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About me
My network and I can offer you facilitation services (e.g. moderation of leading-edge projects and other workshops, change management, conflict resolution and team development) as well as training and coaching.
We are passionate about supporting people who are on the road to success – regardless of whether they are German or international work-groups, seminar groups or individuals. The breadth of our varying specialist knowledge and experience enables us to find exactly the right consultant or trainer for every situation.
Both my life and work experience so far have thoroughly convinced me that everyone has their own particular strengths and abilities that they would like to use for the benefit of the whole team. If they can’t achieve this, then something has gone badly wrong!
My particular skill is to enable people to recognise and realise their strengths and to use them in working towards a common success. I get teams to work well with each other, in the same way that in coaching I am able to reconcile conflicting personality traits in such a way that they help rather than hinder the further development of the individual.
Performance
mehr über Merle Runge
Facilitation
At each stage before we start we look at what has happened in the past, the current situation and your requirements. In our experience this preliminary discussion opens up new points of view and constitutes the beginning of the consultancy. Working together we develop pragmatic solutions that match the situation, the people involved and your budget.
Our complete portfolio of services is available in both German and English.
Moderation of Workshops
We guide the discussion process using questions, and help you to visualise both the process and its result. Our knowledge of interpersonal relations allows us to create an atmosphere in which each participant feels free to make a contribution.
In this way, practical and sustainable results are achieved that are fully embraced by all the participants.
Moderation of Project Workshops
Our extensive project management expertise means that we know which questions need to be resolved to enable successful project work. We use our facilitation skills to make sure that each participant can contribute their own particular perspective, their way of working and their abilities and that they can use their energy and, at the same time, have fun, in working towards the common project goal.
In the Project Kick-off Meeting we develop, together with the project leader and the project team, a common understanding of the project goal, the individual roles and responsibilities and the approach. After this workshop the team can start straight away with the project as all essential open questions have been resolved.
In the Project Review Meeting we look back with the project team at the work to date, and develop and plan the opportunities for improvement. Any conflicts arising are dealt with in a constructive, helpful way without any attribution of blame.
In the Project Closure Workshop we bring together everything that has been learned from the project and ensure that there is an appropriate emotional closure. We especially recommend such a project closure meeting even if the project was unsuccessful, as it allows the team members to unburden themselves and to attack the next project full of energy.
Moderation of Virtual Reality Settings
Thanks to the new technologies emerging around Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality, there are exciting new opportunities for collaborative work. Here are two examples:
Shared product development with developers located in different places:
Using a virtual reality headset, developers can see the current state of development of the product as if it were already at the prototype stage. They can see the product from all sides and turn or flip it over as required. Potential alterations can be quickly and easily developed (and often implemented directly on the virtual prototype). The common understanding of developers is better than if they were simply exchanging information about the current status of planning, and travel time, travel costs and jetlag etc. can be avoided.
New forms of citizen participation:
In recent years citizens have become more and more critical of new building developments.
Their minimal or late involvement in the process is increasingly leading to significant time delays and consequent increases in costs. An early involvement of citizens using VR could, for example, allow interested citizens to look at the proposed building using a VR headset and even wander around inside the building. They could express their wishes for changes directly in the VR system and these can then be collected and included in the further plans for the building.
What are we offering here?
Our cooperation partner VR Nerds will look after the technical side. My colleagues and I will be responsible for finding the appropriate communication design to suit your situation and will support you by moderating selected workshops.
Team Development
Every team typically experiences cycles of highs and lows. The highs occur whenever team members are able to direct all their energy towards their project tasks. The lows occur when something is inhibiting the work process (cumbersome work processes, annoying colleagues, a terrible boss…). Our team development measures extend the period of the highs and reduce or remove the periods of the lows. We are typically called in when:
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a new manager has been appointed who wants to get off
to a good start with the team
there are conflicts within the team or with the manager
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the team would like to have a workshop at regular intervals (normally once a year) to reflect on and try to improve their work.
We usually start once we have had a meeting with the manager (and, if appropriate, some preliminary meetings with about half of the team members). This allows us, in conjunction with the manager, to develop and run an appropriate workshop.
In the case of conflict workshops we recommend a follow-up workshop after 3-6 months to ensure a sustainable development.
Future Direction Workshops
You would like to orientate your company (or your team) towards the future. We will support you in this by moderating the necessary workshops, and by ensuring that everyone involved is able to freely express their concerns and suggestions so that they can go along with the new direction. As process consultants we do not replace the business-orientated consultants but rather ensure that their work falls on fertile ground. An overview of our services is given below:
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Development of scenarios
Development of the vision
Development of a model
Strategy development
(in cooperation with Dr. Andreas Kreibich)
Development of a sustainable and profitable business model using the Blue Ocean Strategy method
(in cooperation with Dr. Andreas Kreibich)
Change Management
Change Management Projects
Every organisational change unleashes a plethora of emotions (anticipation, insecurity, fear…). These emotions require an appropriate space in which all their diverse aspects can be aired, so that the change process is not hindered.
Change also raises lots of practical issues that have to be
dealt with before a successful implementation.
Change Management ensures that:
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as many as possible of those involved or affected by the changes understand, accept and support the aim of the changes
structures and processes are functionally appropriate
and that the culture and behaviour of management is appropriate to the changed situation
We can offer you the following support for your planned changes:
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Design of the change management process
Moderation of change workshops
Conflict resolution in large groups
Qualification seminars where there is a need to transfer knowledge about processes (e.g. leading discussions,
project management, moderation)
Seminars on change management
Conflict resolution in large groups
During the change process there is a typical, often very emotional, phase in which opinions are extremely divergent. The point at issue often affects a substantially larger group (frequently more than a hundred people) than a team with the typical number of members. In such a situation we can offer moderation using the Worldwork method.
( in cooperation with Caspar Fröhlich und Lukas Hohler )
With a team of moderators appropriate to the size of the group, we ensure that all the different opinions about the situation and all the different needs of the participants are brought to the surface. In this way a common view of the situation is created and the participants oriented towards
the new direction.
PM Seminar in conjunction with a Project Kick-off Meeting
This combination of workshop and seminar is most appropriate when you:
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want to prepare an as yet inexperienced project team to work on a project and, at the same time, to lay down a good foundation for a successful project
have a team in the hierarchy (e.g. in a department)
which will in future have to manage a lot of projects
and which has not had sufficient training and needs a common understanding of the approach
In the seminar, participants learn about the methods and techniques of project management and work together on 1-3 common projects. In this way shared project management know-how is developed as well as 1-3 project plans that can be directly put into practice. At the same time we ensure that there is a commitment to those agreements that are essential to successful project management and that those agreements are kept to. In this way we ensure the ongoing success of any future projects.
Training
What we do ourselves, we can also train others to do. Depending on your situation and your aim, we can offer you an extensive range of tailor-made seminars. In our training sessions we set great store on making sure that what participants learn can be practised using real-life work situations, and that more time is spent on these training exercises and the subsequent reflection on them rather than on the time spent providing training input. We make sure that there is a pleasant and trusting working atmosphere and we actively manage the group process. A variety of different training methods are used (e.g. plenary discussions, working in small groups, role plays, personal reflection) to ensure continuous attention. There is a lot of laughter in our training sessions – they are great fun. All this taken together ensures a high level of learner success.
Project Management
In a 2-3 day seminar participants learn the basics of project management (the PM way of thinking) and, in small groups, apply these project management methods to two or three current projects. In this way questions that come up in the seminar about the practical application of these methods can be dealt with there and then.
For each of these practice projects a project plan is also created. In addition, the shared working on projects leads to a new perspective on the company and a better understanding of how other departments work.
Inter-cultural Project Work
It is a huge challenge to lead international project teams to success, but it also offers great opportunities for outstanding success if you are able to make use of the differences in the team. This 3-4 day training session has been conceived with inter-cultural groups in mind and is therefore usually conducted in English.
The participants learn the basics of project management and, in small groups, apply these project management methods to two or three current projects. In parallel to the planning process, we also address the typical challenges of international project teams e.g.:
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how decisions are made
how to deal with conflicts
expectations of project leaders
By-products of this seminar include project plans for the practice projects as well as a better understanding of the influence of the participants’ own culture.
Management Development
You would like to develop a group of up-and-coming or potential managers and give them the tools and methods they need to reach a managerial position and build a good network. Our module-based Qualification Programme has been tried and tested over many years and can be customised to meet your requirements. It usually runs for around twelve months and is designed for groups with a maximum of 15 members.
At the start of the qualification process participants are given a project which also lasts for about a year and which is important to the company. The participants acquire the knowledge they need to run a successful project in the individual modules exactly at that point where they can put what they have learned into practice. Running parallel to this, the project team meeting modules are used to promote both individual and team development.
This combination of real project work together with what is being learned in the programme offers many advantages:
the participants can quickly put into practice what they have learned and any issues arising can be dealt with in the next module. For better or worse they have to learn to work with each other and to open themselves up to others; this also creates a network which they can profit from years later when they are in a managerial position. Our professional facilitation of the project ensures that it is successfully brought to completion; if the project has high visibility in the company, the participants are still proud of their project even years later.
My cooperative partners Potenzialwerkstatt offer a similar programme that additionally provides reflection on the individual personality as well as coaching for the participants.
Once this programme has been completed I would recommend following up with the “Leaders Empowered” management development programme.
Management Development Program: "Leaders Empowered”
You are looking for a development programme for your managers that is orientated more towards behaviour rather than method. Then you are in the right place. This completely innovative concept is inspired by the Worldwork method and has been primarily developed by Lukas Hohler
The participants engage in an intensive discussion about their management role and develop their own particular management style that matches the needs of their company. The exercises go much deeper than in the classic management development programmes. What they learn in the programme stays with the participants long after the course is over and allows them to act confidently in a business world that is changing ever more rapidly. The structure of the course will be matched to the needs of your company.
Change Management
The constantly increasing rate of change in the business environment means that companies also have to change ever more quickly. Very often, the results from change programmes have not been fully implemented before the next big change comes along. Employees are often unsettled and long for some stability that in practice never comes. Without professional change management the potential arises for staff resistance, high staff turnover, increased staff sickness and a corresponding increase in costs.
This training course will increase the project management know-how in your company and is aimed at managers and project leaders. The central elements include
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Concepts and models relevant to change management
How individuals deal with changes
How to facilitate change processes as a manager or
project leader
Design of change processes (incl. power and politics)
Project Management Seminar in conjunction with a Project Kick-off Meeting
This combination of workshop and seminar is most appropriate when you:
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want to prepare an as yet inexperienced project team to work on a project and, at the same time, to lay down a good foundation for a successful project
have a team in the hierarchy (e.g. in a department) which will in future have to manage a lot of projects
and which has not had sufficient training and needs a common understanding of the approach
In the seminar, participants learn about the methods and techniques of project management and work together on 1-3 common projects. In this way shared project management know-how is developed as well as 1-3 project plans that can be directly put into practice. At the same time we ensure that there is a commitment to those agreements that are essential to successful project management and that these agreements are kept to. In this way we ensure the ongoing success of any future projects.
Coaching for Project Leaders
and Managers
The coaches in our network have studied various methods of coaching. What is common to all of us however is that we work with the systemic approach and we promote your personal development based on your strengths.
In the first meeting you get to know your coach and we establish common goals and agree how long the coaching will last. If desired, your manager or a representative from the personnel department can take part in the meeting. If the chemistry is right, you will meet your coach at regular intervals to work on your particular topics. The coaching process ends with a final review meeting where you reflect on your work together and on how you have developed.
My network partners are located throughout Germany and there is almost certainly one available near you.
How we work
We have available a wide range of concepts and methods that we can apply to every situation.
Methods and Sources of Inspiration
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Systemic consultancy
Moderation methods based on the work of Karin Klebert
Simultaneous visualisations
Project management
Cultural aspects when designing inter-cultural cooperation
Worldwork
Organisational development based on the work of
Friedrich Glasl
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A variety of approaches from communication psychology (e.g. from Schulz von Thun)
Outdoor exercises
In addition the consultants in our network have often mastered special methods (e.g. the Blue Ocean method or Six Sigma).
Worldwork
Worldwork is based on the process-oriented psychology developed by Arnold und Amy Mindell in the 1970s and has been used in developing organisations, as well as in conflict resolution within groups.
It has been influenced by various approaches from psychology, but also from physics. This has led in many cases to a new insight into processes that often opens up new opportunities for solving problems.
Using the Worldwork approach, conflicts can be worked on and dealt with not only on the rational and emotional level, but also on the assumption of the existence of an intentional level. Central to this approach is a focus on the construction, the manifestation and the experience of the area of conflict.
Once all the levels of manifestation and experience
even experiences that are difficult to express - have been included and worked on, the area of conflict develops by itself and moves in a new direction that enables new insights and opportunities for resolution (in a similar way to the dialogue method). The key questions in Worldwork are: how is this area of conflict trying to develop? Which direction is it heading in?
Worldwork has proved its value in working with a variety of organisations (multinational companies, SMEs, NGOs but also with administrations and prisons), as well as in a variety of areas of conflict (former war zones, conflicts in the public sphere, community disputes, victim-perpetrator mediation). If you would like to learn more, you can find an introduction to the method presented by Dr. Max Schupbach, a Worldworker who has greatly inspired me.
From first contact to the end of the process
My whole network and I distinguish ourselves through our cooperative approach. We see ourselves as the experts in processes and you as the experts in the business content and context.
We work very respectfully. We recognise the strengths of each individual and the unique contribution they bring. We give our participants the courage to follow their own path in their own way, and we support learning for groups and individuals.
We make use of humour in our work and believe it is very important for participants to have fun in the sessions.
This is how we are able to create a relaxed atmosphere in which everyone feels welcome and feels not only able to, but also ready to do their best. At the same time we will tackle difficult topics openly and respectfully wherever this is necessary for the current process.
When choosing appropriate measures for you we are always pragmatic and keep your requirements in mind. My network consultants will never try to sell you more than you actually need.
References
Here you can find a selection of the clients I have previously worked with.
I can give you some contact names on request.
Contact
Are you interested in our services, have any questions or would like to set up a meeting?
I am always available for a personal conversation.
Call me on (+49) 174 91 123 94
or use the form beside to contact me
You will find us at the following address :
Merle Runge
facilitating cooperation
Mathildenstrasse 17
20357 Hamburg
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