Organizational development – Resilient corporate culture

In a time when markets and products are changing rapidly, we need agility to increase our adaptability and innovative strength.

Agility

• increases flexibility & mobility
• enables a proactive approach to challenges
• is NOT a tool for increasing efficiency
• requires a new understanding of leadership
• requires a strict framework with clear rules

A consulting culture that is far removed from hierarchical communication is a powerful tool for a learning organization with high resilience, and establishing such a culture is an important building block for developing sustainable solutions that incorporate as many perspectives as possible.

Consulting culture

• is “mature” when it is objective
• determines the meeting culture
• defines the guidelines for a learning culture within the company
• frees people from silo thinking and enables swarm intelligence
• has an impact even in casual conversations

The more complex, dynamic, and therefore challenging the business environment becomes, the more appropriate change management is required and urgently needs to be updated for a resilient company—as “Change 5.0.”

Change 5.0

• is future-oriented change management through participation
• puts the focus on the workforce and turns employees into shapers
• works with individual personalities and strengths
• creates acceptance instead of resistance
• is empowerment instead of passivity

Successful teams are characterized by different personalities and strengths—contrary to what one might think at first glance, diversity management is not about factors such as cultural differences, age, or gender.

Diversity management

• Consciously uses different strengths for team building
• Increases problem-solving skills through diverse perspectives and approaches
• Boosts creativity and innovation
• strengthens team dynamics and cooperation (also through greater awareness of diversity)
• contributes to the personal and professional development of all team members

Empowerment means not only promoting the individual strengths of each person, but also developing a new definition of cooperation and participation that goes hand in hand with a high degree of autonomy for teams.

Empowerment

• activates the workforce as creators
• promotes and challenges the strengths of individuals
• increases identification with the company
• also means self-management
• is an important response to the increasing pull of transformation

A healthy failure culture that highlights the potential for change requires trust and open communication. When mistakes lead to growth, error culture becomes learning culture.

Failure culture

• allows course corrections
• reveals potential for improvement
• is essential for creativity and innovation
• reduces resistance as transparency increases
• requires leadership as a role model

At its core, gender equality is about inclusion and equal opportunities at their best, and it raises awareness of prejudice.

Gender conscious communication

• prevents exclusion through words or actions
• dispels prejudice
• contributes to personal and collective growth
• enhances the potential of individual strengths
• promotes successful teams

Hierarchy has a strong influence on a company's culture and sets guidelines for communication and employee participation.

Hierarchy

• stands for “top down” instead of “bottom up”
• ensures clarity in responsibilities and decision-making
• often stands in the way of an open communication culture based on equality
• inhibits innovation and flexibility
• impairs the feedback and consultation culture

Innovative strength within a company is not only synonymous with the continuous development of its own business model, products, and processes. It is also a prerequisite for turning crises into change and innovation and for ensuring a high level of acceptance of new circumstances.

Innovative strength

• stands for new products and services
• turns the risk of disruption into potential for the company
• ensures the development of new markets
• encourages continuous learning and knowledge transfer
• depends on a culture of learning from mistakes

Job sharing is an innovative form of work organization that offers flexible opportunities to unlock the potential and strengths of employees.

Job sharing

• distributes responsibility across several shoulders
• combines complementary expertise
• combines resources
• broadens perspectives through feedback and reflection
• ensures greater equality of opportunity

A successful communication culture within a company is based on strong values and the development of a vision for both internal and external communication.

Communication culture

• says a lot about the hierarchy in practice
• defines how people work together
• sets the guidelines for participation
• requires leadership by example
• needs everyone to be on the same level

A company's learning culture is essential to its ability to transform and ensures its competitiveness.

Learning culture

• is the foundation of a learning organization
• increases employee participation
• requires self-management on the part of individuals
• means growth and progress
• makes a culture of mistakes obsolete

Meetings are a valuable tool for shaping collaboration and communication within a company – and the meeting culture that is practiced is crucial to this.

A good meeting culture

• allows everyone to have their say (regardless of hierarchy)
• creates transparency and efficiency
• ensures growth and transformation
• captures diverse perspectives
• is essential for successful teams

Sustainability as a meaningful momentum must be part of every company's vision and strategy.

Sustainability

• is one of the most important drivers of change
• secures the future
• requires authenticity and holism
• increases a company's attractiveness
• contributes to EVERYONE

Organizational development ensures that a company can adapt to increasingly complex challenges.

Organizational development

• is essential for future viability
• does not happen by itself
• must be driven by leadership
• increasingly motivates the workforce
• includes cultural change

Participation is the foundation for agility and innovative strength.

Participation

• increases identification with the company
• changes hierarchy and cooperation
• requires trust on all sides
• makes self-efficacy tangible
• increases proactive action as complexity increases

Qualification ensures the further development of the company and is a prerequisite for a learning organization.

Qualification

• provides new impetus
• increases identification with the company
• increases attractiveness as an employer
• thrives on commitment and space provided by leadership
• requires awareness among the workforce

In times of complex challenges, resilience is the backbone of a company, enabling it not only to overcome crises but also to learn from them.

Resilience requires

• a strong workforce
• a strong corporate culture
• strong identification
• strong leadership
• strong teamwork

System thinking brings together initially isolated perspectives and reveals the “big picture.”

System thinking

• produces holistic and sustainable solutions
• involves the workforce and requires diversity
• must be trained
• increases innovative strength
• makes complexity tangible

Teams are the driving force behind a company and promote innovation, efficiency, and future viability.

Successful teams

• promote a positive corporate culture
• communicate on an equal footing
• combine diverse strengths and thereby maximize their potential
• increase commitment through shared goals
• enhance the sense of belonging

Entrepreneurial spirit in particular gives the company wings.

Entrepreneurial spirit requires

• a high level of identification with the company
• trust through leadership
• empowerment of the workforce
• a tangible sense of self-efficacy
• a high sense of responsibility

A vision is the goal you have in mind and the driving force that propels you forward in your work.

A vision

• reflects the values and culture of the company
  
• helps you understand the “big picture”
  
• motivates you to want to contribute to the success of the company
• sets the direction and helps you define the course of your own actions
• helps you deal with setbacks

Values are essential for a successful corporate culture and must not only be formulated, but also lived.

Values

• require authenticity
• define how we work together
• require leadership as a role model
• increase the attractiveness of a company
• are reflected in the business model and supply chain

The letters XYZ stand for the numerous other pieces of the puzzle that pave your individual path to a resilient (or more resilient) corporate culture.

XYZ stands for

• Get started!
• Every step counts!
• Raise awareness!
• Two steps forward, one step back!
• Empower yourself and others!

The goal of organizational development is to improve structures, processes, and corporate culture in a targeted manner in order to sustainably increase an organization's performance and adaptability. The focus is on empowering employees. Participatory approaches and conscious further development of the organization strengthen employee involvement and promote cooperation. This not only prepares the company for changes resulting from technological innovations, market developments, or the legal environment—such as the Supply Chain Act—but also ensures that it proactively secures its competitive edge through innovative strength. It proactively secures its competitiveness through innovative strength. Organizational development includes measures such as change management, team development, and leadership development, and promotes cultural change. It involves the gradual empowerment of the workforce and increasing their involvement in shaping transformation. Through continuous reflection (consulting) and adaptation, the organization becomes more sustainable, efficient, and future-proof.

Due to the growing complexity and dynamism that companies have to face, “change” is no longer just an isolated project, but a permanent state that requires the vigilance and innovative strength of the entire workforce. Conservative organizational forms are not up to these requirements. Empowerment and participation are becoming essential, and the role of leadership is also changing. Consciously addressing your own organizational development for the systematic (further) development of structures, processes, and culture is becoming a necessity. These are processes that require empowerment, patience, and commitment at all levels. They ensure the future viability of a company and are essential on the path to becoming a learning organization.

Organizational development and corporate culture cannot be viewed in isolation; they influence each other. Successful organizational development strengthens employee commitment and gradually empowers the entire organization. It benefits from a strong culture and, at the same time, influences it by systematically changing values, norms, and behaviors. Through targeted measures in communication and collaboration, conscious organizational development promotes an open, innovative, and learning-oriented culture. It thus makes a significant contribution to the development of a resilient corporate culture that supports success and meaning in the long term. At the same time, a resilient culture provides the breeding ground for successful organizational development.

Leadership plays a central role in creating a resilient organization. Through clear communication, trust, and an open culture of error, managers foster a positive working atmosphere in which employees can respond flexibly and proactively to change. They focus on continuous learning, promote innovation, and support employees in overcoming challenges. Through strategic planning, risk management, and a strong corporate culture, they strengthen the organization's resilience. Empathetic and visionary leadership motivates teams to overcome crises together and continuously develop—making the organization resilient to uncertainty and change.

When implementing organizational development and resilience-promoting measures, there is a risk that changes will be perceived as a threat, that resistance will arise among employees (regardless of their position in the company), and that measures will not have a lasting effect. To meet these challenges, open communication, transparent involvement, and gradual activation of employees are crucial. The keyword here is empowerment at all levels. In addition to the workforce, managers must also be sensitized and trained to pave the way for new organizational design and development processes. Change from within creates a positive transformation culture in which successes are made visible and resources are allocated in a targeted manner.