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Outthinking Organizational Communication – The Impact of Digital Transformation

This is the title of a new book, edited by Joachim Klewes, Dirk Popp and Manuela Rost-Hein. conex-director Guido Wolf is one of 11 authors. Everybody talks about digitalisation and digital transformation – but what impact does it really have for our daily work within professional communication? How do changes affect our business and what options do communication professionals have to not only react, but act and be part of the transformation? In his article, Guido Wolf discusses the opportunities of the vision-mission-statement in a world of liquid structures, dissolving the way of leading by instruction and control. Find the homepage on the topic and closer impressions of the book here.

My new blog is online

Here we go: following this link, you can find my new blog > http://www.axon-blog.de. My posts are located around the big topics development, change and leadership. Please feel very welcome to visit my blog. But first, I will publish in German language.

It goes on

A long time ago, we stopped counting: In 2012 will be two further seminars of the successful EUROFORUM lecture “Quality assurance of suppliers”. Since 1997, conex director Dr. Guido Wolf will lead through the workshop, being responsible for moderation and various inputs. Further speakers will contribute their experiences and know how. The seminar will take place in October 17/18 at Berlin and in December 4/5 at Düsseldorf. If you want to learn more, just click here. Some of our clients could benefit from a contingent of tickets we got by EUROFORUM (about 15% of savings). Please send us an email by using our contact form.

Business Discourse goes University

We are proud: The “Business Discourse”, our tool for analysis and solutions of internal communication, is recognized as fundamental for students of communication sciences. At the University of Duisburg-Essen (Germany), the master students discuss our approach.

Review of “Business Discourse”

Guido Wolf (2010): Der Business Discourse.

Guido Wolf (2010): Der Business Discourse. Effizienz und Effektivität der unternehmensinternen Kommunikation, Wiesbaden: Gabler

Available at Amazon →

During the last weeks, two reviews of last book “Business Discourse” by Guido Wolf are published. In the German journal “Personalwirtschaft”, issue 02/ 2011, the reviewer comes to the conclusion that Wolf presents a readible and helpfull book about corporate communication. Find the text of the review here (German Language).

The highly recommended investment magazine ECOreporter reviews our book, too. In issue 02/ 2011 they outline that you should follow the author, if you want to deal with corporate communication on a deeper level than the axioms of Watzlawick. Here you find the complete text (German language).

Internal Communication: Change of Perspective

Especially in the context of change projects you can see the enormous impact of internal communication. To establish a fundamental change in organization it is necessary to communicate coherent and intensive. Although everybody might agree to this statement, management usually focuses on central communication, executing the communicative needs of top management. No discussion: this kind of internal communication is important. But in every organization exists an area of communication which affects significantly the reality of everyday work. We are talking of “process communication” which is executed on the job by everybody. In a short essay Dr. Guido Wolf shows the importance of process communication (German language). See more

„Interne Kommunikation im Umbruch”: Conference in Cologne (German language)

On March 27th 2010 a high level conference will take place at Cologne. Subject is a branch analysis of internal communication. Experts will present their experiences, concepts and solutions for structuring and developing in order to optimize the strategy of internal communication, using forms like best case studies, round table sessions, lectures, discussions and Off-the-record conversations. In the course of a round table session, conex will outline the requirements which internal communication has to realize especially in the context of change processes. In addition to this, we will show the potentials of the Business Discourse approach. Please follow this Link for more information.

Discovering the daily Routines of internal Communication

On March 8th 2010, Dr. Guido Wolf gave an interview to „management-radio“ (German language), which can be found in the internet. Wolf argues that the majority of approaches to internal communication often fail. Usually, communication professionals do not look at every day communication of the employees and managers: Meetings, phone calls, emails and so on are not in the focus of communication experts. In consequence, these forms of process communication take part without any management tools for their planning, execution and evaluation. The model of the “Business Discourse” is a solution, conex offers for all forms of internal communication. Listen to the interview by following this link.

Generating Excellence: Process Management goes Customer Service

In December 2009, Joachim Hofsähs and Guido Wolf published a study in the German journal “Call Center Profi”. Joachim Hofsähs works as the Executive Director Customer Care and member of management board at sunrise communications AG, Zurich. He was the head of service organizations in several companies (media, logistics, telecommunication). The study shows how the integration of the customer service into the value chain puts a positive impact on the company’s results – and which service errors must be cleared up. read more

Drive Change Management to success and use neglected resources: new conex-book published at German Gabler-Verlag

Guido Wolf (2010): Der Business Discourse.

Guido Wolf (2010): Der Business Discourse. Effizienz und Effektivität der unternehmensinternen Kommunikation, Wiesbaden: Gabler

Available at Amazon →

Everywhere internal communication is high in rank, if you ask for the most important reasons of dissatisfaction and bad coordination. Managers address inefficient meetings, useless mails, dysfunctional planned discussions with employees or poorly synchronized communication related to different projects. In spite of well-designed internal media, the staff experiences the “multi-voiced concert” of internal communication dissonantly. The same impression raises in the context of change processes, which are set up with commitment and high flying expectations: poor results caused by poor communication.

Exactly this is the point where the “Business Discourse” helps, a proven concept to evaluate and improve internal communication. We do not look at corporate communication like executed BY the company but look at internal communication as a complex and contradictory field IN the company. Based on fundamentals of the communication theory the Business Discourse offers a holistic view at internal communication in order to make it efficiently and effectively. Guido Wolf published our concept in the book “Der Business Discourse” at Gabler-Verlag (German language). Additionally, you will find many tools and guidelines for your management of internal communication.

Coaching, Training and Consulting in international business: Edwin Lemke strengthens the conex-team

We are happy to welcome Edwin Lemke as a further associate partner in our team. Holding a graduate degree in education Edwin Lemke is working in the field of personal and organizational development for more than 25 years. He finished several apprenticeships and trainings – amongst others as merchandiser, as accredited therapist for smooth running and as CeKom consultant.

Being specialist with multifaceted experiences in global trainings and consultings for worldwide companies for many years Edwin Lemke strengthens our competences particularly with regard to our international business. Other key aspects of his activities are topics as “Efficiently Teaching / Train the Trainer” and “Work Life Balance”. Furthermore both potential and competence analysis, by using established models and tools, as well as design, accomplishment and evaluation of trainings and coachings are counted among Edwin Lemke´s expertise.

To copy something wrong the right way is not enough: why Quality Managers shall be willing to learn

Work is coming along: Thousands of PowerPoint-slights are to be adapted. This is because conex shows by a publication in German magazine „Qualität und Zuverlässigkeit“ (issue October 2009) that the omnipresent model “plan – do – check – act” was not created by total quality management mastermind William Deming. Based on original quotations, the article points out the real creators of the concept. First of all the article intends to overcome the weak points of “p-d-c-a.” Instead of an insufficient category “act” we prefer to use organization’s learning as a convincing 4th step. In consequence, conex claims the management paradigm “plan – do – check – LEARN.”

Find the article here (German language). If you want to ask questions to Dr. Guido Wolf, please use email.

Supplier Management does not yet start in the Purchasing Department and doesn’t end in the Goods Inwards Department

Either there is a lacking in practical relevance or they work without being connected to theory: The supplier management of many companies needs to be improved. Together with Wolfram Bernhardt, General Manager Sourcing Operations Europe Outsourcing, HealthCare Business and CEE Region at 3M Germany, we demonstrate our experiences in the highly regarded magazine „Zeitschrift für die gesamte Wertschöpfungskette Automobilwirtschaft“ (ZfAW; issue 02/ 09, page 19-27; German language). The article shows the characteristics of pragmatic solutions in order to profit from the potentials of supplier management. For order the issue, please follow this link: http://www.faw-bamberg.de/html/bzfaw09.htm#M2J09. If you want to ask questions to Dr. Guido Wolf, please use email.

100% Nature: conex as Co-Sponsor of the “Liteviller & Friends” Mountain Bike Event

Skepticism and disbelief of the residents of regions close to the Alps doesn‘t change anything about the fact that the Eifel also provides mountain bikers with great opportunities. About 40 bikers from Germany and the Benelux, who participated in the “Liteviller & Friends“ mountain bike event in the northern Eifel from May 21-25, 2009, can confirm that. Together with the premium mountain bike manufacturer Liteville, the cult brand Syntace and the Eifel Tourism GmbH, conex promoted the event. With constant ups and downs, sometimes with steep uphill slopes, sometimes with fast downhill trails, from time to time tricky, the track went through varying and challenging terrain: the participants were delighted. We were delighted too, especially because we felt reminded of the actual situation on the markets …

“Management of Senses“: Inspiring Symposium for the 10thAnniversary of conex.

conex invited – and they came: About 70 guests from of our client companies, our business and co-operation associates and also out of “old“ business friendships, came together in the chic atmosphere of the chateau Montabaur to celebrate the 10thbirthday of our institute. High-quality impulses, which opened up the perspectives out of science, art and humanitarian work, offered interesting impetus and were vividly discussed by the guests. The discourse of “sense“ and “brooding“ found a suitable ending in an art opening, champagne reception and dinner in the historical hall of knights of chateau Montabaur.

Link: Documentation of the Symposium (German)

„Stepchild Internal Communication“: conex publishes in the FAZ

On the 13th of May 2008, an article written by Dr. Guido Wolf, director of the conex institute, was published in the business section of the German newspaper “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung”. Against the background of diverse experiences out of large companies from different industrial and servicing sectors, the article deals critically with internal communication in companies. This subject is in great need of improvement in more than a few companies. Too long and inefficient meetings with often poor results, the flood of emails, or a no longer manageable intranet are just a few examples for the daily practices. The management of the internal communication has to be evaluated with an underdeveloped level of maturity in comparison to the unlikely better equipped external market and marketing communication. The consequence: a striking waste of resources and ongoing increasing discontent of the executive personnel and the employees. With the tool of “communication audits“, which was developed by conex, the article shows the solution, which leads to a sustainable improvement of the internal communication management.

Link: The Article out of the FAZ-Archive (German Language)

“And the Award goes to …“: the Project “DIESCOM” was realized for the 5th time.

In February and March of 2008 the time had come again: In co-operation with the department of communication science of the University Duisburg-Essen and the department “International Communication Management“ of the Dutch college “InHolland“, which is located in Diemen/ Amsterdam, conex once again realized a communication management project with about 30 students of both universities. The slightly longer break since “DIESCOM 4“ is the result of the change processes in Germany related to the bachelor and master degrees. This time the topic was “Evaluation of Communication Processes“. With functional input, conex was able to reveal which rudiments are used in practice, because a substantial desire of the DIESCOM project is to associate theory and company practice.

In four international compounded project teams, the students examined the internal communication management and the involved standards for the evaluation of the allocated organizations. As in the years before, the best project work was honored with the “conex-Consulting-Excellence-Award“. This year the team “DIESCOM 5.3“, with the members Mirte Kwantes (InHolland/ Diemen), Stephanie Maltzan, Marco Ehrl, and Patrick Rennke (all University Duisburg-Essen), won the award. They convinced with their work to the “Improvement of Media supported internal Communication at InHolland University Diemen“.

conex congratulates the award recipients and thanks the students and the teachers for an interesting and vivid project: that was great!

“What was it good for?“ Towards the Evaluation of the Efficiency of Trainings

For some time, companies discuss the question of an evaluation of seminars and trainings achievements. This is totally understandable, because seminars, trainings or coaching do not just cost the fee for the servicing institute; they also produce costs because of the participants absence and the travelling expenses. Even more important than the cost is the expected benefit – for the participant, for his working environment and for the company, which ultimately pays the participants attendance at the training.

It is no surprise that companies urgently search for ways to evaluate the quality of learning processes. Keywords like “evaluation of efficiency“ mark the discussion. After all, important goals should be reached during participation in seminars – if these are not reached, for example because of poor quality of the seminar, there have to be consequences – right up to the cancellation of the contract with the involved provider of the training. This concept is also found in the international standard for quality management ISO 9001. It requires the evaluation of training’s efficiency. Surprisingly, this requirement is often just considered with the lapidary reference to the feedback sheet, which is – and that‘s surprising too – usually accepted by the certifying company. However, that does not have anything to do with a sufficient evaluation. So what should a company do, if they want to approach the evaluation of efficiency systematically and efficiently?

Guido Wolf shows in the October issue of the professional journal “Qualität und Zuverlässigkeit“ (QZ 2006/ No. 10, page 50-54; in German), which practice oriented solutions lead to applicable statements, so that the learning process can be evaluated.

Early in September of 2007, Dr. Wolf held a lecture for this purpose, to which the Commercial Chamber of the city of Aachen in co-operation with the regional forum for quality management had invited to.