My conversation with Natacha focusses on how she came to be interested in self-organization as the founder of a B2C company and consequently going all-in and transforming the company.

I’ve only gotten to know Natacha recently for this conversation. It was Steffen, who I interviewed on the previous episode who suggested that Natacha would be a very interesting person to have a similar conversation with. And he was right.

I was intrigued right away when I found out which company Natacha had founded because I am a satisfied customer of their products. Both my kids have consumed many Freche Freunde snacks when out and about or while traveling.

If you are a parent you probably know the fruit and veggie pouches called Freche Freunde. My wife, Nicole, and I have used them so frequently that we have been joking about writing a book about pouch parenting.

Natacha is a founder through and through. In this conversation she shares how she came to learn about self-organization and why she committed to making it a reality in her company - even through initial struggles. We talked about how her relationships to her team changed in the process and the armor she had to put down to do so.

Despite initial resistance and personal challenges, she achieved meaningful impact and fulfillment.

My conversation with Steffen focusses on how he came to be interested in self-organization as a founder of a SaaS company and consequently going all-in and transforming the company.

The central theme is Steffen's journey to consciously work on and transform company culture.

He highlights the shift in his leadership approach, including breaking up the company's functional silos into cross-functional teams, and the challenges faced in delegating power and fostering intrinsic motivation among employees.

Steffen also openly reflects on his internal struggles and insecurities, touching on personal crises, therapy, and the impact of ego and extrinsic validation.

We explored how his day-to-day work evolved, his relationships with employees, and the creation of a more authentic and motivating work environment.

We concluded with a broader reflection on how these transformations in the workplace parallel changes in other areas of his life, including parenting.

I’ve known Steffen for 7 years. We worked together for 2 of them, after he hired me at the beginning of the company transformation. I still remember on my very first day helping to rearrange desks because all teams were reshuffled from functional into cross-functional teams.

I have very fond memories of these two years. Not only did I refine my thinking around organizational design during that time which eventually turned into the nine org key practices that my online course is built on, but I also formed many lasting relationships with people I care about. And for that I am very grateful.

I appreciate Steffen for his seemingly insatiable hunger for learning and growth and I admire his courage for making bold moves with uncertain outcomes.

You can find Steffen at https://thriveculture.com/.

And if you want to find out more about me, you can do so at https://newworkbydesign.com

Music by audionautix.com

My conversation with Lyn focusses on psychological safety which has been her research focus already during her Masters in Business Psychology. Fast forward to today, where she’s supporting teams and organizations in creating collaboration that is effective, adaptable, and joyful.

I’ve know Lyn for 3 years and I appreciate how deeply she cares about creating work environments that welcome people to show up as their whole selves.

What I found most interesting in our conversation is how she relates psychological safety to the nervous system, trauma, and status.

Links:

• https://www.lynvonderladen.de/english/resources/understanding-and-strengthening-psychological-safety/
• https://www.lynvonderladen.de/english/resources/psychological-safety-from-a-nervous-system-perspective/
• https://newworkbydesign.com/posts/psychological-safety

You can find Lyn at https://www.lynvonderladen.de/ and get in touch via mail (at) lynvonderladen.de

And if you want to find out more about me, you can do so at https://newworkbydesign.com

Music by audionautix.com