Tag Archive for: New learning

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Leadership in the storm of change

Change is an inevitable constant in our lives. Sometimes we can influence it, but most of the time we cannot. What is new is the dynamic and speed with which we are confronted with change. What we need is a plan on how to adapt to change quicker and build a higher resilience to negative news, because a differentiated view of change processes will continue to produce this in the future. What will always be in our own hands, however, is our personal attitude and approach to it. As leaders, we are expected to act as role models and show others the way – this is no easy task, even for seasoned leaders. Fortunately, there are ways to adapt to change and even to use advantage of it…

A Conscious Approach to Change

The following overview includes helpful and proven methods and concepts for confidently dealing with change processes. They do not claim to be exhaustive, but are rather intended to serve as inspiration and to point to the multifaceted possibilities of actively shaping supposedly negative changes in our environment. If we succeed in understanding change as energy, which we can harness for ourselves in the form of opportunities, we are well on the way to braving the storm and using its winds to drive our own mills.

“When the wind of change blows, some build walls and others windmills” (Chinese proverb).

Giving space for feelings

It is good to talk about feelings, also as a leader. Especially when dealing with unwanted change, it is important to give space to negative feelings such as fear, anger or disorientation. As we know, emotions are very powerful. However, research shows that it is important to leave this phase early. In this way, the path can be prepared for us to engage with the change and be ready to work on constructive solutions. As a leader, it is important that we also give our team the space to openly express their feelings. Often there are already different assessments of the same issue in the team, which opens up new perspectives for the individual. It is then important to show the way out of this space and to move on to finding solutions. In this process, participation and transparency should be made possible, as far as the framework conditions allow, so that all those affected by the change can participate.

Harnessing stress

Your reaction to stress has a greater impact on your health and success than the stress itself. If we believe stress harms us, it will. If we believe that stress is trying to carry us over a major obstacle or through a challenging situation, we open up the possibility of becoming more resilient and possibly even living longer, as Stanford psychologist Kelly McGonigal argues in her essay “The Upside of Stress“. You can also find her TED Talk here. In any case, it is worthwhile for us to escape stress, even if only temporarily, by using it as an impetus to go through a process of change more rapidly. If we manage to come up with a goal of change that is so positive and desirable that far surpasses the status quo, it can even transform that stress into so-called eustress, which spurs us on and keeps us focused on the goal.

Focus on values

Remembering what is important to us – personal beliefs and, family, friends, religious beliefs, achievements in our lives, have what it takes to create an anchor for building resilience in the face of perceived problems. Just thinking about it has been proven to be effective. In the role of the leader, we not only have the organisation’s definition of values at our disposal. It can also be unofficial values of the team which have been lived successfully in the past and which contribute to a positive identification with the team. They can also be our own values, which we share bilaterally with team members, for example, about the courage of a certain fictional or real heroic figure whom we admire and whose values unite us. We thus arouse energy to want to preserve this value and create a sense of community within a social value system, which gives us additional security and resilience via the group.

Recognising change as the new normal

As adaptive leaders, we see change, whether intentional or unintentional, as an expected human experience rather than a tragic anomaly that unfortunate people fall victim to. Instead of feeling personally attacked by negative events and an unfair universe, we see an inevitable pendulum swing of things. Every high will also be followed by a low – every low gives way to the next high.

Humour helps with change

And last but not least, we should also consider unconventional methods…. That humour can have a healing effect, we know from numerous studies in clinics, where from comedians up to clowns not only put a smile on people’s faces with their humour, but also give courage and strength for their personal situation by creating happy moments in these difficult situations.

Trying to find a funny moment in an otherwise unfunny situation can be a fantastic way to create the levity needed to see an annoying problem from a new perspective. It can also help others feel better about themselves.

It is important that we strike an inclusive and respectful tone when doing so. A good rule of thumb is that other people’s arguments are no laughing matter, but ego-related statements, about how we deal with things and the impact of change processes on our own everyday life can serve as a projection screen. We make ourselves approachable and show that we are carrying our baggage, waiting along through the same quagmire, but not letting it take away our lightness and optimism. A funny metaphor, such as a fictional person who has clumsily done everything imaginable wrong, can also be helpful if we ourselves do not want to or cannot take on this role. Such humour quickly rubs off and has what it takes to lift mood and motivation and thus make it easier to go through the change process.

Our Learnings…

We can state that change is an omnipresent constant that we as leaders will encounter even more frequently and more distinctly in the future. In order to do justice to our role, it is important that we first reflect on how we deal with it ourselves and become aware of our possibilities for shaping it. There are many methods and concepts available to us for this purpose. Some important ones are:

  • Giving space for feelings – briefly and intensively
  • Making stress usable – as an impulse
  • Focusing on values – our own and those of our social environment
  • Recognising change as a new normal – as a constant
  • Humour helps to heal – ourselves and others

Have you already found your own ways to use the wind of change for yourself? Let’s exchange ideas on this. We are looking forward to your ideas!

Written by: Patric Huchtemeier

You create the future!
This is something we’re good at.

 

 

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Conceptathon – a future format that is fun!

Concepta…what? You’ve probably never heard of a conceptathon. This brand new future format of New Learning comes directly from the TCJG forge and is full of teamwork, collaboration and visible end results.

This workshop design has its roots in the agile world and follows the approach: learning by doing. Within three days, concepts for pre-defined cases are developed in small groups – intensively and innovatively. Alternating between short inputs, units, and workflows according to the sprint logic and pitches of the interim results. Everyone can play to their strengths and push themselves out of their comfort zone. Everything for the grand finale, the final pitch and the opportunity to learn how to deliver quality conception work quickly.

We were able to prove in our pilot that this does not only mean spinning heads and hard work, but is also really fun!

10 people worked for three days on three different concept challenges and the results were overwhelming: multi-media, complex, agile and with a lot of heart and soul.

We’ll take you on a little Conceptathon journey and sum up at the end.

And if you want to learn more about the future format beforehand: You can find our blog here.

At the Conceptathon, we didn’t hesitate for long. We took enough time to arrive, meet the group and define our expectations and goals (TCJG top tip here: Expectations and goals are perfect as a task in the run-up; the group already deals with the topic of conception and the anticipation of the workshop rises), but we also quickly got to the part that everyone was looking forward to: the presentation of the cases and thus the kick-off of the Conceptathon.

In the case groups, they first familiarised themselves with their own task, did research (also with the clients as interview partners), then, after inspiring input on the topic of goal definition, formulated it (a step that many have always liked to skip in the past) and bundled and expanded the collected findings in a rough concept.

Aha results guaranteed

This is where the first aha experiences took place: The change of perspective presented the first challenge to one or the other. To empathise with the client(s), to ask the right questions and to explore the case without immediately finding a solution was a task that our participants sometimes had to work hard at. Their heads were already bubbling over with creativity and ideas – then taking a step back and looking at the requirements can be frustrating, but it is necessary.

The results then spoke for themselves: our groups were able to get to the heart of their cases and prepare their rough concepts in such a way that creativity could be given free rein on day 2 – without having to deal with legacy issues from the previous conceptual step.

And there was something else we learned: The templates and small aids we prepared for our participants served us well during the event. They provide orientation and give the group the chance to concentrate on the essentials: Conception.

Even after the event, the team spirit continued to be fuelled: over pizza and vino, we laughed, exchanged ideas and recharged our batteries for the next day!

Day 2 – Conceptathon – the creative minds are activated

The group started day 2 highly motivated, and things got off to a dynamic start, because we wanted to fill our concepts with life.

But first the theory: together we worked out which methods, formats and media we could best use at which point in our learning structure. What achieves the greatest effects? What helps us reach our goals best? What out-of-the-box possibilities have we not yet considered?

This got the creative heads activated and prepared them well for the rest of the day. It was precisely these results that could be used for the further development of the cases. The participants were able to be creative in their fine structure, use funky formats and work out architectures with great attention to detail.

Intensive work units with clear objectives, feedback sessions and slack time alternated again and again. We were amazed at how many ideas we could spin together in such a short time and, thanks to the previously prepared structure, steer them in a productive direction.

In the evening, the creative work continued: even the rain couldn’t stop us from having a BBQ. So the grill master got a roof over his head and the group set up the buffet indoors. With homemade salads from the team and conversations about things that are currently on our minds, it tasted even better.

Day 3 – Conceptathon – The Grand Finale

The grand finale – but by no means was the air out!

On the last day of the Conceptathon, our participants really stepped on the gas, put the finishing touches on their concept and produced material.

The final pitches and presentations of the concept consequently had it all: from 360° videos to trainer guides for workshops and passionate explanations, everything was there, and our participants set off a real concept firework!

Of course, it was difficult to decide on the best concept, which is why we quickly declared everyone a winning team and celebrated our new team spirit together with a visit to the wine bar!

Our event was rounded off with an intensive reflection on the last few days. What did the participants take away? What will they do differently now? Were they able to achieve their goals from the beginning of the event?

One sentence in particular stuck in our minds: “Now I finally know what should really matter in my job!”, one of our participants openly shared with us, thus giving us high praise.

We said goodbye as a team, as conceptathonists and with a lot of motivation for our next concept work!

Our conclusion: A future format that makes fun!

Our conclusion for the Conceptathon is entirely positive: It really is a future format that is fun!

With a lot of creativity, collaboration and dynamism, it helps teams to set a focus and get down to work in a short time. A conceptathon is suitable for a wide range of topics, strengthens individual competences and produces immediately visible results: finished concepts.

Our Conceptathon already had kids. See here the Main-Donau-Isar Projekt.

 

Would a Conceptathon be something for you and your team? You want to see visible results quickly and take your conceptual work to the next level? Then get in touch with us and we’ll realise your New Work Booster together!

 

Written by: Victoria Durner

You create the future!
This is something we’re good at.

 

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Conceptathon – a New Work booster

15.06.2022

Ever heard of a conceptathon? Nope? No wonder. It’s actually a brand new format of New Work and New Learning that combines teamwork, collaboration and learning with immediately usable work results in the field of conception. And it does so with a lot of fun and a high level of energy. That’s what the Conceptathon is – a New Work Booster.

Conceptathon reminds of Hackathon

To be honest, the basic idea of the Conceptathon is not all that new. It has its roots in hackathons known since the turn of the millennium in hardware and software development.

These are IT developers meetings limited in time, first in the presence and later also in the virtual environment. They pursue the goal of collaboratively developing products or finding solutions to specific challenges during the meeting. From classic hackathons, the public is familiar with large quantities of pizza boxes and all kinds of technology that the developer needs to creatively design the tasks set. You could say they have made a reputation for themselves as mega pizza parties, where a lot of creative competition packed into agile sprints ensures a lot of fun and output.

Conceptathon has agile roots

And that’s where the Conceptathon comes in. This format also relies on collaborative design and a good team spirit to achieve high-quality work results in a short time. The Conceptathon also focuses on fun and creativity and the basic design is in sprints. So it is in no way inferior to the Hackathon and appreciates its qualities and experience. Especially since the Hackathon, as a prototype of agile working, practised the principles of New Work in its purest form early on.

Learning by doing in Conceptathon

And yet the Conceptathon is very different from its relative. That starts with the general conditions. It is true that the Conceptathon also offers suitable catering, but with a different focus: fresh fruit and snacks with food for the brain. Conceptathons are also planned for several days. The nights, however, are for regeneration and the breaks and evenings are for relaxing, often with the team. While at hackathons everything is preferably darkened, conceptathons deliberately open doors and windows and let the light in or move straight outside into nature.

The real difference, however, lies in the format itself. The Conceptathon – a New Work Booster – supplements collaborative learning and working with small teaching nuggets at the beginning and end of a sprint. I.e. during the meeting, the product development is supplemented with suitable learning impulses that then inspire the joint concept work. In this way, not only is something co-created, but at the same time a targeted individual competence development takes place.

As the name suggests, learning and working at Conceptathon revolves around the theme of “conception”. In many ways, a participant in a Conceptathon can increase his/her ability to create concepts while at the same time designing concepts.

This process is supported by these attitudes or methods:

  • The idea of the “Wisdom of the crowd”, i.e. many people working together have a more holistic perspective and more options for finding solutions than just one person
  • The New Work principles of “collaboration” and “co-creation“, the understanding and methods of how to effectively implement collaborative working
  • The New Learning understanding that learning is best done by doing and on demand
  • The approach that learning facilitators as guides, as we say at TCJG, give impulses that promote empowerment instead of imparting knowledge
  • The framework of Design Thinking, which can be used not only for excellent product development but also for the development of concepts

Conceptathon – a New Work Booster

A conceptathon can be held over 2 days, but it is preferable to run it over 3 days. A longer duration is not recommended, as experience has shown that the concentration decreases.
Design of a camp that works with a team of 5-7 people and a guide is recommended. The number of participants is scalable with a simultaneous increase in the number of learning guides. This camp can also be significantly larger at any time if the framework conditions allow.

These conditions should be met:

  • Sufficiently large room with individual working areas for each participant, but also collaboration areas and chill-out areas
  • Provision of technical equipment (e.g. computers) and creative material
  • Space or format that allows all participants to meet together from time to time during the course of the workshop
  • Availability of healthy catering
  • Offer socialising and team-building sessions

Conceptathons can be organised in fixed working teams or in Mix-Max groups. They are suitable for the “real world”, for example as presence camps and are recommended by us, but they also function just as well in the virtual world as remote sessions.

In order to test the ability to create concepts, suitable topics should be available. Either the participants themselves bring topics or the organiser provides appropriate topics and, if necessary, resources.

The design of a conceptathon can be varied. A pure open space is just as suitable as a theme-based format, such as the joint development of workshops or learning nuggets, or the creation of decision-making templates for new ideas of one department.
Either way, the Conceptathon is a New Work Booster. And a learning booster at that.

Many good reasons for a Conceptathon

The added value list of Conceptathons is as long as its possible applications.
Here are just a few selected reasons why Conceptathon – is a New Work Booster.

  • Participants build up individual competences in the field of systematics and structure as well as expertise in concept work and agile working
  • Collaborators experience community work and train collaboration with a view to output
  • Participants experience teaching and learning at eye level and understand the importance of sharing and caring in the context of New Work
  • Participants learn a variety of methods, e.g. design thinking or Scrum techniques as well as creative work and argumentation
  • The investment in learning has an immediate effect: directly usable concepts for the utilisation of the learning process

The Conceptathon is an open source Zeitgeist L&OD format by The Company Journey Guides.

You shape the future.
This is something we´re good at.

This article was written by Eva-Maria Danzer.

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Creating the future with 3D mapping

26.11.2021

The current time requires constantly to deal with challenges and to deal with change. There are many forms of facing these topics. Most of these formats are very rational. With 3D mapping, a completely different approach is practiced: in a creative and intuitive way, approaches to solutions are found and developed. Creating the future with the help of 3D Mapping.

And what exactly is 3D mapping?

An organizational development method created by the Presencing Institute and used primarily by teams dealing with change and challenges. 3D Mapping provides the ability to visually map a system or issue or idea and look at how it might evolve from multiple dimensions and perspectives.

The strength of this method lies in the fact that participants think out of their heads, work with their hands and create a model together. One does not think about the current situation and its possible development.

In a creative and intuitive development process the image of “reality” is created. If the knowledge of one’s own hands is trusted, one does not fall back into habitual ways of thinking about the present and imagine the future as a continuation of the existing, but it is very likely that new ways will be discovered. And that is exactly what creating the future with the help of 3D mapping is.

Creative techniques are used and different creative materials are employed. At first glance, it looks a bit like a DIY session, but it is an innovative method that has long since gained recognition in the business world. At the latest after Design Thinking has conquered the stage.

3D Mapping in 3 steps

Before ideally 4-7 participants start creating the model of their system or their issue, it is made clear what the intention is and what the focus of the mapping is.

The first step is then to create a mapping that represents the current state of a system. Each object in the model represents a different element, quality or stakeholder of the system.

In the second step, team participants reflect on the model from four different perspectives and with different questions. This gives the participants the opportunity to each develop a different view of the existing system from a different archetypal perspective.

In the third step, the participants design the future based on the insights gained. To do this, they change the model in such a way that it better represents the new future they want to bring into the world.

Afterwards, the overall process is reflected upon and measures can be derived to solve or redesign the problem. As a rule, these measures are characterized by the fact that they get to the point and prioritize themselves immediately. In addition, there is no need to call in a committee of implementers. This has already been done in the process.
That’s probably why this method is so powerful. It is sustainable.

An example: 3D mapping in a nursing facility

A few weeks ago, we implemented this process of 3D mapping with the care management team of a nursing facility. It was incredible to see the emotions that immediately come into play when this format is used. We experienced emotionally heavy moments, but also very touching ones.

The members of the team got into a good flow very quickly when creating the model and, without consulting each other, created the current situation in an intuitive and creative way.

For us as process facilitators it was nice to observe how the people in this team trusted each other, worked together and protected and supported each other. Thus, there was a necessary stability to create what emerged.

The process starts with an AS IS picture

When the work began, the energy in the room changed noticeably, it became visibly heavy and oppressive. This energy was also reflected in the model: Although the good unity of the team members was evident here as well, heaviness and chaos dominated in many places. Many walls, demarcations, no cooperation. On the contrary, in many areas there was a recognizable counteraction and watching each other.

When the team members reflected on the model, everyone was quickly aware that a change had to be made promptly. One statement was “if you look at the model longer, you would like to run away”. This statement sums up the image and energy in the room well. However, there were also statements of encouragement. In reference to the leadership team, the terms “love” and “our unity” fell; in reference to the nursing facility, the potential and spirit of the home was emphasized.

After creating the current situation and reflecting on the model, the leadership team was mentally and physically exhausted. This was a completely normal process, as they had been very intensively involved in this process. We paused here in the process and did not design the future model until two more weeks had passed. This allowed the team members to reflect on the process again in peace, to gain some distance and to shape the future with fresh energy.

3D Mapping process

The second step is about future

At the beginning of the second session, experiences and insights from the first session were reflected upon once again. Afterwards, the team members set about designing the future with great enthusiasm.

Very quickly they were back in the flow. And without any consultation, one change after the other was made to the model. What a difference it was from the last time!

A lot of lightness unfolded in the room. A very light energy and love were noticeable, the true spirit of the house spread. There was nothing of the leaden heaviness of the last time, which also affected the team members. The team energized and motivated. And for all to see the weight that had fallen from the shoulders of the team members and how a breath of fresh air could take place. That was constructive and effective future design with 3D mapping.

The presented future shows a picture of understanding and togetherness. Looking at the model, the team members were able to quickly develop initial ideas on how to achieve this future. They are very optimistic and motivated to create this ideal image together – with the nursing staff – and to make the house a unique place for the residents and relatives.

3D Mapping process

3D Mapping process

For us, it was a fulfilling task to be able to support the nursing management team in finding a way to shape the future and we are also pleased to be able to accompany them for a while.

 

Want to know more about 3D mapping process?

Please contact us.

This case was written by Julia Winkler.