, Managing Director of Fabula Games GmbH, during his entrepreneurial talk. He thus gave Sabine Walter the chance for a change of perspective.

7 min.
Team development - netzwerk managementberatung coaching
Background photo | vienna reyes on Unsplash

From hierarchical structures to role-based working

Many companies, including medium-sized ones, are questioning their tried and tested structures and organisational forms. The desire for more agility, the workers' demand for greater scope for creativity and more self-determination, skills shortages and increasingly complex business challenges bring the multi-level hierarchy to its limits. Team-centred and role-based working is pushing to the fore. But how does this structural change succeed?

9 min.
Trapeze artist in the jump - culture of trust - netzwerk managementberatung coaching
Graphic | Gwoeii on Shutterstock

Change needs trust

"Change should become the most natural thing in the world in our company." Many managers are often not aware of what this means. Because the willingness and ability to change only becomes a natural part of a corporate culture when there is trust at all levels.

In this article, we share our experiences and give leaders very concrete tips on which levels of trust are most important if this cultural change is to succeed.

7 min.
The essence of effective leadership - netzwerk managementberatung | coaching
Photo | Inna on AdobeStock

The essence of effective leadership

The understanding of successful leadership has changed over the last decades. This supposed proof is provided by numerous models and extensive leadership literature.

I have been involved in leadership for more than 20 years, have led for many years myself and have provided support in the context of Executive coachings successfully for 15 years in helping leaders to be effective through their leadership and successful with their organisation.

This experience is the basis for what for me is model-independent essence of effective leadership. This is what this article is about.

14 min.
Multicultural people - Corporate management - netzwerk managementberatung coaching
Photo | melitas on Shutterstock

Values at the heart of effective leadership"

The understanding of leadership is changing continuously; in the last 10-20 years even faster than before. The demands on managers are continuously increasing, as it is a question of being able to VUCA world (volatility, uncertainty, complexity, ambiguity) to ensure the competitiveness of companies over a long period of time.

In this article we look at values-based leadership. I show what it is essentially about and how companies benefit from it.

9 min.
Meeting managers - netzwerk managementberatung | coaching
Photo | insta_photos on Shutterstock

The first 100 days as a new leader

How should I manage the first 100 days as a new manager? How should I behave when I take over a team or an area? What do I say when I introduce myself as the new boss? These and other questions are asked by many managers who take on a new responsibility within their own company or in another company.

Zarah Speck has given you a Checklist that will help you build a foundation of trust in the first 100 days and find acceptance as a person and in your role.

7 min.
Team development in medium-sized businesses - netzwerk managementberatung | coaching
Photo | Mangostar on Shutterstock

Team development in small and medium-sized enterprises

Team development in SMEs should be a matter for management, as a healthy team culture for these companies is of central economic importance.

If this team culture is missing, demotivation, a drop in performance, internal resignation, high absenteeism and ultimately also external resignation are almost inevitable consequences.

We explain, how you recognise a healthy team culture and what you can do to develop a trusting team culture in your company.

10 min.
Board meeting on the company's communication culture - netzwerk managementberatung | coaching
Photo | Cartoon Resource on AdobeStock

Communication in change processes

Communication is a key in change processes. Many managers underestimate this, do not communicate convincingly enough or communicate too little and contribute to the fact that the desired change goal is not achieved or is only achieved with considerable additional effort or that employees fall by the wayside during the transformation process.

That is why this article is about four questions:
What needs to be communicated?
What does a convincing change story look like?
Which channels should be used for communication?
How often to communicate?

10 min.
Man stands in front of large blackboard full of mathematical calculations - netzwerk managementberatung | coaching
Photo | fran_kie on Shutterstock

Conflict management from A-Z

Conflicts - whether visible or invisible - cost organisations and our society money. The role of individuals' ability to deal with conflict, especially leaders, becomes all the more central. Conflict management is a key leadership competence. Yet it is often misinterpreted and thus its key role for high leadership effectiveness underestimated. In this article we give different recommendations that enable you to recognise, analyse and constructively address conflicts, in order to invite a joint search for solutions.

13 min.
Computer screen with several screenshots of serious games
Image | Fabula Games

Serious Games: Learning through play

Serious games are a very effective method of further education, much more effective than classic e-learning.

What exactly is behind the educational games is explained by Tomislav Bodrozic, Managing Director of Fabula Games. He also answers the questions of how serious games have to be structured so that the players stay with them until the end, which topics can be implemented with learning games, and how companies should proceed if they want to include serious games in their training programmes.

14 min.
Stephanie Wackernagel
Photo | Jean-Young Kwak

Humanistic leadership: what, why and how?

Humanistic leadership describes the understanding of humans, as the basis for influencing people in the company and choosing the appropriate management tools. The humanistic understanding of the human being is based on the assumption that the ability to develop into a "better" version of ourselves is inherent in each of us. What this means for companies and how the path towards a humanistic approach to leadership can be, explains Stephanie Wackernagel, lecturer at the Stuttgart University of Applied Sciences.

10 min.
Paul Helmeth - Kirimanufaktur
Photo | Paul Helmeth

Entrepreneurial talk with Paul Helmeth

Paul Helmeth, a pilot with Lufthansa for 19 years and a real jack-of-all-trades, made a virtue of necessity this year and founded his own company, KIRIMANUFAKTUR. In an interview with Sabine Walter, he reveals the role played by closed DIY stores and various coincidences.

9 min.
Team and organisational development: Team exercise to put a stick on the floor together with the fingers - netzwerk managementberatung coaching
Photo | Vyshnova on Shutterstock

Back to the office: focus on team development

The need for a structured Team development grows. Especially in the current period, when many months of home office have caused communication, cohesion and collaboration to dwindle in some teams, returning to the corporate office requires a fresh start to some extent.

We recommend that you also take time for this outside of your daily office routine and outline in this article how a "new beginning" can succeed.If you would like to start this new beginning on the basis of a well-founded analysis of your current situation in the team, our Team analysis be an entry point into the process of team development.

6 min.
Galloping horses in front of the Brandenburg Gate - netzwerk managementberatung coaching
Graphics | Collage from jiris / dmnkandsk on Shutterstock

The Agile State. Transformation of a society.

Crises per se and the Corona crisis in particular bring to light things that are in urgent need of reform at all levels of society, politics and the economy. Companies in need of reform would be ordered to restructure and thereby make them fit for the future. That is why I am taking a look at Germany with this entrepreneurial attitude and using it to develop an idea paper that will help make our country fit for the future.

21 min.
Productive decision-making processes in transformations - sprinter with leopards before the start - netzwerk managementberatung | coaching
Photo | Orla on Shutterstock

Decision-making culture - catalyst or brake in transformation processes

In the context of transformation processes, many fundamental decisions have to be made. How quickly organisations succeed in making these decisions in the sense of the desired goals also determines the success of the transformations. But managers are often caught in the dilemma of wanting to involve as many members of their organisation as possible in the decision-making processes on the one hand, but having to deliver results quickly on the other. In this article, we provide recommendations for action to help achieve this, resolve the dilemma and to find a productive decision-making culture.

7 min.
Peter Haberl
Photo | Haberl

Entrepreneurial talk with Peter Haberl

"Transformations only succeed when managers and entrepreneurs are not afraid of the dent," says Peter Haberl, Managing Director of SSE Software GmbH in Augsburg. In an interview with Sabine Walter, the experienced manager talks about his way of leading and shaping, about what drives him.

11 min.
Martin Becker
Photo | Christian Back

Entrepreneurial talk with Martin Becker

Martin Becker is a partner at Drees & Sommer and, as Managing Director of RBSGROUP - part of Drees & Sommer, is committed to designing sustainable working environments. He reveals to Sabine Walter what exactly still fascinates him about his profession after 30 years.

7 min.
Dirk Schallock, E.G.O.
Photo | E.G.O.

Entrepreneurial talk with Dirk Schallock

"I run all companies like my own, with the same passion, commitment and sense of responsibility," says Dirk Schallock, CEO of the E.G.O. Group. The charismatic manager spoke to Sabine Walter in the entrepreneurial talk about what drives him, the core elements of effective leadership and about the entrepreneurial challenges of the future.

7 min.
Learning organisation - light silhouettes of many heads in blue and green in space - netzwerk managementberatung coaching
Photo | Lightspring on Shutterstock

The Learning Organisation: Success Factors and Recommendations for Action

For many companies, the speed, with which they develop themselves and their service and product offerings is already today a decisive competitive factor. However, the cultural framework conditions often work against this demand and the entrepreneurial necessity of constant further development.
Therefore, this article is about three questions: What are the characteristics of learning organisations? What framework conditions do learning organisations need? What concrete first steps can you take in your company to establish a learning organisation?

14 min.
A head made of vectors and lights looks into the universe
Photo | vs148 on Shutterstock

Can innovation be learned?

Many companies have realised during the pandemic that competitive business models go hand in hand with innovation. The pressure to establish a culture of innovation is increasing. The question remains how to do this. In an interview with Dr Patricie Merkert, Head of Innovation & Technologies at E.G.O. Elektro-Gerätebau GmbH in Oberderdingen, Sabine Walter asked her the question: "Can innovation be learned? The answer is complex and contains valuable tips for companies that want to become more innovative.

13 min.
Elephant breaks through a wall - Agile Transformation - netzwerk managementberatung | coaching
Photo | Aleksandr_K on Shutterstock

Leading Agile Transformation Successfully

More and more companies work agile or at least convert individual areas of the company to agile working. Such "pilot areas" are, for example, IT or the innovation area.

Regardless of whether an entire company changes its culture or only sub-areas undergo this change, this process rarely succeeds smoothly. In this article we outline the different phases involved in an agile transformation and present what we consider to be the critical success factors.

11 min.
Two boys tinker with a vintage car - promoting entrepreneurship - netzwerk managementberatung | coaching
Photo | Vasilyev Alexandr on Shutterstock

Promote entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurial thinking and action is a competence that is becoming increasingly important for the competitiveness of companies.

But it is not enough for this competence to be developed only at board or executive level. Rather, through appropriate leadership and personal development, it is a matter of anchor entrepreneurial thinking and action in as many employees as possible. In this article we explain how this can be done.

6 min.
Leading self-organised teams - a lighthouse in stormy seas - netzwerk managementberatung | coaching
Photo | m.mphoto on Shutterstock

Leading self-organised teams

A myth that we often dispel in the course of accompanying Organisational development processes is: "Self-organisation does not need leadership." This is wrong. Self-organised teams need leadership.

But what is important in this leadership? When leading self-organised teams, the focus is on four central points:
the "what", the "why",
trust, and
the ability to form real teams.

Answering the "how, i.e. The development and pursuit of the solution and implementation path, is the responsibility of the teams.

8 min.
Ewald Stephan
Photo | Sedlar & Wolff

Entrepreneurial talk with Ewald Stephan

"What I love about my job is that every day brings something new. I took my exams 43 years ago and have experienced virtually no routine since then," says Ewald Stephan, CEO of Verka VK Kirchliche Vorsorge VVaG in Berlin. In the entrepreneurial interview with Sabine Walter, Mr Stephan talks about his profession, his inner drivers and his topic of the heart, sustainability.

11 min.
Self-reflection at the end of the year: Two hands hold two sparklers into the night
Photo | Ian Schneider on Unsplash

Turn of the year - time to think and reflect

"Walk slowly when you are in a hurry." The first part of this Japanese proverb sums up what the end of the year is all about, in addition to all the festive preparations. Before we rush into the new year full of verve and many good intentions, we should take a step back and reflect on the current year.

3 min.
Onboarding in times of home office: astronaut surfs towards the sun - netzwerk managementberatung | coaching
Photo | Sergey Nivens on Shutterstock

Onboarding in times of home office

While some companies lay off or put employees on short-time work during the pandemic, other companies are hiring and have to answer the question for themselves: "How do we integrate new colleagues when everyone works in a home office?" The answer to this question encompasses various aspects: Getting to know each other, creating trust, communicating culture and values, familiarisation - all with or despite a digital proximity. In this article, we give recommendations on how to get off to a good start even in times of home office.

9 min.
Organisational development - New Work: Young woman on the beach with a laptop on her knees - netzwerk managementberatung | coaching
Photo | Kite_rin on Shutterstock

"New Work" - what is behind the "megatrend"?

"New Work" is a development that concerns more and more companies. But what is "New Work - a trend or an important further development of our understanding of work?

In this article we look at the topic and answer four questions:
Where does "New Work" come from? What does it mean? Why is the further development of our understanding of work necessary? How does "New Work" change the corporate and leadership culture?

10 min.
Johann Schmoll
Photo | Nadine Stenzel

Entrepreneurial talk with Johann Schmoll

"Successful projects need people with the courage to lead," says Johann Schmoll, Managing Director of Prof. Burkhardt Ingenieure (PBI) GmbH & Co. KG in Munich. The entrepreneurial conversation with Sabine Walter is about values, the development of "leading wolves" and an outlook into the year 2050.

8 min.
Organisational development Equality of people - Orchestral musicians - netzwerk managementberatung | coaching
Photo | Stokkete on Shutterstock

Value in teams and companies

In order to be effective in teams and companies to work together trustingly at eye levelanswering the question about the value of individual people has a key function: "Do I feel like an equal member of a team?" and "To what extent do I see all other colleagues as equals?". In my work with teams and organisations, I see time and again that the principle of equality is questioned and the value of the respective members is linked to the salary they receive or the measurable value they bring to the company. This prompted me to take a closer look at the topic in this article.

7 min.
Innovation culture: Sketch with starting sprinter - netzwerk managementberatung | coaching
Graphic | Vladimir Vihrev on Shutterstock

Creative and structured. Impulses for a structured innovation process.

Germany's innovative strength now ranks only 9th out of 129, well behind Switzerland, Sweden, the USA and the UK.

Reason enough to increase innovative strength. That is what this article is about. What are the fields of innovation? How can innovation power and innovation culture be improved?

13 min.
Digital Leadershiph: Robot looks at skull - netzwerk managementberatung | coaching
Photo | Willyam Bradberry on Shutterstock

Digital Leaders - anything but robots!

We are on the way to a new age. Digitalisation is the number one topic.

That is why it is often used and brings to light language creations that are worth looking behind: Digital Natives and Digital Leaders. What is behind these terms? And what skills do leaders need to successfully shape the digital transformation?

8 min.
Relay runners - self-organisation of teams: athlete passes on baton - netzwerk managementberatung | coaching
Photo | sirtravelalot on Shutterstock

Giving decision-making authority to the team - a step towards more self-organisation and agility

In agile organisations, decision-making responsibility is handed over to teams, because by including multiple perspectives, more robust solutions emerge and delays caused by the "bottle neck" boss are reduced. This raises the question: What do employees need so that they can actively accept this extended responsibility and also make decisions productively in the group?
In this article we present the consent decision-making process and outline the process that this cultural change requires.

7 min.
Leadership task competence development: A diamond in the coal pile - netzwerk managementberatung | coaching
Photo | RTimages on Shutterstock

Leadership task: competence development

Competence development is not yet strategic enough in many companies and is often delegated to HR. Similar to German education policy, many companies still fail to recognise that the actual assetwhat they have, the know-how and competences of their employees and managers is. Since in many companies decisions are still purely numbers-based, this asset goes down. This is because it is not accounted for as an asset, but appears in the income statement in the form of costs. One more reason to once again emphasise further training and competence development as a central management task.

11 min.
Melanie Vinci
Photo | persona service

Entrepreneur Talk with Melanie Vinci

"As a personnel service provider, we have one of the few jobs that has the power to become more exciting, not more boring, over the years," says Melanie Vinci, member of the management board of the personnel service provider persona service. Read why she says that in this entrepreneurial interview.

10 min.
Progress needs standstill: camera lens with shutter slats - netzwerk managementberatung | coaching
Photo | Triff on Shutterstock

Progress needs standstill - a thesis

Wolf Lotter writes in his prologue to the focus topic "Pause" in the current issue of "brand eins": "The word pause has two meaningswhich today seem to be in contradiction to each other. One is rest, the other standstill. A rest is a short interruption of a process that should continue all the better afterwards. ... Standstill, on the other hand, is a word that the new age has never been very good at. ... Standstill is the nightmare of industrialism,..."

In this article, I would like to take up the topic and outline why progress requires standstill and why breaks in the conventional sense are not sufficient for this.

6 min.
Organic structures in companies: Spider's web against a dark blue background - netzwerk managementberatung | coaching
Photo: | Nicolas Picard on Unsplash

Organic structures - a prerequisite for lasting competitiveness

Structures are essential for every company - no matter how small, how large, whether traditional or hip. The art here is to create and change structures in such a way that they serve the people in the company and the achievement of goals. This implies that these structures are only ever defined for a certain period of time and must be continuously questioned. Why are such so-called Organic structures a prerequisite for lasting competitiveness? And how can they be created?

7 min.
Transition Management: Light lines crossing quickly leading to the horizon - netzwerk managementberatung | coaching
Photo | robin lee on Shutterstock

Leading transformation processes successfully

We are in a transformation. In a transformation from an industrial to a digital society. This transformation is accompanied by drastic changes. Therefore, in this article we address three questions: What is a transformation? What distinguishes it from change? Why is it important to lead a transformation and not just manage it? We also provide recommendations for action to lead transformation processes to success.

12 min.
Gender emancipation: Man and woman as winners - netzwerk managementberatung | coaching
Graphic | happy people on Shutterstock

From the gender discussion to more equality - a thought experiment

"Why is it that a few weeks of crisis are enough - and we are back in a man's world? The road to equality seems longer than we thought," is how Julia Jaekel, CEO of Gruner+Jahr, formulates her thoughts for "Die ZEIT" magazine. Because: It is mainly the women at home who make sure that the children keep up with home schooling and that everyday life at home continues largely as before. Julia Jaekel's article made me think and raised some questions that I would like to share with you.

9 min.
Constanze Hintze
Photo | Ina Zabel

Entrepreneurial talk with Constanze Hintze

Constanze Hintze loves working with people every day. She is a wealth management expert and managing director of Svea Kuschel + Kolleginnen financial services for women and also ventures a look into the future of her profession in the entrepreneurial interview with Sabine Walter.

6 min.
Lux Scriptum - Path 1 by Claus Pescha
Photo | Claus Pescha

Long live the joy of experimentation!

Trying out new things, starting an exploratory process with an open mind, continuously fine-tuning it until the result is something we are satisfied with, is an important competence. But how can this culture be established in a company? It requires seven elementary factors.

8 min.
Dieter Furch
Photo | D. Furch

What does "leadership" mean to you, Mr Furch?

"Delivering quality, handing over responsibility, involving employees and letting them do what they burn for - with a common goal, freedom of design and trust." so according to Dieter Furch, Managing Director of Stingl GmbH in Munichleadership. Read the interview to find out what this looks like at Stingl.

7 min.
Tomislav Bodrozic, Managing Director
Photo | Markus Schweyher

Entrepreneurial talk with Tomislav Bodrozic

We conducted this entrepreneurial interview with Tomislav Bodrozic, Managing Director of Fabula Games GmbH. With his team, he develops serious games and thus contributes to making learning a pleasant and positive experience. Read this interview to find out how a serious game is created and what learning in 2050 might look like.

9 min.
Michael Weise
Photo | Andreas J. Focke

Entrepreneurial talk with Michael Weise

Michael Weise is managing partner of IBF Ingenieurgesellschaft mbH Munich. He spoke with Sabine Walter about how he sees the (digital) future and why he believes that beaming can become a reality.

6 min.
Claus Pescha - wordpress web.design
Photo | Ania Lewandowska

Entrepreneurial talk with Claus Pescha

Claus Pescha, who studied geography, is a web designer with a passion. He tells Sabine Walter what parallels there are between geography and web design and how he manages to develop truly unique products for his clients.

8 min.
Digital Leadership: Telephone operator at the placement workplace 30s
Photo | Everett Collection on Shutterstock

Meeting by mouse click. Conduct results-oriented telephone and video conferences.

Corona requires it more than before. What was previously a marathon of successive meetings is now. A Meeting marathon - digital only. In themselves, telephone and Video conferencing the chance to get to the point faster. The prerequisite for this is that they are managed correctly. Below are some Tips to this.

6 min.
C-level teams: skydivers form a circle
Photo | Mauricio Graiki on Shutterstock

WANTED! More High Performance Teams at C-Level

For national or international teams in professional sport, it is a must if you want to play sustainably at the top: Teamwork. In the top echelons of industry, it sometimes comes up short. But why is it no longer enough at board or executive level to hire a group of competent alpha personalities? Why do we also need a well-functioning high-performance team at C-level?

11 min.
Crisis management: Emergency scene in the hospital
Photo | Rido on Shutterstock

Factors of sovereign crisis management

Crises demand drastic changes in a short time. In these changes lie opportunities. To exploit these Opportunities to is used by, a healthy Balance between savings and investments be found.

6 min.
Digital Leadership: Virtual football players float in the stadium
Photo | Sergey Nivens on Shutterstock

Leading virtual teams

The Corona crisis has forced many companies overnight, Traditional forms of work in virtual structures and digital processes to transfer. The tools and platforms that enable digital working were quickly accepted.

Now it is a matter of maintaining leadership effectiveness, productivity and team spirit even under virtual conditions. How does that work?

We explain in the article six key success factors for leading virtual teams.

7 min.
Lucila Pfeiffer
Photo | Javier Luna

Entrepreneur Talk with Lucila Pfeiffer

Lucila Pfeiffer is a trained chef and sommelier. In Berlin, she runs Chin-Chin, a platform for private wine tastings. She spoke to Sabine Walter about her passion, wine, and how it can bring us from the head to the heart.

7 min.
Reiner Leonhardt
Photo | Claus Pescha

Entrepreneurial talk with Reiner Leonhardt

Reiner Leonhardt is an entrepreneur and owner of the Andechs coffee roasting company. He says: "Everyone should drink the coffee they like". In his roastery on Lake Ammersee, he roasts, grinds and sells different types of coffee. All the coffee beans come exclusively from small fincas, spread throughout the (high) countries of the world. And if you want to linger, you can of course taste the coffee in the roastery.

4 min.
Error culture - netzwerk managementberatung | coaching
Graphic | Claus Pescha

Oops! 10 tips for a constructive culture of fault tolerance.

In many companies the Error culture a culture of fear. It paralyses and leads to neither lateral thinking nor trying out new things. A destructive error culture also prevents employees and managers from taking risks and assuming responsibility for decisions or new paths. In this article we give Tips for a constructive error culture and clarify the entrepreneurial gain that lies in this cultural change.

7 min.
Patricie Merkert
Photo | P. Merkert

What does "leadership" mean to you, Dr Merkert?

For the Head of Innovation & Technologies at E.G.O. Elektro-Gerätebau GmbH in Oberderdingen, Dr Patricie Merkert, includes Leadership has two aspects: Enabling the development of potential and visionary thinking. In an interview with Sabine Walter, she explains what attracts her to leadership and how she manages to get the best out of people and her teams.

9 min.
Enemies of innovation: Three wise monkeys with money in their ears, on their eyes, in their mouths - netzwerk managementberatung | coaching
Graphic | MoreVector on Shutterstock

Enemies of innovation

In July 2019, the Global Innovation Index Report 2019 published. The report presents the Innovation power of 129 countries worldwide evaluated on the basis of various criteria.

Switzerland is the front-runner for the second time in a row. Germany is in 9th placeThe report invites readers to take a closer look at Germany's innovative strength.

6 min.
Organisational development - High-performance teams: rowing team in a boat - managementberatung | coaching
Photo | Corepics VOF on Shutterstock

From the working group to the team, to the high performance team

In many companies, the term "team" is used as a synonym for a "working group". In this article, we present what distinguishes a team from a working group and what characterises a high-performance team. Our Team check helps you analyse your own team.

5 min.
Joker card floating in the air - competence development - netzwerk managementberatung | coaching
Photo | Quentin Rey on Unsplash

Competence development - a must for sustainable competitiveness

Start of the year - the time of strategy workshops and strategy talks. Even though in many companies this is already carried out in a very structured way, we experience time and again that an essential strategic element is missing: skills development.
The following procedure helps to bring structure and continuity to the process of competence development.

6 min.
Silke Kirsch
Photo | Kirsch

Why do you lead, Ms Kirsch?

Silke Kirsch, executive at international exhibition stand builder Rappenglitz says: No matter who you lead, children, customers or employees, it is always about people. When we see them, value them and give them space for developmentthat would be a big leap towards a better corporate culture and ultimately also towards better togetherness in our society.

7 min.
Corporate governance: Roulette spins
Photo | Aerial Mike on Shutterstock

Corporate governance: growth at any price loses.

Growth is considered an indicator of entrepreneurial success. Annual, ideally double-digit. But growth at any price in an oversaturated society is harmful. Companies and society are already feeling the first consequences: Stress-related illnesses, internal resignation, burnout. In this article, we develop a scenario that shows how healthy growth can emerge. And we raise awareness for alternative key figures and control parameters.

6 min.
Leadership: Riding racing bikes on the track in the group in the slipstream
Photo | Simon Connellan on Unsplash

Leadership is not an end in itself! So what is the point?

Taking on leadership responsibility is defined by many people as a career goal. They want to lead. They want to take on responsibility. But what does it mean to take responsibility in a leadership role? For what and for whom? As executive coaches who accompany leaders in their personal development and that of their teams and companies, we explain in this article what we mean by leadership responsibility.

5 min.
Critical thinking: silhouette of a man's head in front of a blue circle
Photo | Ben Sweet on Unsplash

Critical thinking: For more success in change processes

Change is part of everyday life in today's world. But that does not mean that they succeed. Studies show that three quarters of all change processes initiated in companies fail. Reasons for this include a lack of transparency and emotional, even fear-driven discussions. Critical thinking is both an attitude and an instrument. In the first step, it helps to comprehensively analyse facts in order to communicate them convincingly in the second step.

6 min.
Leadership skills: Human evolutionary series from apes to Homo sapiens
Photo | Usagi-P on Shutterstock

Time for change! Three key leadership competencies in the 21st century.

We are located at the beginning of the 21st century in a fundamental social change. In order to shape this in such a way that we survive as humanity, a fundamental Paradigm shiftl required. We need a culture of trust instead of fear, as well as genuine encounters and sustainable relationships. We need courage and the willingness to take responsibility. - for themselves, for others and for society. In this article we focus on the Leaders in the 21st century and on three key leadership competencieswhich are part of and a prerequisite for this paradigm shift.

4 min.
Agile Leadership: Rugby Team over the Ball
Photo | PHILIPPE MONTIGNY on Shutterstock

Conflict resolution in agile teams

Agile teams with a high level of conflict resolution competency can be recognised by the fact that they have a high level of trust in each other. They have the confidence in themselves as a team to resolve the conflict and they have the ability to recognise the first signs of conflict, to address them constructively and to transform them into a joint solution. The process takes time and should be accompanied by experienced facilitators.

5 min.
Agile Leadership: Yellow sign with the inscription caution watch your step
Photo | Painter-Master on Shutterstock

Agility - Classic stumbling blocks and how to avoid them.

Many companies that agile working The companies that are introducing agile work expect shorter development times, more innovative products or a shorter time-to-market. They are convinced that agile working will enable them to react faster to changes and maintain or restore their competitiveness. So much for the theory. Here, too, practice shows every day anew that there is more to it than painting a new organisational chart and renaming employees Agile Coaches, Scrum Masters and Product Owners.

5 min.
Leadership: Herd of elephants running towards the camera
Photo | Robert Fowler on Shutterstock

Stand up and lead! An appeal for more leadership.

Richard Edelman, head of the eponymous American communications agency Edelman, put it very clearly in his interview with Chelsea Spieker on 22 October. "Stand up and lead!", he urged the leaders from the German business community. The reason for this call was the result of this year's "Trust Barometer", which was compiled by the Edelman agency for the "Made in Germany" seal of quality. It makes clear that the brand "Germany" has suffered damage. This article is therefore about leadershipwhat this means at the beginning of the 21st century, and how it can help to restore confidence in "Made in Germany".

6 min.
Corporate culture: Portrait of an old charismatic man with a penetrating gaze
Photo | Madhav Rajesh on Unsplash

Back to the roots: Real encounters remain a basic need even in digital worlds.

In view of the advancing digitalisation in companies, it is elementarily important that we consciously take time again for real encounters and create space for real encounters. This is also the task of managers. Without these genuine encounters, the emotional bond with companies will continue to decline. As a result, their innovative strength and performance will decline.

4 min.
Self-organisation of teams: Rugby team, one player throws the ball - managementberatung | coaching
Photo | Debby Wong on Shutterstock

Self-organisation: opportunities for teams and companies

The idea of self-organised teams is becoming increasingly popular in business practice. But many questions arise when introducing this management philosophy: To which companies does it fit? How do I get my employees to work independently? Who bears the ultimate responsibility? Do we still need leadership at all? What does this leadership look like? ... We answer some of these questions in this article.

4 min.
Karsten Miermans
Photo | Elwin Rijken

What fascinates you about critical thinking, Mr Miermans?

Our world is complex and very fast-paced. We receive a wealth of information every day and sometimes have to make far-reaching decisions in a fraction of a second. Karsten Miermans from the Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich explains how critical thinking can help us, what exactly is behind it and how we can learn and train it.

20 min.
Play culture in companies: Playing children - netzwerk managementberatung | coaching
Photo | Sunny studio on Shutterstock

Come and play! A plea.

Do you have playrooms in your company? Not yet? Then let's do it. Play is generally attributed to children. But the joy of play is part of our DNA. Inspired by the book "Save Play: Because Life is More than Functioning" by the author duo Hüther / Quarch, we present in this article the benefits that games have for all of us and thus also for companies.

5 min.
Potential unfolding: Slaves rise up and break their chains - netzwerk managementberatung | coaching
Photo | Sergey Shubin on Shutterstock

Break your chains and show what you are.

Lee Iacocca put it this way: "I'm talking about people with fire in their eyes: you just have to look at them to know they're good." And he expressed what we feel when we talk to personalities at regular intervals. After interviewing various personalities from very different areas of business and science, art and culture for our series "Das netzwerk im Gespräch mit ...", we asked ourselves the question: "What unites these people - despite their differences?"

3 min.
Kirsten Wenner
Photo | Jan Camrda

Entrepreneurial talk with Dr Kirsten Wenner

Dr Kirsten Wenner is a specialist in paediatrics and adolescent medicine as well as a neuropaediatrician. She spoke with Sabine Walter about, among other things, how many small precious moments make her profession so wonderful and why remote and online diagnostics will not become permanently established.

6 min.
Karen Funk
Photo: IDG/Foto Vogt

In conversation with Karen Funk

Karen Funk is an editor at the IDG publishing group. She has organised the renowned "CIO of the Year" competition since 2007. She spoke to Sabine Walter about what fascinates her about her job and how good journalism and democracy are connected.

4 min.
Rainer Agster
Photo | GIZ

In conversation with Rainer Agster

Rainer Agster is an environmental engineer and works as a consultant and project manager for adelphi, an independent think tank and leading consultancy on climate, environment and development. Rainer Agster spoke with Sabine Walter about his profession and how he contributes with his projects to making our world a little better.

7 min.
Entrepreneur Horst Biallowons
Photo | Horst Biallowons

Entrepreneurial talk with Horst Biallowons

Horst Biallowons is a journalist and entrepreneur with a passion. Together with his team, he runs the internet platform biallo.de. Sabine Walter spoke with him about how he turned his curiosity into a profession.

4 min.
Leadership: Male lion at rest - netzwerk managementberatung | coaching
Photo | Frida-bredesen on Unsplash

We need heroes. An appeal!

The heroes are dead. We need heroes. The legends of heroes like Siegfried, Homer and Odysseus have long been a thing of the past. And yet the social search for heroes of our time is more topical than ever.

What makes hero:ins? And why do we need them so urgently in this day and age? We would like to answer these two questions in the article.

4 min.
Skittles flying apart - netzwerk managementberatung | coaching
Photo | stockshoppe on Shutterstock

Punching skill - land hits without causing damage

"If only I had..." - this thought often haunts us for days after we have experienced a verbal attack in everyday life or at work. In the moment of surprise, we often lack the composure for a good reaction and the right words. Working on our repartee therefore means working on our attitude. Only then can we use proven tools to leave the situation behind us with a good feeling.

2 min.
Formula 1 pit stop - netzwerk managementberatung | coaching
Photo | Ev. Safronow on Shutterstock

Talk. Clarify. Decide. - To the point in 10-minute meetings.

Meetings are the number one time eater in many organisations. On average, managers lose more than one working day per week to unproductive meetings. This can be changed if meetings are adequately prepared and really conducted. In our Seminar "Talk.Clarify.Decide" you will not only learn how to get to the point in 10-minute meetings.You will also get an overview of three different leadership philosophies: Lean, Management by objectives, Agile leadership.

2 min.
Renate Weiss
Photo | Weiss

In conversation with Renate Weiss

Renate Weiss is the manager of the aran Café in breuningerLAND Sindelfingen. She spoke to Sabine Walter about what she loves about her job and how she manages to ensure that every guest leaves her café with a smile.

5 min.
Organisational Development - Corporate Values: Bare Trees in the Desert - netzwerk managementberatung | coaching
Photo | Parsing Eye on Unsplash

Dead or alive? Corporate values in theory and practice.

Corporate values guide action. Unfortunately, however, there is a discrepancy between theory and practice in many organisations. Read this article to find out why corporate values are important and how to make them tangible.

3 min.
Change Management: Graphic Change. Now! - network management consulting | coaching
Graphic | Claus Pescha

Employees change! About change and the role of role models.

Current studies show it, only about a quarter of all change projects succeed. Many management consultants have been earning money for years by assessing the "change fitness" or "change readiness" of companies. However, this does not have a positive influence on the success of change projects. Why? Because in many change projects the Leaders who initiate these changes are neither permanently involved in the process with their heads and hearts nor do they live the changes as real role models.

7 min.
Leadership Development - netzwerk managementberatung | coaching
Photo | FloridaStock on Shutterstock

Attitude, please! What distinguishes real leaders.

The figures of the latest Gallup Engagement Index are as sobering as ever: About 85% of all employees have little or no emotional attachment to their companywhich translates into "service by the book" or even internal resignation.

An essential The cause of this lack of emotional connection is leaders who do not live up to their role.

3 min.
Addressing conflicts - netzwerk managementberatung | coaching
Photo | ZoneCreative on Shutterstock

That's enough! The way to address conflicts.

Even though conflicts hold opportunities, most people do not welcome them in their private or professional lives. The strategies for dealing with conflict vary: from ignoring it to lashing out. Addressing a conflict at an early stage in such a way that the other person listens and the conversation is constructive is difficult for many people.

2 min.
Communication: Historical microphones on the table - netzwerk managementberatung | coaching
Photo | BrAt82 on Shutterstock

He who asks, leads. How to steer conversations towards a result.

Children can. And they drive us adults almost crazy with the 35th "Why? The motivation behind it is as simple as it is fascinating: Children are curious. They want to discover, they really want to understand. We adults have often forgotten how to ask questions and how to really understand. We assume, presuppose and conclude. Alone. In silence. But the old German saying: "He who asks, leads." still holds true.

2 min.
Agile Leadership: Attitude - The elephant on the bar stool - netzwerk managementberatung | coaching
Photo | IlkerErgun on Shutterstock

Agile leadership - attitude instead of tool.

agility is the new buzzword in the leadership world. Anyone who is not agile has obviously not yet understood it. Agility, it seems at the moment, is - along with digitalisation - the panacea for all problems that companies have. As we experience it, this often leads to grotesque situations. But Agility Is a Mindsetno tools. If companies want to become agile, the main thing is to embody this attitude and create structures in which this attitude can be effective.

3 min.
Learning culture: Lobster - netzwerk managementberatung | coaching
Photo | yellowj on Shutterstock

Be a lobster! On personal growth and learning organisations.

More and more companies are realising that they can only be successful in the long term if they develop themselves in general and their employees in particular. Employees should learn. Constantly. Everywhere. Self-driven. With fun. In our work, however, we experience time and again that the cultural framework conditions in companies often counteract this demand for learning employees.What does that mean? And above all: What can you do differently in your company?

3 min.
Conflict management: pillow fight - netzwerk managementberatung | coaching
Photo | Standret on Shutterstock

It happens in the best families! Why arguments in teams are part of the game.

Who wouldn't want that: a well-functioning team in which the individual members mesh like cogs, complement and support each other perfectly and act like a smooth whole. Accordingly, a lot of time and thought is put into the composition of teams, and new team members are carefully checked for their team skills and "personal fit". Friction is to be avoided as much as possible, because this could be an indication that the cooperation is not running "like clockwork" and that the employees do not yet form a real unit. What is fundamentally overlooked is this: Friction is not caused by distance, but by closeness.

3 min.
Baby highly amazed - PATTA principle - netzwerk managementberatung | coaching
Photo | EvgeniiAnd on Shutterstock

The PATTA principle: Appear professional despite total cluelessness.

For some it is everyday life, for others it catches them on the wrong foot. The request to lead a meeting or to take over an appointment although you have little idea about the content. Below you will find some tips on how to succeed in appearing professional even if you are not an expert in the subject:

2 min.
Leadership: Tango dancing couple - trustful leadership - netzwerk managementberatung | coaching
Photo | Marko Poplasen on Shutterstock

Leading with confidence - duty instead of freestyle

Trust is the basis of a benevolent relationship, of good cooperation. It is even the basis of our own successful further development.

If we trust ourselves and our strengths, we will make different decisions. as if we lack this self-confidence.

5 min.
Meeting culture: Skeletons at the meeting table - managementberatung | coaching
Graphic | Robert Adrian Hillmann on Shutterstock

Time goes by: How to turn time-wasters into productive meetings.

Executives spend between 60-90% of their working time in meetings. They lose more than one working day per week to unproductive meetings, according to a study by the market research company Harris. This is often because meetings are often inadequately prepared, not really led and the simplest ground rules are not followed.

The following tips will help you to increase the productivity of your meetings so that you can make good use of your working time and that of your colleagues.

3 min.
Pop Art Whispering in the Ear - Communication Quality - netzwerk managementberatung | coaching
Photo | Vovanlvanovich on Shutterstock

Actually, you should. What softeners reveal about our personality.

Occasionally you should read this article, because you might take away an impulse. One sentence, four softeners: occasionally, should, sometimes, maybe. This softened language has become an integral part of our daily communication - professionally and privately. Unfortunately. Because it lacks four things: Clarity, commitment, self-confidence and self-assurance.
Language is an expression of our feelings - even the unconscious ones. Therefore, our language reveals a lot about our state of mind, and it says a lot about our personality.

2 min.
Beate Hafner
Photo | Hafner

In conversation with Dr Beate Hafner

Dr Beate Hafner works as a "midwife" for new research ideas. She spoke to Sabine Walter about what she loves about her job and why people like her will still exist in 2050.

4 min.
The fish eats the worm - Präsentationstechnik netzwerk managementberatung | coaching
Photo | Afrika Studio on Shutterstock

The worm must taste good to the fish, not the angler

According to a study by the market research institute INNOFACT, each person in working life spends an average of 100 hours per year creating presentations. 100 hours - that's more than 2 weeks. It is all the more shocking that over 80% of these presentations are rated as boring by the audience.

With these simple basic rules you will manage to make your presentations convincing...

2 min.
Conflict Management: Girls with Boxing Gloves - Streitkultur - netzwerk managementberatung | coaching
Photo | Sunny Studio on Shutterstock

Get into the ring! On the value of the culture of argument.

When we look at companies in the Team development We are often greeted with the message: "Actually, everything is fine with us. We just want to see if we can improve the little things! When asked if there is a lot of arguing in the team, the answer is often a relieved "No.". Fortunately, we don't have any quarrels. There are hardly any conflicts either.

But this relief is deceptive. Because: A healthy and constructive culture of dispute and conflict is an expression of trust.

2 min.
Vittorio Strosek Car Designer
Photo | Anja Wechsler

In conversation with Vittorio Strosek

Vittorio Strosek is a car designer with a passion. He spoke to Sabine Walter about how he has been successfully living his childhood dream for more than 40 years.

3 min.
Leadership: little girl walks the dog - leadership qualities netzwerk managementberatung | coaching
Photo | Vidar Nordli-Mathisen on Unsplash

Long leash - leading at a distance

Mobile working has become an integral part of our working world. But there are companies that, after initial generosity in terms of working hours and location, are restricting mobile working again. One reason for this is the Many managers are afraid of losing control.

In this article we give Tipsas you also lead at a distance in such a way that the result- and goal-oriented work is maintained.

5 min.
Team development - netzwerk managementberatung | coaching
Photo | rawpixel on Unsplash

Team culture - stepchild in change processes

The importance of team culture is often underestimated. This is also a missed opportunity to sustain change processes with a trusting team culture.

When we accompany teams and organisations in their development processes, we pay attention to the subtle subtleties in everyday interactions - verbal and non-verbal. Together with the teams, we reflect on unconscious assumptions, stereotypes and patterns of perception and work out the benefits of the different abilities for teamwork and the company as a whole.

4 min.
Leading meetings successfully - netzwerk managementberatung | coaching
Photo | rawpixel on Unsplash

To the point in 10-minute meetings

Managers spend up to 60% of their working time in Meetings. Half of this time is unproductive.

In our seminar "Reden.Klären.Entscheiden. the participants made meetings from their everyday life more productive by using concrete tips and techniques and thus saved up to five hours per week.

1 min.
Logo brand eins Future Subscription
Graphic: brand eins

The brand eins future subscription - we're in on it!

Continuing education is a matter of the heart: In our work with companies and managers, we experience every day how important the promotion of young people is for our economy. That is why we support the Future subscription of brand eins.

1 min.
Markus Trost and Sabine Walter
Photo | Trost / Pescha

Readers ask - HR experts answer

Under this motto, Computerwoche invites experts to its online career guide every fortnight. Markus Trost, partner at the international HR consultancy Odgers Berndtson, and Sabine Walter answered questions about personal and professional development, among other things.

1 min.
Logbook employee appraisals - netzwerk managementberatung | coaching
Photo: Ania Lewandowska

Staff appraisal logbook

Staff appraisals are a key management toolas the regular exchange improves the cooperation. Our Logbook is a workbookIt Gives structure to your conversations and offers space at the same time, Document important information.

3 min.
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