Articles

VIRTUAL LEADERSHIP AT HELABA

Helaba, a commercial bank and organization which operates across multiple and increasingly interlinked locations, recognized the fact that effective Virtual Leadership is a significant success factor. With this in mind the following two fundamental questions are particularly significant: With which specific methods and techniques do managers need to be equipped to work effectively in the virtual world? Which specific communication skills do they need in order to build trust-based relationships with employees?

Mindful of the objective to support the managers, not only on a technical but also on organizational and cultural level, Black Gazelle Consulting implemented the ‘Virtual Leadership’ training project at Helaba in 2015. Karsten Bich, Head of Human Resources, explains: “We would like to increase the managers’ awareness of what it means for employees when they feel isolated and to equip them with methods and techniques to foster successful virtual teamwork and collaboration.”

IFBC - A GLOBAL VIRTUAL LEARNING PROCESS

The International Federation of the Blue Cross (IFBC) is an independent, non-governmental health development organization dedicated to preventing and reducing the harmful use of alcohol and illicit drugs especially among children, youth and families. Furthermore, it advocates evidence-based alcohol policy formulation and implementation on national and international levels. Through the activities and projects of its Secretariat and 42 member organizations (MOs), IFBC aspires to ensure that all people have the opportunity to knowingly choose and live a life free of addiction to alcohol and drugs. In addition, IFBC activities seek to provide people harmed by alcohol and drugs with access to the benefits of high quality and holistic treatment. Internationally, the Blue Cross is organized as a federation of local and national organisations of differing sizes, strengths and capabilities.

T-SYSTEMS - VIRTUAL LEADERSHIP

T-Systems, a subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom, ‘shapes the networked future of business and society and creates value for customers, employees and investors thanks to innovative ICT solutions’.

In 2012 and 2013 T-Systems commissioned Black Gazelle Consulting to design and run several Virtual Leadership Programs as one stand-alone module and as a modular part of a broader Leadership Program.

Participants described a culture, prior to the Virtual Leadership Program, where there was the clear need to demonstrate a strong task focus, where time spent on reflecting was difficult to find and where relationship building was incidental rather than intentional.

UMICORE - HIGH PERFORMANCE IN THE VIRTUAL SPACE

Umicore is a global materials technology group offering materials and solutions that are at the cutting edge of new technological developments essential to everyday life.

One senior international team approached Black Gazelle Consulting with the aim of improving the effectiveness of their virtual team meetings. While the team concerned were somewhat unhappy with their current meetings, they were not convinced that training in working virtually was a good use of their valuable time. The senior level of the sponsorship and the very time efficient offering from Black Gazelle Consulting, convinced the client that it made sense to go ahead.

DEUTSCHE TELEKOM - PIONEERS OF THE VIRTUAL FRONTIER

Like the brave pioneers who came before us, Virtual Leaders at Deutsche Telekom are forging a new frontier of 21st century communication. Employing a global workforce of nearly 230,000 professionals, virtual interfacing has become an essential tool of the German telecommunications conglomerate. With every remotely conducted encounter, leading edge practices and protocols are being redefined that impact the productivity and profit of the worldwide corporation.

Realizing early on the importance of cultivating an exceptional team of Virtual Leaders, Deutsche Telekom appointed Black Gazelle Consulting to educate and train a select group of top-level project managers to become more effective, high-performance innovators with the skills to galvanize their teams across the virtual landscape. After the three-day course was completed, participants gained practical experience based on direct feedback from their peers as well as from Ghislaine Caulat, the Virtual Leadership Program Facilitator and Founding Director of Black Gazelle Consulting.