Edwards are not a household name, but there’s probably a little bit of Edwards in every high-tech product in your home or office.
Edwards recently changed their business structure, getting rid of top-down, hierarchical decision-making to put the power in the hands of their 4,200 employees across the globe. This is a huge change for any organisation – one that needs a culture where people feel valued, motivated and empowered to make decisions themselves.
We spent a lot of time understanding what this would mean for colleagues. We developed a new set of competencies. We gave clear definitions and positive and negative examples of specific behaviours to help everyone understand what was expected from them.
Our research told us our creative had to be bold, brave but above all, different. Early testing showed our daring approach and straight-talking tone resonated. It wasn’t what they were used to (at all!) but the messages stood out and the approach made them sit up. The ‘People Like Us’ concept made employees feel the comms were relevant, inclusive and personal. It was a real rally cry.
We developed a suite of materials to support this cascade, which gave the employees the opportunity to reflect on both good and bad examples of the competencies, and equipped them to challenge inappropriate behaviour and have conversations about behaviour.
Just like Edwards’ new structure, we’ve put the power in the people’s hands. We set up an ambassador network of 70 colleagues who were passionate about making a difference, putting them through a specially designed train the trainer session. Over time, they’ll take the People Like Us message to every single employee.
"If we can all improve our communication skills we will achieve so much more. Leadership is all about putting others first, acting with compassion and being honest. I’m so excited about this programme - it will inspire and reignite belief throughout our organisation"
The cascade process is now in full swing and we’re working on our plans for phase two. This will include sharing successes on a shiny new People Like Us microsite, supporting the ambassadors to run regular activities and our bi-annual inter-site Jenga competition – a fun way to share the message and keep the collaboration (and the competition) going.
We help solve organisation’s challenges through creative communications and employee experiences that bring joy, clarity and a sense of purpose to your people.
Carol Whitworth
Founder / Inspiration & Innovation Director
