DIE SIEBEN IRRTÜMER DES CHANGE MANAGEMENTS (THE SEVEN CHANGE MANAGEMENT FALLACIES)

December 2009: German management literature future prize for "The Seven Change Management Fallacies – and how to avoid them" by Dr. Schleuter and Johannes von Stosch

BVDU: "Book of the year 2009" - see the Latest News heading

Book announcement: Successful Change Management with the Example of Audi

On 9 November 2009 "Die sieben Irrtümer des Change Managements – und wie Sie sie vermeiden" (The Seven Change Management Fallacies – and how to avoid them) by Dr. Willibert Schleuter and our late partner Johannes von Stosch was published. The book examines (among other things) how to successfully conduct change processes in companies, using Audi as an example. Experience and daily-life practice as well as methods and applied techniques are all described. The focus of the process, which is a good example of the change processes that have been carried out by ChangePartner for many years now, is on the question of requirements made on managements and organisations by change processes and how value orientation must be organised here. The key message is: "Anyone who wishes to make changes must be willing to change and be open to their future and to their employees."The book can be ordered for € 39.90 (including shipping charges). Please send orders direct with our order form. We will deliver as soon as possible. The publication date was: 9 November 2009 - 218 pages, 34 illustrations - EAN 9783593391359

Dr. Willibert Schleuter was Head of Electronics Development with AUDI AG from 1996 to 2008. During this period he played a key role in designing and advancing one of the most massive change processes in the history of the company. He was supported here by his co-author, our partner Johannes von Stosch – until his death in May 2009 an experienced consultant, trainer and coach and also a co-founder of ChangePartner. In the book the two authors describe the generally accepted factors that can be derived from the Audi project for the purpose of successful change management – and the mistakes that are all too easily made. More than anything else, the result is a plea to understand a change process as something that must be performed by staffs and managers together - this has been the credo and guiding principle of ChangePartner for years now.The book opens by explaining why so many change projects fail. This is followed by seven chapters, each addressing a distinctive aspect. These aspects did not develop as initially expected during the course of the process of change at Audi and they also developed differently from the propagation for change management of a major proportion of literatures and of many consultants. The authors finally address the most urgent question at present: Which type of management style needs change?

For the authors, the image of a company as a complex machine that can be steered by a competent "helmsman" is a thing of the past. In contrast, their - and our - assumption is that executives should actively involve employees and give due account to their proposals – a step that many companies still ultimately baulk at. However, for the authors, it has been shown that employee involvement unleashes decisive energy, which can notably be used to implement and help to carry painful changes. The authors therefore criticise that many change management approaches also underestimate the role of emotions. Yet experience shows that many employees really want to make a contribution themselves in times of crisis. A conclusion that the book comes to is that when employees are included, an enormous amount of energy is released, energy that can accelerate processes to an extent that could not have been imagined beforehand. This is also confirmed by the experience we have made with change processes over the past 13 years.The change management process at Audi resulted in urgently needed product innovations and a fundamental change in corporate culture, enabling an automobile manufacturer that had for a long time been lagging behind competitors to move into front position again: the cars from Ingolstadt are now considered to be the most reliable worldwide, their simple control concept is considered to be revolutionary and their lighting technology a leader in its field.

We at ChangePartner are also proud that this process has provided concrete proof that our approach to pro-actively shaping change together with employees is the right one.

Endorsements to "The Seven Change Management Fallacies"

»The authors reveal the weaknesses that frequently occur in change management processes. The plea for intelligent cooperation among all the employees in a company is just as urgent as it is important.«
Prof. Dr. Lutz Kaufmann, Otto Beisheim School of Management, Vallendar.

»Change should always be seen as a chance. This method of involving a company and all its employees will only be successful when executives really live the keenness and enthusiasm as well as the will to make change authentically and credibly. This book shows how this can genuinely be achieved.«
Franz Fehrenbach, CEO, Robert Bosch GmbH

»Successful developments in the automobile industry such as those that we see at Audi are based on a permanent willingness to change. This book has practicable methods and examples to show how people can become enthusiastic about change with their hearts and their minds.«
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dr.-Ing. hon. Burkhard Göschel, CTO Vehicles & Powertrain Group, Magna International

»The manner in which people here cooperate with enthusiasm across all the divisions in the electronics process chain is quite unique. This made Audi a benchmark in terms of networking people and of electronics product quality.«
Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn, CEO, Volkswagen AG