Driving networking and change with new working methods

Establishing future skills with targeted methodological training, strengthening future viability and the ability to change

More than 6,000 employees worldwide belong to the family-owned company Schmitz Cargobull. Founded over 130 years ago in Altenberge, Münsterland, the company still has strong regional roots today. In addition to technical innovation, the transformation of work and the quality of management are among the important topics for the future. Demographics and the company’s global market position make the ongoing qualification of the next generation of managers and specialists a strategic issue for the future.

The "MyWay" programme was developed and set up by the HR department to identify and promote employees who have the potential to drive networking and change in the organisation to a particular degree. The programme enables future managers and specialists to get to know and discuss various management methods that can enrich their future leadership and collaboration at Schmitz Cargobull.

The noventum training series "Agile Methods/ Design Thinking/ Change Management", which was specially designed for the "MyWay" programme, focuses on the so-called "21st centrury skills", i.e. the skills needed to drive transformation and change.  "The noventum training approach emphasises the practical application of the methods taught and the development of the corresponding mindset for transformation processes," explains noventum consultant Dr Kerstin Kurzhals, who designed and conducted the training units. "Our content is not only conveyed in theory, but also brought to life through practical exercises."

"Working agile means reacting flexibly. Agile working requires self-discipline and structures"

The two-day workshop "Agile Methods" was designed to teach the theoretical principles in a practical way right from the start. Examples from the participants‘ day-to-day work quickly showed everyone where the concrete benefits of this management approach lie and where it also has its limitations.  "You don’t need to be afraid of Scrum. Scrum can help you in various ways in your day-to-day work," said one participant at the end, summarising her experiences. "One of my current projects is agile, but important elements are missing and therefore it doesn’t work," was the experience of another participant. The joint discussion, but also the testing of agile principles and routines through the use of agile games (such as Lego Serious Play®) enabled self-awareness and reflection during the workshop, made "agility" more tangible for all participants and increased the motivation to continue testing and using this approach in daily work. …

Dr Kerstin Kurzhals, methodology expert and experienced mediator between theory and practice (2018-2023 she was a junior professor – Science-to-Society: Innovation, Engagement and CoCreation at Münster University of Applied Sciences), is enthusiastic about the Schmitz Cargobull "MyWay" concept: "In my opinion, this mixture of theory and practice, experimentation and learning process is a great breeding ground for future managers and specialists."

Kathrin Pietzsch, HR Education & Development Officer at Schmitz Cargobull, is happy to confirm this impression. "We systematically collect feedback from the seminar participants and also form our own judgement. The feedback from the participants is very positive. They particularly appreciate the in-depth dialogue during the training with colleagues from different locations and areas on the topics that affect them in practice. And this in a professionally moderated setting on a sound technical basis and current topics. We find it very helpful to exchange experiences and knowledge in this setting and to take this exchange back into practice."

Read the complete article on nc360°, the noventum Info-Platform:

• Systematic change management – tools for practice
• Sharpening the mindset for more user-centricity with design thinking