Shows
Get a clu - stories of business - by CarolineThe Hong Kong experiment: exploring competing commitments in real lifeIn this episode, I reflect on my personal journey with the competing commitments framework and its surprising connection to Hong Kong. Despite a strong desire to move to this vibrant city, hidden inner barriers held me back—something I only realized later through my work on competing commitments. I also reflect on my two-month experiment living in Hong Kong in 2023 and hosting a workshop there in early 2019 that brought this framework to life for others. Listen to this episode if you want to learn about the interplay of personal aspirations, unconscious commitments, and how small experiments can modify subconscious beliefs.2025-01-0216 min
Get a clu - stories of business - by CarolineFrom survey to success: mastering organizational cultureIn this episode, I share how to build a practical cultural assessment framework. Inspired by a friend’s journey as the new Head of Culture Change at a large corporation, I explain how to capture an organization’s culture with qualitative and quantitative tools. From surveys and focus groups to interviews and document analysis, I cover practical methods to gain deep insights into employee satisfaction and the health of your organization’s culture. After all, culture shapes the values and behaviors that drive productivity and innovation, making it the foundation of any successful transformation.2024-10-2113 min
Get a clu - stories of business - by CarolineFeeling lost? Create a (transformation) map.Feeling lost in your career or organizational transformation? Don't worry, you're not alone—and it's actually a good thing! This episode helps you turn feelings of uncertainty into a powerful journey of self-discovery and growth.
In this episode, I explore how to create a plan map to guide you through times of change. Just like ancient adventurers looked to the night sky for their North Star, I'll help you by seeing the benefits of creating a plan. Chart your course by taking stock of your resources, recognizing the work you've already done, and identifying the milestones ahead.
Join me as I...2024-07-1812 min
Get a clu - stories of business - by CarolineChange at the personal level: check your biasesThis episode is me reflecting on my biases and prejudices. An encounter with an elderly Turkish lady on a flight from Istanbul to Hanover led me to reflect on all the different ways I am confined to a social bubble. In an increasingly interconnected world marked by so much conflict, this does not feel right. Hence my reflection and my increased sensibility to unearth my biases and change.2024-06-0512 min
Get a clu - stories of business - by CarolineWhat is your work MO (modus operandi)?A modus operandi refers to your habits and ways of working. I love a good abbreviation and like to casually drop the reference to the "MO" in a conversation. Taking stock of your work MO is crucial as it might help you unearth work behavior blind spots. Once you have defined your MO, you can ask yourself whether you need several modi operandi at your disposal - for example, the ability to execute AND to strategize.2024-05-1510 min
Get a clu - stories of business - by CarolineNetworking within the organization: good or bad?I enjoy networking for professional purposes. I like it so much that I created an online course pertaining to the subject. Based on many conversations I had with peers about this form of outreach, I know it doesn't come naturally to most. When you serve an organization, networking with your colleagues might be beneficial. But should you only focus on establishing solid contacts within the company? How about the outside world? And how much networking is too much?2024-04-3011 min
Get a clu - stories of business - by CarolineThere is an AI for thatAs a solopreneur, I rely on tools to make my life more efficient. I use scheduling toosl, newsletter tools or CRM (customer relationship management) databases. AI? Not so much. For the longest time, I was sceptical. What if I use ChatGPT and that all other users have access to its formidable responses to my information quest? And I changed my mind. I experimented with both ChatGPT and OpusAI, a software that analyzes media content. And am quite satisfied with the results.2024-04-0311 min
Get a clu - stories of business - by CarolineGrandes dames of the corporationAt one particular corporation I served, the Head of Global Corporate Governance interrupted me during a meeting. She asked me who I was. I kept my cool, smiled and introduced myself, informing her I was a member of the consulting team she had hired. She chuckled and made a joke. The meeting continued smoothly. This podcast focuses on impressive senior stakeholders, how you can take your emotional temperature while serving them, and which bigger lessons you can learn from the interaction.2024-04-0210 min
Get a clu - stories of business - by CarolineWizard CEOs - magic at the corporationWizard CEOs ... are creative and know how to delegate. They create magic, they conjure up visions. What is so special about them? They really the employees, engage them in co-creation process and enable everyone to ... DREAM BIG! I talk about my experience having served one of these rare leaders at UBS Switzerland. If are curious about bottom-up transformations and co-creation, don't miss out.2024-03-1311 min
Get a clu - stories of business - by CarolineGet the transformation right - ace your first 30 days on the jobWhen you have run several change projects, tackling your to-do list during the first 30 days is intuitive. You know what you have to do:
1) Reverse-engineer the project.
2) Map your stakeholders.
3) Come up with a customized communication strategy
4) Unearthing quick wins
5) Identifying roadblocks.
Why does it matter that you tackle these tasks during the first 30 days? As the Head of Transformation / Change, you instill structure and stability into the organizational system. That makes all others relax and helps you move in the right direction.2024-03-0613 min
Get a clu - stories of business - by CarolineWork buddies - friendships for a season?The saying goes "Friends for a reason, friends for a season, friends for life". Are your work buddies friends for a season only? What are the benefits of befriending your colleagues? I reflect on instances in my career when my work buddies helped me navigate challenging corporate environments. If you don't have any to begin with you may want to consider whether to change your approach. I say: work buddies turn your corporate life into a more meaningful experience.2024-02-2811 min
Get a clu - stories of business - by CarolineBP shouldn't have to spill coffee for a failure culture to emergeA clip on YouTube called "BP spills coffee" refers to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010, one of the biggest environmental disasters of the Petroleum industry. In the clip, managers first try to downplay the incident, then come up with remedies to address it. A failure culture - "fessing up to one's mistakes" is not visible. In this episode, I talk about the necessity of such a culture, how we can learn from a startup movement that gets founders on stage to admit to their errors. And how al of this is conducive to innovation and creativity in an organizational...2024-02-2110 min
Get a clu - stories of business - by CarolineSounding boards - the gift that keeps on givingUnlike corporate espionage, sounding boards provide you with intel you desire. These panels consists of members of the organization whom you can ask any and all questions regarding the transformation endeavor. Are the company calls too long? Do employees like where we are headed? - These are just a few examples of potential topics for discussion. I have worked with sounding boards in the past and my verdict is that you should also consider setting them up when you seek honest feedback regarding product innovation or whether that new HR software tool... is user friendly or not.2024-02-1412 min
Get a clu - stories of business - by CarolineWho says informational interviews are for career matters only?I have changed jobs often. At one moment, I turned to informational interviews to ensure I was a good fit with the company. I started engaging in a structured dialogue with employees of the organizations I enjoyed. The beauty of such an approach is that you collect intel without any pressure (caused by a sudden job loss, leaving you to scramble for a new role). Informational interviews unlock insight for you. A fan of the cross-functional approach, I recommend using informational interviews at the beginning of a change project. Ask employees about their vision for the future organization, which roadblocks...2024-02-0711 min
Get a clu - stories of business - by CarolineFuture-self the organization NOWCourtesy of a coaching class I completed in 2023, I learned how to ask coachees what their future, 2.0 version, would advise them to do to get slimmer, run a marathon, find a partner. To me, imagining a future self is so powerful that I wish this method would be used in the organizational development context. To narrate and reverse-engineer a transformation from the vantage point of the completion date is novel and not often used in change management. In this episode, I focus on the technique and how corporations and public sector clients alike can benefit from it.2024-02-0713 min
Get a clu - stories of business - by CarolineBorrow from startups and marketing, create change customer personasCustomer personas are often generated once market research and qualitative interviews have been conducted. By taking a more detailed look at a customer’s pain points, consumption habits and preferences, startup teams internalize client-centricity early on. Who says they can't be a pillar of the change communication strategy? I explain how to adapt customer personas templates to a transformation project. The moment you view employees as customers in a change project, you reflect on their pain points, preferred communication channels and how to get their buy-in. Use startup and marketing tools, hone in on customer personas!2024-02-0711 min
Get a clu - stories of business - by CarolineCreativity and innovation: should you fold origami dinosaurs at work?Creativity is important, yet an elusive concept. A former creative kid, I often felt like I had lost my creativity in corporate settings. Professor Teresa Amabile refers to this phenomenon in her 1998 classic article "How to kill creativity". She identified closed organizational cultures, employees' lack of process autonomy and resource scarcity from preventing "little c" and "mini c" creativity. But both "little c" everyday creativity and "mini c" creativity inherent to learning have to be rejuvenated to make an organization more innovative. Listen to my podcast if you want to know whether folding origami dinousaurs at work is the ultimate...2024-02-0611 min
Get a clu - stories of business - by CarolineOrganizational culture, Edgar H. Schein and carnivorous plantsThe late professor Edgar H Schein was a creative thinker and professor at MIT. He developed the model of organizational culture. In my view, the model is brilliant. It focuses on three layers: basic assumptions, values. and artefacts and creations. you can run a workshop to map the existing and future culture with employee groups, middle management and the board! And conduct informational interviews with professionals to see whether the company is a fit for you in terms of culture. Listen to this episode if you want to get "the fluff" right and if the image of "culture eats strategy...2024-02-0211 min
Get a clu - stories of business - by CarolineHow talking to a stranger on the plane led me to write a change bookI met a stranger on the plane in October (2023). We swapped life stories and he encouraged me to write a manuscript describing my change management experience and life experience. So I did! This podcast illustrates what it takes to write a book, drawing on previously published content, and dictating chapters into word. I share which tools I used to improve the quality of the manuscript and how to enlist freelancers in the process. It's a creative endeavor and requires project management skills.2024-01-2516 min
Get a clu - stories of business - by CarolineMiddle managers are sandwich kidsI am the younger sister of an older brother. Now that has prepared me quite well for navigating a male-dominated world. When there are more than two siblings, the dynamics change. The kid in the middle is sandwiched in between the older sibling and the younger child. In my view, middle managers are like sandwich kids. They have to cater to the higher echelons of management, while making their teams happy and staying motivated themselves! Middle managers need more attention, praise and just need to be seen.I am the younger sister of an older brother. Now that has prepared...2024-01-1811 min
Get a clu - stories of business - by CarolineStakeholder management: A strategy game that never gets oldIf you don't inventorize and manage your stakeholders, you are at a loss! That's why this episode is dedicated to taking stock of your internal clients and navigating them. It doesn't matter whether you are addressing the board or manufacturing employees: Keep them engaged and cater to their communication needs. Borrowing customer persona templates from the marketing team and turning them into change personas helps you capture the informational needs. Another effective tool I discuss: the power-interest grid. A simple visual framework, it is popular with senior management and helps with stakeholder segmentation.2024-01-1812 min
Get a clu - stories of business - by CarolineStakeholder management: A strategy game that never gets oldIf you don't inventorize and manage your stakeholders, you are at a loss! That's why this episode is dedicated to taking stock of your internal clients and navigating them. It doesn't matter whether you are addressing the board or manufacturing employees: Keep them engaged and cater to their communication needs. Borrowing customer persona templates from the marketing team and turning them into change personas helps you capture the informational needs. Another effective tool I discuss: the power-interest grid. A simple visual framework, it is popular with senior management and helps with stakeholder segmentation.2024-01-1612 min
Get a clu - stories of business - by CarolineChange at the personal level: review your professional identityMost professionals are not aware of their professional identity - the combination of motives, values, beliefs, and personal experience that makes YOU you at work. The moment you change careers, you are in transition. Your professional identity changes and clinging to your old one will only negatively impact your transformation. Why not engage in identity play? I share how drawing my existing professional identity and then, the future one, helped me gain clarity. And hey! It also makes you more creative again!2024-01-1614 min
Get a clu - stories of business - by CarolineChange at the personal level: review your professional identityMost professionals are not aware of their professional identity - the combination of motives, values, beliefs, and personal experience that makes YOU you at work. The moment you change careers, you are in transition. Your professional identity changes and clinging to your old one will only negatively impact your transformation. Why not engage in identity play? I share how drawing my existing professional identity and then, the future one, helped me gain clarity. And hey! It also makes you more creative again!2024-01-1514 min
Get a clu - stories of business - by CarolineBehavior-modeling - lessons from nobel peace price winner Muhammad YunIn 2007, I helped organize international policy dialogues. The German government held the EU presidency and hosted G8 meetings. A double whammy in a positive sense. As part of my role, I observed Muhammad Yunus display exemplary acts of kindness. The founder of Grameen bank and nobel peace price winner thanked his chauffeur of three days for his services. I was impressed. Can we use behavior-modeling instead of role-modeling in change management? It's less abstract, it is easy to implement and it exerts much less pressure on the organization to aspire to impossible standards.2024-01-1211 min
Get a clu - stories of business - by CarolineHow a telecommunications rep reminded of sales etiquetteAn encounter with a telecommunications representative this week reminded of me sales dos and don'ts. Being confronted with a professional who had clearly not being exposed to any sort of sales and customer management training led me to reminiscence. Back in 2007 and 2008, I worked for the Corporate Executive Board, a strategic research company. While I served demanding C-Suite clients from the European headquarters in London, I internalized sales excellence and was able to compare and contrast my most recent experience with my time in London. My insight: Most large companies do not train their staff in basic sales etiquette...2024-01-1111 min
Get a clu - stories of business - by CarolineNapoléon B.: the case for legacy thinking at org and personal levelsI was in Paris and noticed a poster featuring the former French emperor Napoléon Bonaparte. His legacy is both negative and positive (including over 6 million Europeans casualties). The "enlightened despot" is known for having introduced French civil law and access to school education for children. Legacy thinking in business and politics is often not viewed as a priority. Short-term pressure (elections or increasing shareholder value) prevails. Alas, it is a fantastic tool to help individuals prioritze and focus on meaningful projects. In this episode, I encourage you to think more broadly about what you want to be remembered for.2024-01-1110 min
Get a clu - stories of business - by CarolineCompeting commitments - unearthing why professionals don't changeThe "competing commitments" concept was first made popular by Harvard Business school professors Robert Keagan and Lisa Lahey. It illustrates why members of an organization pledge a goal, and then engage in behaviors that are detrimental to their behavior. It explains which competing worldviews and beliefs stand in their way. The beauty: with the help of the corresponding worksheet, the concept becomes a potent tool to addressing resistance to change. I tried it myself!2024-01-1013 min
Get a clu - stories of business - by CarolinePlan your company-wide transformation like a K-drama plotK-dramas are a worldwide phenomenon. K-drama stands for Korean drama and refers to TV shows originating in South Korea. You might be familiar with hits such as Squid game (2021, 2023). K-dramas are so successful that Netflix earmarked USD 2.5 billion in 2023 for the genre. High production quality as well as compelling storytelling make them successful. And those are elements lacking in some company-wide transformations. There is no compelling narrative arc. Why not borrow from K-dramas when you create your next transformation storytelling concept?2024-01-0912 min
Get a clu - stories of business - by CarolineThe valley of tears - Elisabeth Kübler-Ross' change curveSwiss-American psychiatrist Kübler-Ross created the grief curve in 1969. It captures the five stages of loss and which types of emotions mourners experience. This framework was so potent that it's widely used as the change curve as well. Discussing the change curve and admitting one's emotions during a transformation helps everyone come to terms with the impact of a change. It's a potent tool.2024-01-0810 min
Get a clu - stories of business - by CarolineCapacity-building during a change project - essential skills transferUpskilling is a word I first came across when I worked in London in 2009 for a company that has since been acquired by Garner. It's a fancy way of conveying that you as a change manager teach other professionals a skill while implementing the transformation. Based on my experience, running aPMO (project management office) and navigating a business case are essential skills for anyone who works in change. At times, you have to empower others - even very seasoned professionals - to internalize them.2024-01-0407 min
Get a clu - stories of business - by CarolineGirlboss community lessons for bottom-up transformationsSophia Amoruso did it again - after the demise of clothing empire NastyGal, she created the online/ offline community Girlboss for entrepreneurial women. I was lucky enough to attend the Girlboss rally in June 2019 in Los Angeles. I found myself in the middle of a "vie en rose" dream come true at UCLA campus. Pink banners, pink branding... and many impressive female speakers made this event memorable in my eyes. In the podcast, I explain why bottom-up transformations should get inspired by the community concept.2024-01-0413 min
Get a clu - stories of business - by CarolineLet's treat employees like clients in a transformation universeI completed two accelerator programs for startups. Accelerators are like mini-MBAs for founders. I was continuously reminded that customer is king. Customer development is taken seriously in startups. You ask your client questions to hone in on their pain points, and request feedback whether your solution would address them. What is more, you imagine your customer as a customer persona and define how and when to communicate with them. How about we treet employees like customers during a change project?2024-01-0409 min
Get a clu - stories of business - by CarolineBottom-up transformations: Get inspired by the Girlboss communitySophia Amoruso did it again - after the demise of clothing empire NastyGal, she created the online/ offline community Girlboss for entrepreneurial women. I was lucky enough to attend the Girlboss rallye in June 2019 in Los Angeles. I found myself in the middle of a "vie en rose" dream come true at UCLA campus. Pink banners, pink branding... and many impressive female speakers made this event unforgetful in my eyes. In the podcast, I explain why bottom-up transformations should copy the community concept.2024-01-0423 min
Get a clu - stories of business - by CarolineHerding cats - what to do when employees resist the changeDon't you just love the expression "herding cats"? I do. Cats do as they please. They are their own person. So are members of an organization who resist a transformation. I can relate. As an employee, I have certainly been a rebel. What can you as a change manager do to get this group on your side? How can you leverage their creative potential?2024-01-0311 min
Get a clu - stories of business - by CarolineBeing the modern Jeanne d'Arc of changeJeanne d'Arc is known as the 15th century warrior who supported Charles VII during the war of 100 years against the English. She rallied the troops and lifted the siege of Orléans. As much as her military wins and her whole demeanor are admirable, I warn against exhausting oneself like Jeanne did. Change managers should strive to become a 2.0 version of her: strategic thinkers who remove themselves from the arena and ensure they stay centered.2024-01-0310 min
Get a clu - stories of business - by CarolineUnsconscious organizational culture, startups and scalingAs management thinker Peter Drucker famously said: "Culture eats strategy for breakfast". When startups scale, they have to organizational address culture. But how do startup founders - often unaware of the informal culture that rules and how their professional identity impacts it - become cognizant of culture? They have a myriad of priorities address, from product innovation to making customers happy and keeping the venture capital community happy. I reflect on the interplay of increased pressure due to scaling, leadership personalities, team happiness and getting culture right.2024-01-0320 min