We all know it: Communication is key, especially in times of disruptive change. Yet, we always fall into the same trap: When we talk to each other, we are waiting for our counterpart to take a breather, and then we get rid of what we want to say. A meeting typically is a series of… Read more
There is a lot of talk about transformation and going agile. The basis for making a transformation successful is: developing a pro-change attitude and translating it into new behavior. How can this attitude look like? It’s the qualities of a corafa-being: Being courageous, open-minded, resilient, appreciative, focused and action-oriented (= corafa). And what exactly does… Read more
Kathrin Köster: Whether in politics or business, there is a lot of empty talk, and an increasing aspiration for real people who walk the talk. People who really care. How do you make sure your company is real and cares 🙂 ? Jürgen Schäfer: I think it comes back to purpose and attitude. I started… Read more
Kathrin Köster: What is ‘sandbagging’ and ‘air-bagging’ about? Jürgen Schäfer: Well, I coined these terms when I took over some new challenging tasks last year and started the budget planning and goal setting process. I guess I got a bit of a culture shock that made me realize how important trust is. Kathrin Köster: What… Read more
Kathrin Köster: Bechtle has a green logo, but I am surprised to hear that you are talking about gardening :-). Could you explain the background? Jürgen Schäfer: It’s related to our hiring practice. We have to have the right people on board. I remember our former staff advertisement campaigns starting with: “You have competencies X,… Read more
Last week, I was in the South African parliament. I listened to President Zuma and what he had to say regarding corruption. Regardless of the question, the answer was always the same: It’s all Apartheid’s fault. Given the fact that this discriminatory system has been abolished in 1994, I felt slightly surprised that he got… Read more
