Think before you start
One of our customers was going to change their corporate approach to delivering products and services. In order to implement the changes successfully, employees needed a new way of thinking and needed to be open to incorporating this into their reference framework and the way they worked. Our Business Agility coaches were called in to achieve this, and they designed a number of different workshops.
Our workshops allow participants to explore ideas relating to business, operational and organizational agility. Not just following a fixed script, but instead allowing enough freedom for the client to translate it into the language of their own specific business domain. Some of these ideas may feel counter-intuitive or trigger emotions that cause resistance. For example, many people believe that the more you want to deliver, the more things you need to do at the same time. We show them how focusing on fewer things increases efficiency. This is, for example, the domain of operational agility.
Charlotte Zenner, Business Agility Coach
Before starting on something like this, the most important thing is that you can see the goal clearly in your mind. Simon Sinek certainly confirms this with his Start With Why. Let's say the goal was to instil new ways of thinking and create belief in change. The workshops that were organized around this therefore demanded changes in their design in order to create the right atmosphere and make these objectives achievable. In workshops like these, there is a need for trust, both in each other as well as in the facilitator. You can design this trust, and it starts right at the beginning.
Consciously build the foundations
We believe that the meeting begins well before the call actually starts. Take your time when writing the invitation and make the participants think about things in advance. Think of it like a wedding – part of the fun is the preparation. Buying an outfit, finding a gift, getting your hair done, it's all part of the ceremony. We often ask participants to wear their best outfit, just like they would for a physical event. Also state your concerns about focus. You can ask participants to make arrangements with children and partners beforehand so that they are not interrupted. A quiet environment will allow everyone to stay unmuted, so you don't miss the spontaneous reactions. Start the meeting 10 minutes early and enjoy a coffee together. Ask them to close their inboxes and put their mobile phones away. We want to break bad habits by creating an alternative online reality.