NDR: Leaving your own silo

A new way of thinking beyond the boundaries of individual organisational units and media: At Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR), the Pop-up Office has set a real change process in motion.

Challenge

"It often takes too long to decide what to do and how to do it. This has so far been enough for a linear programme. But if we want to be present on many media channels, we have to work faster and more agilely. In addition, we must constantly check our programs to see whether we still meet the expectations of the audience or whether we have to offer something else. We have to react quickly."

Olav Jacobs, Head of Change Management, NDR Television

Output

Internal restructuring, the establishment of change management and spatial redesign – at NDR Fernsehen, participation in the Pop-up Office has promoted a new approach to cooperation.

The NDR editorial offices shall work together faster and much more intensively in the future in order to disseminate multimedia content via many playout channels. An important step is the New Work Day: Around 200 NDR employees will meet for the first time in 2019 to discuss issues and methods from the field of "New Work" in lectures and workshops. The day is intended to be the starting signal for a long-term project to implement new methods effectively in everyday working life.

"One week out of the office, together with a colourful mixed group broadening the horizon and taking this into the job to inspire others: That was the Pop-up Office to me! And it still has an effect a year later. That also motivated me to switch jobs internally to change management."

Philipp Vongehr, Change Management / previously Head of Talk and Journalistic Entertainment, NDR Fernsehen

Format & Method

• In the Pop-up Office, creative workers and professionals from other industries, solo self-employed and employees from start-ups, medium-sized companies and large corporations change perspectives together.
• The interdisciplinary teams go through an intensive work process. Through cross-sectoral work and impulse lectures, the participants gain new insights into cultural change, agile management approaches, digitalisation and contemporary office and workplace design day after day.
• Experienced coaches guide the teams through a "culture sprint" – from the definition of relevant topics across industries to the development of concrete questions and the development of potential solutions. The teams develop and visualize their ideas as prototypes.