On September 23 and 24, DB Systel, Deutsche Bahn’s IT service provider, held its first training at the Software Campus on “Distributed Leadership & Self-Organization”. DB Systel started its transformation process around ten years ago and operates now with fully self-organizing teams. Trainer Ingo Sauer embodies and teaches this way of working and organizing in both ways, internally and externally. At DB Systel, he is the product owner of ‘Qualification 4 New Roles,’ a transformation facilitator, a systemic organizational developer, and a trainer. DB Systel invited participants to attend their training session at the Digital Campus of Deutsche Bahn at Ostkreuz station in Berlin.
Personal experience of working in self-organized teams at DB Systel.
The theoretical foundations were developed using various leadership concepts and exploring the differences between position, function and role within a team. Participants learned how different role models are applied in business practice by looking at various companies as examples. At DB Systel, for instance, leadership responsibilities are spread among a network of decentralized, self-organized teams. Trainer Ingo Sauer shared firsthand how this works exactly and the insights he has gained. Participants were also encouraged to engage in personal exchange. In small groups, they discussed their experiences with these concepts and theories, as well as the impact on them.
Mastering transformation processes
Participants also expanded their knowledge of decision-making processes, agility, and leadership in change. They also learned about the types, reasons, and forms of resistance, as well as the levels of fear that can influence employee behavior. The effects of power and authority, psychological safety, and empowerment on teams were also discussed. How can conditions for psychological safety be created structurally and personally, and how might both change individually in the context of change? Ingo Sauer told of his experiences with transformation processes. Participants also gained knowledge about very specific tools for team development; for example, they talked about retrospectives, the Team Model Canvas, and analyzing and dealing with dysfunctions in teams.
“How does Deutsche Bahn work?”
Due to numerous interested requests, the training was spontaneously extended with the information block “How does Deutsche Bahn work?” Ingo Sauer explained the interplay between old and new technology, how signaling technology interacts with the rail network, and how the individual railway companies work together.
