discontent is growing. The news magazine Focus recently pointed out: “Companies
do not want to spend more money for lax seminars or discussion groups with an
uncertain benefit” (see Focus 10/2004, pp. 184–185).
How can benefits be guaranteed in practice? Three examples illustrate this: the
mobile phone company Vodafone’s executives were recently sent to the seminars to
act as observers. In addition, supervisors should keep track whether and how their
staff implement new knowledge in practice. At the consumer goods group Henkel,
employees need to pass a computer-aided entry test before they can attend a seminar.
And the insurance provider Gerling is currently discussing the introduction of an
electronic diary to document the success of the seminar.
One thing is certain: though a simple questionnaire after the seminar can show
that the participants (subjectively) are satisfied with the contents presented, this
does not necessarily mean that they actually learned or understood what was taught
them, let alone that they can apply it.
4.1.3 Insights: Systemic Seminar Practice
After these remarks on the structural conditions of the new leadership development
models, I would now like to provide some rough ideas on how seminar content can
be shaped:
The Academy offers practice-based systemic leadership seminars. These seminars
focus on the key skills, tools and features of systemic and interpersonal leadership
as well as self-awareness, personal responsibility, interpersonal skills, openness and
trust, group dynamics, vision, work, conflict management, change management and
conducting employee interviews, simultaneously working on the respective issue
and at the relationship level.
Managers should take the idea of lifelong learning seriously and work constantly
on their self-perception and relationship management. There are seminars and coa-
ching on topics such as reflecting on your own leadership behavior, integrating your
personality and leadership style, as strategies for difficult leadership situations, and
communication.
4.1.3.1 From the Symptoms to the Causes
The Academy teaches management tools and enhances participants’ leadership
personalities, allowing them to both upgrade their methodological toolbox and
refine their personal skills.
Our trainers and process consultants function primarily as “supporters” in the
development of independent problem solutions by managers and employees. Thus,
the CEO who initially gave the consultant the task of just motivating the team
develops the insight to ask: “How can I as the CEO prepare our business for
the future together with my managers and employees?” And in the end not the
symptoms are processed, but the causes.
200 4 More Than Just Talking or: The Instruments of Systemic Leadership