Key Message:
- Successful change management requires a balance between innovators and stability preservers.
- Rigid models often fail—an individualized approach that leverages employees' strengths is far more effective.
- An agile roadmap with targeted methods makes all the difference. Three proven measures: Team strengthening workshops, world café focus groups and flexible action plans. An agile roadmap with targeted methods makes the difference. Three proven measures: Team Strengths Workshops, World Café Focus Groups and Flexible Action Plans.
The Duality of Change Dynamics
Change is like a dance between innovators and preservers, harnessing the power of opposites. A common misconception is that successful transformation requires a majority of change enthusiasts—yet this can be a costly mistake for companies. In reality, organizations that embrace and integrate both groups often achieve the greatest success.
“Employees who embrace change and those who value stability complement each other perfectly, creating a powerful force that drives innovation without losing balance.”
Corporations vs. start-ups vs. SMEs
Corporations
Large corporations rarely lack representatives from both camps—innovators and preservers. However, I’ve often witnessed critical preservers being sidelined during transformation processes. A wave of severance agreements tends to hit those who voice concerns. Yet, these concerns are incredibly valuable. Listening to them can be uncomfortable, managing them requires effort, but ignoring them comes at a high cost. Corporations are like massive cargo ships—slow to change direction. While change advocates often take the helm, even small miscalculations in navigation can cause long-term turbulence. Ironically, it’s often the very champions of change who jump ship when the waters get rough.
Start-ups
On the other end of the spectrum, startups operate like speedboats—fast and agile but often lacking stability. They thrive on change, yet the absence of preservers who maintain course and sharpen focus is a common pitfall. In my work with startups, we actively seek out these stabilizers. If they are missing, it becomes crucial to attract individuals who bring continuity and anchor the company.
Midsize Companies
The midsize sector is a diverse fleet. Some companies resemble yachts, confidently sailing toward new opportunities, while others are like ferries, reliably navigating the same familiar route. The key is calibrating the internal compass—ensuring the organization neither loses sight of familiar shores nor shies away from new horizons. For midsize businesses, success in change management lies in balancing preservation with innovation. Change managers can serve as navigators for new directions, but they need a company culture that is open to adaptation. The challenge is to create movement strong enough to drive transformation yet careful enough to respect what already exists and consider the people involved.
“The secret lies in maintaining continuous balance—too much change is just as risky as stagnation.”
Recognizing Personalities and Leveraging Strengths
There are countless tools designed to assess readiness for change, but without a deeper understanding of the individuals involved, their effectiveness remains limited. The key to successful transformation lies in acknowledging and understanding the unique personalities at play — along with their distinct strengths, weaknesses, and needs.
Meaningful change only occurs when leaders not only recognize these individual traits but actively respond to them. In my experience, when change is built on a solid, personality-based foundation, additional diagnostic tools become unnecessary. That’s why I rely on the personality and strengths assessment #STÄRKENSTÄRKEN. It’s more than a hashtag — it’s a philosophy. The goal is to uncover and harness each person’s unique combination of strengths to drive impactful, lasting change.
Individualized Approaches: The Key to Successful Change Management
Here’s a hard truth: Most change projects fail to deliver what companies hope for. Up to 70% of transformation initiatives fall short, and the issue isn’t the idea itself. Studies, including those from McKinsey, suggest that many plans are simply too rigid and overlook the human factor—after all, people aren’t robots that operate on a fixed script.
Trying to implement change management with a “one-size-fits-all” approach is like expecting everyone to wear the same clothing size. It might seem feasible at first, but in reality, it only fits a few. We need to recognize the individuals within a team—their strengths, concerns, and aspirations. Any plan that ignores these personal dimensions is bound to fail. When I present this perspective, I sometimes receive skeptical looks from management and encounter resistance.
“We can’t possibly cater to every single employee!”
My response is clear: “Maybe not you personally, but your leaders can—and should. And if that’s not enough, there are additional solutions, such as training motivated change agents. The real question you should be asking is whether you want to be among the 70% that fail—and how much failure will ultimately cost you.”
I advocate for a different approach—one that is flexible and puts people at the center. Instead of a one-size-fits-all solution, we need a diverse set of methods tailored to individual team members. This is the only way to navigate the many challenges that come with any transformation process and minimize the risk of failure.
Targeted Measures to Support Change
In change management, having a versatile toolkit is essential. Here are three proven methods I frequently recommend:
- Team Strength Workshops: These workshops focus on both individual and collective strengths within a team. They provide a platform to uncover both visible and hidden potentials of team members, fostering growth and development. A key aspect is transforming weaknesses into productive energy—enhancing mutual tolerance, team cohesion, and a stronger sense of connection.
- World Café-Style Focus Groups: Interviews and focus groups are well-established tools in change management. One particularly effective method is the World Café approach. Participants gather in a relaxed, café-like setting to discuss key topics in small groups. Each group works on a specific question, and after a set time, participants rotate to new tables, sharing and refining their insights. This method encourages diverse perspectives and sparks innovative solutions for complex change challenges.
- Flexible Action Plans: Instead of rigid directives, adaptive action plans allow for real-time feedback and adjustments. These plans are designed to leverage the unique strengths of each team member, ensuring that roles and responsibilities align with their personal and professional skills. This approach enables teams to navigate change efficiently and collaboratively, responding with agility rather than resistance.
These methods should not be applied in isolation. Instead, their targeted integration into a holistic change management strategy is crucial. If a single approach—like the World Café—doesn’t yield immediate results, it should not be seen as a failure. Each method is a building block in a larger puzzle. I’m here to support you in ensuring that these elements come together to form a strong foundation for your transformation initiative.
Conclusion:
Ultimately, the success of change management lies in recognizing and leveraging the strengths and needs of each individual employee.
Whether in global corporations, traditional mid-sized businesses, or dynamic start-ups—it’s the people who make the difference. By implementing flexible action plans, creating interactive discussion forums like the World Café, and conducting team strengths workshops, companies can foster an environment that values each individual while effectively addressing the challenges of transformation.
Now It’s Your Turn!
Have you experienced change management in your company? What approaches and solutions have worked for you?
I invite you to join the discussion in the comments. Share your experiences, ask questions, or offer advice to others facing similar challenges. By exchanging ideas, we can learn from each other and develop effective strategies to make organizational change smoother and more successful.
So don’t hesitate—let’s dive into the conversation together!
