Silke Matthies
How is it possible to sustainably reconcile the personal goals of employees and executives with the goals of the company, particularly during change processes? The search for answers to this question is the recurrent theme through my professional career. The view from completely different perspectives was very helpful for me.
Change Management
My thesis entitled "Team management by objectives" formed the basis for my decision to start my professional life as a consultant in change management. Here I realized how decisive perfectly simple things are when dealing with changes: Not getting tired, continually communicating the necessity for the change as well as the goals. The same applies for the path to the goal. And finally listening to employees and executives and giving them the chance to actively contribute to and thus having an impact on the outcome of the change process.
Human Resources
My activities in recruitment and operative human resources offered another perspective. It was here that I learned what clever, practical and systematic processes are needed in staff selection to find employees and executives who not only suit the company with regard to their professional skills and experience, but also fit in on a human level. However, this alone is not sufficient. In order to recruit and retain the employee, besides to a good integration process, appropriate incentives within the company are also required – depending on the goals of the employee. And this is where leadership comes in. The influence executives have on the performance of their employees and teams cannot be ranked highly enough. Particularly as the room to move under employment law is rather limited – at least as far as my experience has shown in my day-to-day activities advising executives on employment law.
Leadership Development and Coaching
As manager for personnel and organizational development and in my intensive training to become a systemic coach, I considered the issue of "leadership" and the question of what executive development and coaching can contribute. How can companies support their executives in their central role of reconciling the goals of employees and companies? Which measures enable transfer into sustainable day-to-day management activities? What help is sensible in the context of change processes? There is no panacea, but important "ingredients" in my view are instruments as company specific talent management, customized development programs, regular feedback and one-to-one coaching.
Since 2006, I have been able to offer clients the benefit of my experience gained over many years and the know-how from these various perspectives - change management, human resources and leadership - in the context of my services as systemic coach and human resources consultant.
