Consulting in times of Corona
Formats for the crisis
Coronavirus and the measures related to it have set a lot in motion on very different levels. From agitated personal issues and tense team situations, to necessary restructuring of processes, to reengineering of business units and business models — in many contexts, the question is how to work fluidly and powerfully with this level of unplannability and constraint.
I experience consulting in this time as more relevant than ever.
There are two options for us to work during this time:
Work at your site
Working on site during Corona is possible in principle, if the situation allows it. We work according to our own hygiene plan, which is based on the Corona Protection Ordinance of North Rhine-Westphalia, the rules of my own clients and current scientific findings. This plan is updated regularly. Depending on the situation, measures such as mandatory masks, clearances, ventilation rules or 2G/3G provisions are recorded there. This hygiene plan is my minimum standard for work and is welcome to be supplemented with your organization’s rules of the game.
On-site appointments are currently reserved in principle only with a Plan B: If the infection numbers are so high or the overall situation is so unpredictable that on-site work is no longer justifiable, we will switch to an online format for the same appointment.
Work in online setting
We can work online with professional technology — with a whiteboard to work together and to secure results, with the possibility to quickly switch to small groups and to use different consultation settings. I’ve been working professionally with online formats for years, and since 2020 I’ve also been training colleagues in the intentional design of consultative online formats.
In these days of mandatory masks, distance and air etiquette, virtual work also brings the advantage of being able to see whole faces, of teams being able to come together from dispersed locations or from the home office, and of people with higher concerns about contagion or unclear symptoms being able to be there in a relaxed way. To make the technical implementation work, I have prepared proven rules of the game and resources, which I will gladly send upon request.
