Values that make a difference: PaderSprinter worked with Kaltwasser Kommunikation to develop a shared set of core values
With just under 50,000 passengers carried daily, the public transport operator PaderSprinter is a central pillar of mobility in Paderborn and beyond the city limits. To achieve this, the approximately 270 employees give their all seven days a week, almost round the clock. To lay the groundwork for efficient yet respectful collaboration, the company, supported by Kaltwasser Kommunikation, developed its corporate values together with its employees. Kaltwasser Kommunikation designed and facilitated this participatory process, which took around a year to complete.
The challenge: preserving diversity, uniting differences
Shared values form the foundation of collaboration and unite employees across departmental boundaries and individual differences. At PaderSprinter, these differences were evident, amongst other things, in the varying needs of the workshop, transport service and administration – as well as in perceptions of the corporate culture in practice and the degree of identification with the company.
Together with PaderSprinter, we developed a multi-stage process that focused on the active involvement of employees. The aim was not to impose values from the top down, but to shape them collectively from within the organisation.
The approach: a mix of participation methods and process communication across various channels and formats
To actively involve as many employees as possible in the development of the corporate values, we relied on a diverse mix of methods: individual interviews, group workshops and company-wide surveys formed the backbone of the participatory process. Particular attention was paid to managers – in their role as role models, multipliers and key points of contact during the transformation.
Our set of measures:
Transparent communication:
Early information and involvement of all employees
Notices about the process with an invitation to participate
In-depth insights:
One-to-one interviews with employees from all departments and senior management
Analysis of the perceived corporate culture and identification of key pain points
Collective development:
Group workshop with participants from all areas of the company
Compilation of interview findings into ‘values boards’ featuring quotes, terms and visual elements
Company-wide printed survey to review and supplement the values
Consolidation and finalisation:
Small-group workshop with key representatives from the departments and senior management
Joint definition of the final corporate values for PaderSprinter
Embedding and integration:
Special management briefing on targeted communication and preparation for their role in embedding the values
Staff events for the official announcement of the values by senior management
Development of a communication strategy featuring dialogue-oriented and informative measures
Results
Core values for a shared corporate culture
Values that unite:
In a collaborative, iterative process, employees defined six core corporate values – as a solid foundation for respectful collaboration.
A new understanding of culture:
The in-depth examination of the existing corporate culture heightened awareness at PaderSprinter of the need for continuous organisational development.
Greater mutual understanding:
The participatory process encouraged a shift in perspective and enabled a deeper understanding of colleagues’ concerns and needs in their day-to-day work.
Changing leadership roles:
The development of values revealed that the roles of managers also need to be rethought. Together with PaderSprinter, we will develop a targeted training programme as the next step.
And that’s it?: Corporate culture as an ongoing process
The process of developing values does not end with the announcement of the values that have been established. To ensure that these values are put into practice at PaderSprinter and shape the corporate culture, every employee is called upon to play their part. With a newly formed values team, the work on values is being permanently embedded within the organisation.
©Photo: Besim Mazihiqi
Your contact person
"Working together on corporate values is already the first step towards the desired appreciative corporate culture."
Nadja Ismail
+49-911-530 63-111
nis@kaltwasser.de
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nadja-ismail