Positive, amicable, ambitious and the constant desire to get things done: for Daniel Blocq, this typifies the culture at VodafoneZiggo. As the company’s Culture & Engagement Manager, he is responsible for culture and engagement: “I’m really fascinated by the behaviour of people in organisations. How can you make sure that employees remain committed and do their jobs to the best of their ability? What do they need to be able to do this? That’s what I work on every day."
Culture Crew in action
A shared corporate culture doesn’t just happen overnight. The Culture Crew played an important role in its development. "In 2017, we were faced with the daunting task of bringing together the two different corporate cultures of Vodafone and Ziggo. The Culture Crew was set up to help us do this: a group of employees who enthusiastically do everything they can create a corporate culture where everyone feels at home, colleagues can be themselves and we get things done. The members organised a major survey, which was used to formulate our shared core values: Open Up, Team Up and Step Up."
Not just hard work
Seven years have now passed and VodafoneZiggo is on the right track, Daniel says. "The core values have taken root: people talk about them and we see the values reflected in presentations and workshops. If you ask colleagues what they like about their work, they’ll often mention the shared culture. This is largely thanks to the huge commitment and drive of the Culture Crew."
Does the jacket still fit?
The VodafoneZiggo organisation is constantly changing. After seven years, does the culture still reflect its ambitions? This is a topical question given the organisation’s brand-new business strategy. "Part of this strategy is to offer customers and employees an exceptional experience. One that enables them to walk into a shop with a phone-related problem and walk out feeling really happy because their problem has been solved AND they’ve been given a tip about a useful app. We are striving to offer the same exceptional experience internally too. For example, if your colleague solves your login problem quickly, without sending you to three other colleagues first."
The organisation’s new course means putting the culture under the microscope again. “We asked employees the following question in brainstorming sessions: which behaviour is needed to make these ambitions a reality? What do you expect of yourself and others? Based on our core values - Open Up, Team Up and Step Up - we are looking at how to take things a step further. Employees unanimously mentioned goals like: empathising with another person more, looking beyond the boundaries of your own team and coming up with proactive solutions, preferably before a problem even happens."
Infectious enthusiasm
This is where the Culture Crew enters the picture again. "They are the lifeblood of VodafoneZiggo and know what’s happening in the organisation. For the new culture programme, the Culture Crew will talk to employees, organise sessions and gauge the general mood. This will enable them to be a sounding board for employees, managers and HR. They will work their way through the organisation, keeping the importance of the big picture in mind at all times."
Just do it
Can different behaviour be taught? "Naturally, some people find it easier to empathise than others and some will be better at solution-oriented thinking too. But you can develop these skills. Starting, simply, with behaviour that demonstrates empathy, for example. It might not feel natural at first, but if you’re open to it and want to improve, you will. It also helps if you understand why something is important, consider which behaviour this will involve and then just go ahead and do it."
And employees will be given help too: "We’ll include certain subjects in employee surveys. The following statement, for example: I actively ask questions. The answers will be used as input for improvement actions in your team. We will also provide materials designed to encourage colleagues to set goals for themselves that reflect the culture we envisage. We will also link learning tracks to the new behaviour, so you can practice it. In this way, we will have a constant focus on corporate culture. This will reinforce the feeling that everyone at VodafoneZiggo is one big team and doing it together."