Carolin Scheffer, Director of People & Culture at Blue Cap AG, explains how targeted training for executives can facilitate the transformation of companies. Using the specific example of our portfolio company Neschen, you will learn how leadership trainings, tailored specifically for the company, contribute to fostering team development and strengthening the production area within the organization.

It is the age of transformation. Even in the workplace, we experience a constant evolution that occupies me, as being responsible for the are People & Culture at Blue Cap AG, almost daily. Our subsidiaries regularly reflect to me that they face recurring challenges in recruiting qualified team members due to a shortage of skilled professionals. They express a desire for a stronger bond between their employees and the company to minimize fluctuation. Furthermore, our companies aim to train more 'homegrown' talents so that they can assume key positions in the future.

In my opinion, these goals are not achieved through directive leadership, which is still widespread in the German midsize companies today. Instead, it requires entrepreneurial thinking, individual responsibility, decentralized decision-making, and openness to change and innovation. In short, it requires a shift towards transformational leadership.

Leadership programs provide the necessary tools for transformational leadership

Transformational leadership places the employee and its needs at the forefront. The aim is to enhance motivation, engagement, productivity, and innovation performance – inspiring employees to act entrepreneurially. Simultaneously, a company increases its attractiveness as an employer and customer satisfaction through excellent service and products.

The shift towards transformational leadership begins at the highest levels of a company. A change in values cannot be dictated. Instead, it must be exemplified by leaders who act as inspiring role models and build significant trust. This requires skills that are imparted in targeted leadership programs.

Leadership training and team development in the production department at Neschen

For those who have been following our journey, you may be aware that last year, we initiated an extensive fitness program at Neschen (you can find the detailed interview about it with my colleague Ulf Weber linked under this article). In addition to measures in the 'Growth' and 'Margin' areas of our transformation radar, we have assigned a central role to the 'People & Culture' dimension in the success of the transformation. As part of this, a successful team development program has been running in the production department at Neschen since October of last year.

In multiple modules with different focuses, topics such as self-management and communication, leadership skills, team development, and conflict management are covered. In the conceptual design, it was important for us to define specific goals tailored to the unique work situation in the production department at Neschen. This includes, in particular, relieving the production manager by strengthening and developing a second leadership level and optimally preparing participants for their future role as leaders at Neschen. The modules teach practical communication and leadership tools, complemented by peer consultation to ensure practical application. Individual personality development is as much a focus as the growing the team closer together.

While the program will only be completed in the summer of 2024, I can already speak of its success: I sense a high level of personal commitment and openness to this developmental process among the participants, as well as a great willingness to learn and embrace change. Therefore, I am confident that the trainings will have a lasting positive impact on the company culture and overall business success.

"Christoph Bauerkamp, Production Manager at Neschen, confirms this impression: “In the production area, we observed that the flow of information was inadequate. Despite daily shop-floor meetings, valuable and sometimes essential information did not reach the right channels. This affected both the upward reporting chain and communication to the frontline employees. With the coaching, we aim to sharpen the awareness of the leaders for their position and provide them with the right tools for it. Currently, 4 out of 9 training days have been completed, and the feedback from the participants is consistently positive. Various role-playing exercises directly reinforce the knowledge conveyed in the workshops, and we also notice a growing sense of teamwork in the operation. This is particularly evident as colleagues increasingly exchange ideas about various issues and seek advice from each other. In addition to the significantly improved flow of information, this naturally also greatly enhances the leaders' ability to act autonomously.”