February 6 marks the anniversary of my professional involvement with Covid19. A phone call on the way home said there was an immediate need for action. I was already in my first Covid19 crisis communication mandate.

Looking back, I feel as I'm sure we all do: For the life of me, I couldn't imagine all that happened next. I will never forget the images of the empty places of this world: no one in Times Square. No one at the Trevi Fountain. The hoarding toilet paper buyers or the president recommending disinfectant are indelible in my memory.

Covid19 has taught me to no longer think anything is impossible. For better or for worse.

It doesn't just change the big picture. The pandemic affects every hour of everyday life. How we work, how our children are taught or study, how and with whom we meet and under what conditions, when we are allowed to go or travel where. I can cope with many restrictions, but I also find many of them to be a massive hindrance. I am a very freedom-loving person with a high sense of justice. That's why I can only endure the ongoing restriction of my freedom - a non-negotiable value for me and, thank God, for this country - because there is something I see as equal: The integrity of the people and the protection of the weak.

I am ready to continue to contribute. But I expect those in responsibility to deal with all aspects of what is happening here right now. That opinions and counter-opinions are heard, as is the democratic custom. That we are informed quickly, transparently, honestly and comprehensively. That decision-makers also take into account and appreciate the emotional and financial damage they are inflicting on us and the generations that follow us. I see a real need to catch up, especially in terms of communication.

What do you think: Are we on the whole on the right course? Or should we radically rethink? From what I see, I can only say: Unfortunately, our governments and administrations now too often lack the courage and the will to have a Helmut Schmidt moment - just do it. Not administering, but shaping.

For my job and for the companies I advise, I think: Those who design now will be better prepared when the pandemic is over. Covid19 has sort of "forced" us to make a lot of changes - what do we want to change or keep? How do we work on what in the future? What lessons do we learn from the crisis, where do we perhaps need to prepare differently or better? If you want to think about this in a structured way I am happy to help.

I have also published this post on LinkedIn. Follow the link and you will see what reactions I have received:

First learning unit "Strategic Communication": Who is my counterpart?

If I don't know who my target groups are and what they think about me, I'm likely to do the wrong communication. That's why I guided my students to this topic to start the case study.

I used a complex "force field analysis" as a model. The goal is to find all the target groups and assess how important they are to Communication. For a start, a lot of stuff with a lot of abstraction needed.

The "personas" analysis would probably have been simpler. Here, the focus is on a (fictitious) person who is considered to represent a group. What is this person's background, experience with me / the issue, what are this person's emotions / reservations towards me or my solution, all this is analyzed and defined in detail.

This allows you to understand and empathize with the stakeholders - before you can then tailor Communication well to them.

For a quick introduction to this tool and other good tools, I recommend the book "Toolbox Communicationsmanagement" by Ansgar Zerfaß and Sophia Charlotte Volk (2019).
#personas #training #concept #power sense

May I introduce? Here you see the protagonist of my new lecture: EVE Clothes GmbH. A medium-sized, owner-managed company in the fashion industry that wants to implement and communicate changes after a tough year.

Starting Monday, I will have my students use this fictitious case study to design and implement strategic communication. In eight learning units, we will take a closer look at aspects such as target groups, strategies, internal and external communication, and preparation for crisis scenarios.

Even after 10 years of teaching once a week at the Fachhochschule des Mittelstands (FHM), the combination of "lecturer and consultant" is a win-win situation: The Currenten theories and how to do it under "ideal conditions" ensure my clients state-of-the-art knowledge and enrich my toolbox. My students learn from someone who operates in the field four out of five days and has 20 years of experience.

I'm excited to see the results we achieve.
If you have change coming up that you want to think through with an outside professional, feel free to reach out to me.

#training #change #communication #power sense

"Get out of the Corona continuous loop", for example at the weekend - one of Insa Klasing's tips for increasing your own motivation and promoting optimism. Absolutely crucial, especially as a leader, because how we handle things rubs off - it sets the framework for action in our teams.

You can reach more tips to read via my post on LinkedIn (only available in German language).

#motivation #change #crisis #sense of power