Coaching Through a Transformation
The Occasion:
When two companies become one strong unit – how a management team actively shaped cultural change during a merger.
The Starting Situation:
In the course of a merger, two companies – A and B – were to work more closely together under the umbrella of a corporate group. Until then, the two companies had pursued different strategies and corporate cultures:
A – a technically oriented sales company, high-priced, premium solutions.
B – a cost-conscious supplier with a strong market presence.
The Challenge:
✔ Externally, A and B were to remain independent brands –
internally, however, they were to act as one team with a shared vision, strategy, and corporate culture.
✔ The parent holding was transforming itself into a centrally managed matrix organization.
✔ A new shared corporate culture was to be established – in line with the values of the group.
Goals of the Coaching Within the Transformation:
✔ Role clarity and a clear assessment of where the management team stands
✔ A shared understanding of leadership and strengthened leadership skills
✔ Constructive collaboration even when positions differ
✔ Establishing a credible corporate culture that is genuinely lived
✔ Consistent execution of the transformation goals
My Mandate:
Guiding top management through the transformation:
executive coaching, team workshops, and personality diagnostics using Hogan Assessments – all aligned with the goals of the merger.
The Approach:
1. Analysis phase:
One-on-one interviews with all members of the management team to capture expectations, stumbling blocks, and potential. On this basis, a tailored, results-oriented workshop and coaching concept was developed.
2. Implementation phase:
In a series of team workshops (spread over one year), cultural differences, personal styles, and responsibilities were made visible and integrated. Together, the team developed binding communication and decision-making processes – including clear roles and a shared understanding of leadership.
In parallel, all executives received monthly three-hour one-on-one coaching sessions – based on their Hogan profiles.
Results After 12 Months:
✔ Open, trusting communication within the management team
✔ Faster decisions with shared ownership
✔ Clear commitment to values, vision, and strategy
✔ Perceptible change across the company – including among employees
✔ Executives visibly leading the cultural change by example
“Today we truly work as a team. We make decisions faster – with more trust, more joy, more accountability.
Without the external support, we would not have achieved this in that time.”
– Feedback from a member of the management team
When Coaching Makes Sense in Transformations:
✔ During mergers, acquisitions, or carve-outs
✔ When introducing a new corporate culture
✔ In digitalization processes or corporate restructurings
✔ During cost-reduction programs or structural growth
Would you like to shape cultural change, strategic realignment, or integration successfully?
I would be glad to support you – with psychological know-how, team coaching, and leadership expertise.
