INKOVEMA Podcast „Well through time“
#206 GddZ
Learning and teaching organisational consulting.
Podcast feature #05
In conversation with Christian Rieckmann and Robert Kademann
Christian Rieckmann, independent organisational consultant based in Kassel. His main areas of expertise are management coaching, facilitation for the design of communication processes in groups, organisational analysis and organisational design, as well as process consulting support for companies during change processes. His core competence is characterised by a content-based approach using a methodology focused on strategy and teams. From 2014 to 2024, Christian Rieckmann was a lecturer in the MBA courses Multidimensional Organisational Consulting (MDO) and Coaching-Organisational Consulting-Superrevision (COS) at the University of Kassel with a focus on organisational consulting.
Robert KademannOrganisational consultant (M.A.), qualified teacher, specialising in educational management and organisational development, coach, supervisor and mediator.
Well through time.
The podcast about mediation, conflict coaching and organisational consulting.
Contents
Chapter
0:02 Welcome to the podcast
1:36 Understanding organisational consulting
4:54 Coaching or organisational consulting?
9:17 Differences in the client role
15:46 The change in the counselling relationship
22:15 The diversity of counselling approaches
30:48 Training in organisational consulting
40:34 Internal vs. external consultants
45:08 Conclusion and outlook
Summary
In this episode of „Gut durch die Zeit“, I sat down with my colleagues Robert Kademann and Christian Rieckmann, both experienced organisational consultants, to take an in-depth look at the topic of organisational consulting. We discussed what organisational consulting actually is, how to learn it and what challenges exist when teaching this discipline. We also took a look at the upcoming training in organisational consulting, which will be offered at INKOVEMA from June 2025.
We discussed the many aspects of organisational consulting, from the personal experiences of the consultants to the specific demands placed on them and the differences between coaching and organisational consulting. Christian and Robert bring different perspectives to the table: While Christian emphasises that the individual and their role in the organisation are at the centre of our considerations, Robert highlights the challenges of being a client. This conversation makes it clear that it is time to see organisations not just as mere structures, but as living systems in which human interactions and relationships are of fundamental importance.
A central topic of our conversation was the Ability to "read" organisations and to understand which factors can influence the success or failure of an organisation. I often notice that clients come in with personal concerns, but it's important to keep the organisation as a whole in mind. We also talked about how to adapt to different roles in the context of organisational consulting - be it as a consultant, facilitator or coach - and how these roles interact with each other.
Another point was the need for thorough preparation for the consultation, especially when it comes to familiarising oneself with the specific organisation and its challenges. We agree that a comprehensive analysis of the organisational structure, its processes and cultural elements is crucial for the successful outcome of a consultation.
In addition, we have the Aspects of teaching and learning in organisational consulting were discussed. Robert and Christian shared their thoughts on how qualified training should be organised and which elements are particularly important in this context. It became clear that the right skills, a clear structure and an exchange with other experts are fundamental to successfully mastering the challenges that arise in the counselling process.
This episode therefore not only offers an insight into the world of organisational consulting, but also valuable approaches and considerations for anyone who would like to further their education or change in this area.