I just found an old photo of an exchange session I had with Ingo Rauth and Holger Rhinow in 2014. It was about the weird role of change agents and innovation team facilitators. Back then we read all kinds of academic literature on the differences and nuances of coaches, facilitators, change agents and whatever such roles are called and asked ourselves: “How would we explain our role to our grandmas and kids?” The quick’n dirty result were the sketches above and show that we as innovation coaches, rarely can stick to a single script. We shift, adapt, and switch roles constantly:
We Are Teachers – “Here’s how it works.”
Sometimes, we share what we know (I personally have to do that 60% of my time now). We explain management theories, philosophies, and methods like Disruption, Dual Transformation, Dual Strategy-Making and so on. We break down tools and techniques, and acquaint people with practical approaches like Design Thinking, Lean Startup or the likes. We teach not to control, but to empower innovation leaders and teams with clarity, muscle memory and confidence.
We Are Parrots – “Why?”
We echo curiosity and wonder. We ask “why” not to challenge for the sake of it, but to uncover assumptions, biases, and blind spots. By asking and repeating (seemingly naive) questions that matter, we create space for deeper reflection and better solutions.
We Are Facilitators – “Let’s move together.”
We bring people into the (virtual) room — physically or metaphorically — and help them connect. We design workshops, guide collaboration, and keep the energy flowing. As facilitators, we hold the process, not the answers.
We Are “Masters” – “This way you must go…”
Sometimes, especially under times of pressure where the team cannot afford to learn by self-experience, we need to draw from ours. We’ve walked this path before (having built a product, early startup, digital service, etc.). We see patterns others may not. When needed, we step in with gentle authority to nudge teams to just do as told without taking control — a fine line.
We Are Consultants – “Here’s a possible path.”
There are moments when a clear analysis and advice from external, third-party observation matters more than open-ended exploration. In these moments, we offer our cross-industry- and past-research-insight. We suggest context-adequate approaches or frameworks that can accelerate progress or prevent common traps. This happens less in product and team work coaching but more in our org change work-streams.
We Are Controllers – “Here is what we’ve observed.”
Data matters. We help leaders and teams reflect on evidence, measure impact, and adapt based on what they learn. Whether it’s customer feedback or innovation accounting metrics, we translate complexity into direction.
We Are Adventurous Captains – “Let’s explore something new.”
We chart courses into the unknown. We rally courage, spark curiosity, and help teams venture beyond what’s familiar and in their comfort zones. We enjoy to (help them) navigate ambiguity, not avoiding it.
We Are McKinseys – “We recommend this direction.”
Sometimes, decisiveness is necessary. In high-pressure or high-risk situations, we may need to be more directive. It’s rare, but when we take this stance, it’s to protect momentum or safeguard value. This is the role I personally dislike the most when being pushed into.
We Are Ideators – “Let’s play with ideas.”
We have lots of imagination ourselves. When our client grant us permission to do so (and thus prime their teams) we throw out wild idea directions and inspiration too! And of course we model creative behaviors, sketch and build prototypes and help teams get un-stuck with a “build to think” attitude. In the ideator role, we model creativity and make it safe to think differently.
We Are Scientists/Academics – “Let’s test it.” / “Empirical evidence says …”
We believe in experimentation. We help teams turn assumptions into hypotheses and design smart tests to learn what works. Our philosophy is simple: test early, test small, learn fast. But we are also Academics who did one or the other research in the past. So, for our domain we know recent research is saying and can separate LinkedIn myths from actual empiric evidence.
In the End We Are the Blend
None of these roles defines us on their own. What at best makes us effective is our awareness of when to shift, our humility in knowing we don’t have all the answers, and our commitment to growing with every team we support. We’re teachers, captains, scientists/academics, ideators, masters and facilitators. And sometimes, we’re just a parrot echoing our counterparts with naive questions.
