Discover your career path as a disciplinary manager with the adesso Development Tandem

Would you like to become a disciplinary manager at adesso? Would you like to take responsibility for a team or a competence centre in your business line? But you're not quite sure yet whether this is the right path for you? Then the adesso Development Tandem programme - adt for short - is just right for you! This personnel development programme is based on the proven principles of the Effectuation approach and offers the opportunity to explore and shape your own career options. We took part in adt 2024 and would like to tell you more about it.

Content and requirements

Two groups of 12 adessis each started the adt 2024 programme. The programme extends over a period of around 6 months and includes several live online impulse lectures and three face-to-face training sessions. A longer trial phase enables us to gain a deeper insight into the tasks of a manager at adesso and thus find out whether the path of a disciplinary manager suits us. During this time in particular, we work closely with our manager. The entire programme is supervised by an external trainer. Each adessi is also assigned to a peer group consisting of three adessis from the same course in order to promote a more intensive exchange.

The programme is aimed at all adessis who have been employed at adesso for at least one year and are at or about to reach career level four or higher. No previous experience is required, but the willingness to break new ground and embark on a journey of professional self-discovery is. Your manager and you have discussed different development paths for you, but one or both of you are not yet sure whether a disciplinary management career is the right path for you. This programme is designed to help you make the right choice. On the one hand for you as an employee, but also through various training sessions for managers, who should be supported in choosing the right reinforcement for their own team.

The areas of "Resources", "Evolutionary Purpose", "Dialogue and Interaction" and "Development Options & Experiments" are interdependent and build on your own affordable investments. In the adt, we went through the individual areas, which are described in more detail in Fig. 2, analysed what our own factors are, where there is potential for expansion and entered into an exchange with our own group in order to reflect on our abilities.

Effectuation: A method of entrepreneurial expertise

Effectuation logic, as described by the renowned cognitive scientist Prof Saras Sarasvathy, is based on the thinking and actions of expert entrepreneurs. This logic helps to break new ground in uncertain times and actively shape the future. It is particularly suitable for developing new career options and enables the iterative and flexible design of career and development paths. The "adesso Development Tandem" picks up on these principles to help us find and follow our own path.

In the following, we would like to take a closer look at the various modules and phases of the adesso programme:

Module 1: Personality & Impact

The first module, "Personality & Impact", was about getting to know ourselves better and understanding how our personality influences our impact on others. We explored our individual purpose and found out what drives and motivates us. With the help of the Effectuation approach, we learnt how to effectively implement our goals and visions. This module lays the foundation for our personal and professional development.

Module 2: Networking with managers + leadership styles

In the second module, we dealt intensively with the topic of networking and learnt how to build and use our network in a targeted manner. We also gained insights into different leadership styles. An important point in module 2 was the open exchange with the managers of all group participants. Here we talked about tasks, obstacles, strengths, weaknesses etc. as managers.

A central theme was that leadership at adesso can and may be practised in very different ways. As a manager, you are given a high degree of freedom and therefore also responsibility. This makes it possible to develop your own management style and respond individually to the needs of the team. Together, we discussed which experiments can be carried out in the upcoming experimentation phase with the joint manager in order to further develop our skills as potential managers.

Experimentation phase

In order to gain a deeper insight into the tasks of a manager at adesso, there is a trial phase. For this part of the programme, you and your manager agree on specific tasks that you will take on during this time. These can be topics such as recruiting: support at trade fairs, acquiring new employees, participating in and conducting job interviews; staffing: supporting colleagues in their search for suitable projects; capacity utilisation: what do the figures in your own team or area mean, how should they be interpreted and what measures should be taken; participation in meetings specifically for managers, etc. Difficult dialogue situations were also simulated by some groups in order to prepare us as well as possible for this role.

We participants are very grateful for the time invested by our managers, as this alone strengthens our cooperation. The experiments are specifically designed to provide insights into the everyday life and tasks of a manager on the one hand and to work on potential areas of development for the participants on the other. This structured approach enables us to develop specific skills and overcome personal challenges.

Online impulse lectures

The programme is rounded off by various online keynote speeches, which last approx. 60-90 minutes including question time. Here, various adesso managers, also from different business lines, provide further and more detailed insights into the various tasks that await you as a manager at adesso. With the additional opportunity to ask questions, the various topics can be explored in greater depth and experience gained directly from the managers.

Module 3: Retro on experiments + development dialogue

In the final module, the experiences made were looked back on and the results reflected on with all participants and managers in a group. It was particularly interesting to see how the programme was perceived from the two different perspectives (one manager, one participant). There was also a three-way retrospective with the trainer and the participants' own manager. This was another opportunity to discuss the programme in detail.

This module forms the conclusion of our programme and gives us the opportunity to deepen our experiences and develop personally.

Conclusion

The training programme delivers what it promises!

Through the programme, we were able to find out once again whether the path we are aiming for as a disciplinary manager is the right one for us. The various modules, subject areas and the many opportunities to interact with different people and roles at adesso have given us many different perspectives to see and understand whether it is the right thing for us.

Conclusion Isabel

I am very glad that I was able to take part in this programme to exchange ideas with managers and colleagues who are dealing with similar issues. The experimentation phase in particular gave me a greater understanding and insight into various topics. The online keynote speeches rounded things off very well. I particularly like the opportunity to have a lot of creative freedom as a manager at adesso. I have made the decision for myself that I would very much like to become a disciplinary manager at adesso in the future.

Conclusion Tobi

Looking back, I am very grateful for the opportunity to gain this valuable experience. The programme gave me a deeper understanding of the tasks and challenges of a manager at adesso. I was particularly impressed by how important good time management, empathy and a high level of commitment are in this role. Even though I recognise the great opportunities and challenges that a management position entails, I have come to the conclusion that this path can wait a while longer for me.

Would you like to find out more about exciting topics from the world of adesso? Then take a look at our previous blog posts.