On January 20, we were very pleased to welcome Jan Köster once again as a guest lecturer at our institute. As in the previous year, Jan joined the course Intercultural Management and Communication at the Technische Universität Hamburg, and we were delighted that he took the time to return and share his expertise with our students. Jan began the guest lecture in a very personal and transparent way by talking about his own stressful morning, using it as an entry point into the realities of modern working life. From there, he guided the students through key questions of organizational culture and transformation. In the first part of the session, he introduced a Cynefin framework inspired by Dave Snowden, which differentiates between simple, complicated, complex, and chaotic problems, as well as the often overlooked “unclear space” that emerges when the wrong tools are applied to the wrong type of problem. Building on this, Jan discussed agile methods and the important distinction between working in the system and working on the system, complemented by the Plan–Do–Check–Act cycle. Using vivid, cross-generational examples—from his grandfather’s experiences with telephones and digital money, to his father’s constant availability and its health consequences, to today’s shifts toward new work methods, AI, and future technologies—Jan illustrated how ways of working and organizing have continuously evolved. Concepts such as VUCA (Volarity, Uncertainty, Conplexity, Ambiguity) and BANI (brittle, anxious, non-linear, incomprehensible) provided frameworks for understanding today’s uncertain environments. He emphasized that many organizations fail to see their real problem: the loss of knowledge workers and the urgent need to shift toward continuous learning, self-reflection, resilience, and developing organizations as learning systems. Once again, he complemented the course perfectly, enriching it with clear insights, thought-provoking impulses, and practical perspectives on the challenges and processes of organizational culture transformation. It was another inspiring morning, and we very much hope to welcome Jan back again in the future.

On December 4th, 2025, our Negotiation Management course was enriched by the return of Martin Pilch, Partner at IMPACT Negotiation Group, who joined us for the third time as a guest lecturer. Mr. Pilch led a highly interactive Problem‑Based Learning (PBL) session that gave students the opportunity to apply negotiation theory directly to practice. He began by sharing practical advice on negotiation techniques and effective communication, before guiding participants through a series of realistic case scenarios. These exercises challenged students to collaborate, adapt their strategies, and explore solutions that create value for all parties involved. A key takeaway from the session was the importance of thorough preparation, understanding the perspectives of others, and thinking creatively to reach agreements. Mr. Pilch supported the students throughout, encouraging them to reflect on their negotiation styles and decision‑making approaches. This hands‑on training demonstrated how negotiation skills taught in the classroom translate into real business contexts. We sincerely thank Martin Pilch for his continued engagement and practical contributions to our program, and we look forward to welcoming him again in future guest lectures. More about IMPACT Negotiation Group can be found on their website: https://impactnegotiationgroup.com/