Ocean Action Learning

The OCEAN ACTION LEARNING
Approach
Five steps into your companies future

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Trust is the most important productivity driver!
That’s why most companies need a new approach
Holding managed Companies Trust driven holistic group
• Strategic Cooperation • Virtual locations
• Cost Sharing • Self directed
• Minimizing Riscs • „On call"
• Trusting blind
• Collaboration project wise
• Fast reaction in real time
• Flexible

Hierarchical Organisation Modular Organisation
Rising Risks

• Flat Hierarchy
• Reduced complexity
• Similar units
• Direct client responsibility

Growing Complexity
© Pelzer Associated Partners ! 04.10.2012

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2

Mistrust has its effects in virtual teams
Wong & Burton 2001

360% Rework volume
222% Coordination volume
32% Simulated duration

Increase in effort and time

Reduction in quality
-50% Project success
-50% Leadership efficiency
-65% Clarity of goals and roles
-80% Work satisfaction/motivation
-83% Trust
Leading the virtual workforce (Karen Sobel Lojeski)


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3

Changed Challenges
Research shows that productivity is going down about 50% (Lojeski 2010)

New leadership Emotions
ability is crucial Bonding
to success Sense making
trust
motivation
health

Leadership
efficiency

Time and Conflicts
costs Missunderstanding

4

Who needs a new approach?
Who does not?

ü You are looking for cultural integration in a multicultural company
ü You have to improve your productivity more than 7 %
ü You want to implement self-directed teams
ü You need new leadership for highly skilled power teams
ü You have to solve conflicts that block more than 5% of your efficiency
ü You need a successful lighthouse-style project to become the emotional
master plan for other projects
ü You want to change the lack of identification and need better employer
image for new hires


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Benefits you gain with OCEAN ACTION LEARNING
What you miss without this methodology...

ü You get a new culture integrating all cultural differences
ü You will improve productivity more than 10% and leapfrog your
competitors
ü You decrease hierarchy levels
ü You get accepted leaders
ü You get new skills in conflict management
ü Your projects will succeed in time and budget
ü You become the “most wanted” employer for new hires


6

The sea mirrors business in every detail
If you understand the sea and business

Example Leadership: MASTER OF THE DAY
In a very personal leadership development program we prepared future top managers
to be ready mentally and emotionally for their challenges.

A general manager who is instructed permanently by the board and yet must execute
complex maneuvers on his own becomes the >>> the HELMSMEN

An assistant Manager who is a porter and keeper of the Boards presentation, which -
if the wrong version is selected - leads to destruction of the enterprise becomes the
>>> the SMUT , who must respond to everybody. On board, he is responsible for
order, cleanliness and safety of the sea cocks.

A corporate strategists or controller who is looking for targets to be acquired and who
is checking the business performance becomes the >>> the NAVIGATOR


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Example Leadership: MASTER OF THE DAY
A COO or the production manager who improves productivity and ensures the
performance becomes >>> FIRST MATE

A PR Manager becomes >>>the RADIO OFFICER to ensure that no matter what
happens, the crew and the company is seen perfectly in public (via the Blog that is
written during the training). He must operate the logbook precisely and unambiguously
and in direct communication with officials.

The HR - or logistik Manager becomes the >>>COOK who is responsable for the great
atmosphere and service as a basis for employee motivation.

A CEO or President becomes >>> the SKIPPER


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Example Leadership: IT MERGER
In a global enterprise to be merged the different IT teams have to work as a team in the
future. The two competing IT support centers in Ireland and Westphalia were absolutely
not amused. The Irish people refused to speak with German, the Germans suddenly
understood any English. The performance of the combined team dropped dramatically.
Any conventional measures from incentive to threat had any impact. The situation
becomes critical for the entire group by the accumulating errors and long IT service
waiting times.

So we gave the two opposing groups a sophisticated, board program to permanently
overcome the barriers. Core of this program were the five board compartments, different
tasks that need to be done for the safe operation of the ship: supply, navigation,
engineering, sailing and communication.

For each of these areas, we developed a comprehensive manual with checklists, detailed
manuals and many rules: Two Blue Books were in English written, two books in German
and one in Dutch. The group formed five teams, randomly one of them was assigned to
the Dutch book. The other teams were able to select the described compartments.

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On the first day after sufficient time to study the instructions the journey had to be
planned and prepared. Fighting and arguing against each other started immediately. All
areas were interdependent and no group really could act alone. So the first day started as
a mess.

The second day maneuvering worked well but without talking to each other the
performance was really bad. Everybody was complaining about the bad Instructions and
the creasy setup of the training.

On the third day, the responsibilities were redistributed. We took the manuals to those
who did not understand the language. Since the teams did not talk to each other the
sailing became a frustrating disaster with scratches, great confusion, navigation errors
and cold food. A bad weather front hit us and made everything worth.

On the next day we changed the teams again and everybody could perform in his most
favorable task. Now the performance of the tasks worked like magic: all talked to each
other and helped to learn from each other. We made good progress and the food was
edible again.


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On the last day we finally broke the compartments and new teams were
formed. Thy redesigned their areas self-directed. The atmosphere could
not be better, and the sun rewarded all of us with shiny weather in a
fresh breeze. Forgotten were all animosities. Problems were discussed
together and agreed. Necessary decisions were made and commanded
very politely.

After stowing equipment on board and finishing the cleaning they sat
together as a whole team. Appointments were made with the learning's
from the journey. These changes increased the performance and they are
developing even after years.


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Five steps into your companies future

1.Create an action learning environment that mirrors your companies
decision and team dilemmas’

2.Use group dynamics and systemic know-how based on
family-scaled teams from 5 to 15 people

3.Create a multi-sensor experience in a secure environment.

4.Give time to act in a challenging environment and to live through complex
psychological and stressing sociological situations

5.Transfer experiences from OCEAN ACTION LEARNING to business
practice with systemic approach and holistic view on teams.


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1. Create an action learning environment that mirrors your
companies decision and team dilemmas

Isolated Board Meetings Giving Advice

More than one person needed Service Support


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2. Use group dynamics and systemic know-how based on
family-scaled teams from 5 to 15 people

Every compartment has its own team In one boat

Hand in hand All together


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3. Create a multi-sensor experience in a secure environment

Sight Movement

Sound Taste & Smell


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4. Give time to act in a challenging environment and to live through
complex psychological and stressing sociological situations

Simple living - small space Relaxing and reflecting

Security versus speed Personal coaching and advice


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5. Transfer experiences from OCEAN ACTION LEARNING to business
practice by systemic approach and holistic view on teams.

Board on Board Team work

First transfer in 1982 Yours sincerely, Bernhard K.F. Pelzer


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Contact

Bernhard K.F. Pelzer
Strandtreppe/Breckwoldtstraße. 2 · D-22587 Hamburg
Tel: +49 40 86 60 45 45
Fax: +49 40 86 60 45 21
E-Mail: bernhard.pelzer@pelzerap.de
http://www.pelzerap.com

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