A lot has happened since the values workshops started at the end of June: Anne Seidel and Birgit Macele – both responsible for People-, Organization- and Culture Development – have since conducted a total of ten workshops at VTG locations in Europe.
The goal was always the same: to talk to employees about how we want to work and interact with each other in the future – and then develop new VTG values from that, which will serve as a compass for the transformation and the time after that.
It didn’t matter whether the participants had been with VTG for a long time or had just started, or whether they worked in an office or in a workshop. Anne and Birgit’s goal was to talk to a cross-section of VTG employees.
Not at all “tired of business”
What did all the workshops have in common, according to the two of them? The openness of the participants! “It was great to see how our colleagues engaged with what Birgit and I had prepared for them,” Anne says. “Every single workshop was characterized by a great openness and a desire to get involved.”
Anne was particularly impressed by the commitment of the “VTG veterans”, i.e. employees who have been with the company from the very beginning: “Many of them have already accompanied the development of a wide range of corporate values,” she explains. “And yet they are still open to new ideas and are anything but ‘tired of the company’.” It is precisely these colleagues, she says, who understand that values – like companies themselves – can change.
„Each workshop was characterized by a great deal of openness and a desire to get involved.“
“Of course, we also experienced insecurity and caution in some of the workshops,” adds Birgit. Nevertheless, she also perceives the employees’ great willingness to change and to help shape the process – and their strong need for discussion and exchange, whether in general or with regard to values. “The more the participants discussed the meaning of the individual values, the more they realized how important it is to have a shared understanding of them, “ explains Birgit.
Going with the Flow
Anne and Birgit also had to be very open. “The motto ‘Go with the Flow’ certainly helped us,” says Anne, “because each group had a new, very unique dynamic.” So, for example, at the end of some workshops there were no concrete values as a result, “but nevertheless many valuable results with which we can continue to work.”
The task now is to hold the last few workshops and continue the evaluation. “At the same time, we are also working on finding the best way to present the evaluation in order to present the results of the participants to the Executive Board in the best possible way.”
And then? The aim is to combine the employees’ ideas with those of the Executive Board and to finally define the new values – and then to gradually bring them to life.
How did the participants experience the workshops? We asked them!
Regine Ott
“I was happy to take part in the values workshop for long-standing VTG employees. As with any plunge into troubled waters, these trusted colleagues are my valuable net and safety net right now! I hope that we can preserve these values of cohesion for all future VTG generations.”
Anonymous participant
“I particularly liked the fact that all participants were able to communicate their values and requests. It’s nice to see that everyone is looking in the same direction.”
Thea Zeller
“Our values concern us all. It’s great that we were able to get involved here – that’s why I enjoyed taking part in the workshop. It was nice to see that all the participants had very similar ideas on the subject of values. And a workshop like this always offers the opportunity to meet colleagues you don’t see that often in day-to-day business. I hope that I will also find the results of our workshop in the values that were adopted at the end. And by the way: Birgit and Anne did a great job of running the workshop.”
Marc-Oliver Riecken
“I thought it was a great idea to experience a values workshop like this with a group of VTG veterans, because a wealth of experience was brought together and a very different perspective was provided. It was also really nice to meet up with many old colleagues outside of the daily office routine.”
Alice Schifferer
“I think it’s extremely important to have the opportunity to experience and help shape a workshop like this! Working with colleagues to develop the future of cooperation at VTG and defining the values that are important to us is a great opportunity. I was particularly pleased to see that all participants were looking in the same direction. And that they were able to meet colleagues from other departments with whom they do not interact on a daily basis, and to understand that they can learn from each other and think outside the box of their own daily business even without daily contact. I really hope that all employees get the opportunity to attend this workshop. I would find it a great shame if, as with the boot camps and the VTG camps, in the end no one’s voice is heard.”
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