Sensitization and risk management in the run-up to a major military change

• The German Armed Forces implements a German version (DEMAR) of the European Military Airworthiness Requirements (EMAR).
• EMAR is a set of harmonized regulations for military aviation in Europe, aiming to improve safety, reduce costs, and foster interoperability between member states by adapting civil aviation standards to military needs. They are based on civil aviation.
• DEMAR uniformly regulates, among other things, the maintenance, servicing, and technical operational readiness of all German military aircraft.
• These tasks are performed by the flight engineering groups of the flying units of the Air Force, Army Aviation, and Naval Aviation.
• DEMAR not only regulates aspects of safety and operational readiness of weapon systems, but also, for example, the correct execution (processes) and complete documentation of the work carried out by the flight engineering groups.

• Thousands of aircraft mechanics, avionics engineers, and other specialists, both in uniform and civilian employees, are affected by the organizational and procedural top-down changes due to DEMAR.
• One consequence is that these experts will have to be retrained. This is usually easier for young people than for older ones.
• In addition, many will have to change their routines and behavior and adopt new habits. This is challenging due to our human “Anti-Change DNA” as we at viadoo call it.
• Others lose rights and the status they have built up over decades. This has a massive impact on motivation, self-esteem, and ultimately on performance.

• Two armed forces commands allowed viadoo Change Guides to accompany them part of the way with surveys and workshops.
• We were tasked with sensitizing managers (primarily staff officers) to the social and emotional aspects of the new regulations, processes and structures of DEMAR.
• Therefore, we conducted a workshop in one command. Among other things, we developed a shared change vision as well as ideas for a change communication strategy.
• In the other command, we worked with two other service providers to conduct surveys of those who were and are affected by the change on site.

Better understanding the need to switch to DEMAR

• In additional workshops, we jointly applied the Bundeswehr’s change management standards to the introduction of DEMAR and identified risks and potential for optimization.
• In order to reach all stakeholders and support the necessary change, we recommended, among other things, the establishment of a central transformation office at management level with a corresponding cascade, as well as roadshows and all-hands forums.
• In the end, the two military commands implemented our input, for example by sending out regular newsletters. This way, the viadoo Change Guides helped those affected to better understand the need to implement the new DEMAR regulatory area.