For more than 40 years, MTB-Schreinerei GmbH has stood for quality “Made in Germany” and produces high-quality kitchens and custom-made furniture at its Edingen-Neckarhausen site. Together with Clockwise Consulting, MTB went through a multi-stage consulting process.
Before the Succession
Our SME expert Christian Wewezow initially supported Dirk Frauenfeld in mastering the succession and management buy-in. In addition to the existing managing directors Rudolf Bächle and Werner Mohr, Dirk Frauenfeld was to be established as the third managing director.
“It was important to me that we understood each other and had a foundation of trust so that we could talk openly about everything,” emphasizes Dirk Frauenfeld. The reason for this trust was also the approach of our Managing Partner: “Christian Wewezow is an analyst who listens, observes and asks the right questions.”
Taking on a new managing director involves many challenges. The goals and visions of the management need to be harmonized, a timetable needs to be defined and the new managing director needs to be supported in fulfilling his new role with confidence. During the succession process, it was above all a neutral opinion that helped Dirk Frauenfeld on his way: “It was important for me to include an external opinion and neutral perspective in the process. Because sometimes you can simply be a bit stuck in your own opinion. When you then change your perspective through the follow-up coaching, you feel inspired and relieved.”
After the Succession
Following the successful succession, Christian Wewezow conducted several workshops with MTB's management team on strategy development and implementation. The aim of the dialogue was to sharpen the vision, open up the management culture and support the implementation of the strategy, while Clockwise Consulting GmbH provided process support to jointly develop concrete options for optimizing administrative and production processes and structures in order to achieve a high level of acceptance among the management team. “It makes a big difference whether we just sit together as shareholders or whether someone moderates a workshop. Thanks to Mr. Wewezow's expertise as a strategy consultant and management coach, the management team and I, as the new co-managing director, were able to draw the right and essential conclusions in order to activate internal potential. As a result, some members of the management circle dropped their “protective shield” and gained confidence.”
Image: Courtesy of MTB-Schreinerei GmbH