“We must do something urgently…” – in this or a similar way one hears more and more managers, emphasize more and more often and more strongly! Causes? Increasing and ever faster external influences, which demand lived flexibility and innovation from people and organizations.

Flexibility means being able to meet challenges quickly and safely (with the right form of work). However, specialists and managers have not learned enough how to use change effectively. Flexibility and innovation (innovation = ability to solve problems) are in many places not among the virtues of the working world and are certainly even less so in the first place of German culture. On the contrary: stabilizing, preserving, perfecting, preserving, maintaining, traditionalizing – this corresponds to us, gives us joy and support. The accompanying sobering statement of our time:

There are too many people who are professionals at preserving the old and amateurs at trying the new!

Even if the first step, the insight into the necessary change, is done, many organizations fail in addition, technical and high-level personnel in the next step: the experience and tools of practical change know how´s are missing. A sure instinct and the right procedural strategy are the decisive success factors. Mistakes are punished with lacking readiness for change and resistance – the largest hurdles with changes in organizations.

Social competence is often regarded as secondary by technical professionals. Expertise, quality awareness, methodical project skills, perseverance and as much attention to detail as possible are high on the course and that’s a good thing. However, technical competence alone is no longer enough to compete in the fast-moving world of development. More than ever the ability to deal with oneself (time, goal and self-management) and others (communication and conflict, customer orientation, cooperation, leadership, etc.) is part of the requirement profile of the modern development engineer. This is precisely where typical fields of learning for technical professionals lie.

Nearly all markets in the automotive, mechanical and plant engineering and IT sectors present the following picture:

• Developments have to be made overnight
• in interdisciplinary teams
• in international composition
• in close communication and
• close cooperation with the customer

Due to the dynamics of international economic and social developments, the pace and the associated pressure to perform on the project staff involved will continue to increase in the future.

“We have always done it this way,” is the safest way to lose customers. The demands on innovation and flexibility of the people involved are immense. If the development engineers lack self-management and communication and negotiation skills, some projects are mercilessly put on the short side. The central success factors are the cooperation in the project team as well as the communication quality with the customers.

Coaching is a type of employee training and support that is becoming increasingly popular across all hierarchical levels. It offers people support, e.g. in change processes, but also in general everyday work, and serves personality development. Coaching is individual training and therefore probably the most intensive form of employee support. It is no wonder that coaching has the greatest effect on all consulting instruments.

Theoretical knowledge is important, for example about how a conflict discussion with a project employee can and should be conducted. But all theory is only useful if it gets from the “head into the hands”. Coaching is, among other things, an excellent instrument when it comes to putting what is theoretically known into practice.

Only those who know themselves well are able to change themselves. During the coaching process, the employees check their own behavior towards others and in the team. The central concern is to positively develop leadership quality and thus leadership success and/or teamwork.

The occasions are as varied as the coachees are. The following table shows possible occasions: