Building a world-class business
A far-reaching employee engagement campaign is helping global medical products company HARTMANN to achieve its long-term goals.
Targeting more than 10,000 employees in over 30 countries, the campaign utilised the full range of Axiom’s internal communication know-how: careful articulation of key messages, collaboration with the client’s teams, training for communicators, delivery of high-impact materials, production of interactive events and measurement of outcomes – all executed to tight timescales in 17 languages.
Seeing the Big Picture
The centrepiece of the campaign was a Big Picture that used a building analogy to depict HARTMANN’s plan to construct a world-class business that meets the needs of its stakeholders. The analogy was chosen by HARTMANN people in a process we facilitated.
The Big Picture is a highly successful technique that exploits the power of images and storytelling to bring a business strategy to life across an organisation at all levels. Crucially, it helps employees see where they fit in and how they can contribute.
Preparing the ground
In the planning phase, we worked with a cross-functional HARTMANN team to write a communication manifesto – a document that captured key messages, target audiences, channels, delivery mechanisms and timescales. This manifesto became the source from which all internal communication is derived.
To help us refine our thinking, a global engagement ‘sounding board’ was formed – a representative group of employees who helped us strengthen the messages, communication plan and design of the Big Picture to ensure we were addressing the real concerns and needs of employees worldwide.
We also trained super-users from across the organisation in communication and engagement skills so that they would be able to introduce the Big Picture locally.
High-impact launch
The Big Picture was launched to employees around the world by including it in meetings that HARTMANN had already planned. To ensure consistency, we produced a scalable ‘show in a box’. This included videos, an animated and interactive PowerPoint slideshow, speaker notes, posters, personal actions planners and giveaways for all staff. In addition, super-users were given themed hard hats, high-vis jackets and a toolbox to help them kick-start their briefings.
Following up
Since the successful launch, we have helped HARTMANN keep the campaign alive. We have produced a podcast featuring the contributions of people across HARTMANN. As an integral part of the communication process, we are encouraging line managers to work with their teams to plan the concrete actions that will ensure the strategy is delivered day-to-day around the world. In this way, HARTMANN people are becoming the architects of their own future success.
In addition, we are carrying out research to measure the outcomes of the campaign. This will establish how well the strategy has been communicated and – crucially – the extent to which it is being put into action.
What our client says
“The Big Picture helps us ensure everyone around the world knows what we are trying to achieve as a business and how they can contribute. In more than 25 years in senior management, Axiom are the most creative and professional communication and engagement advisors I’ve ever come across.”
Andreas Joehle, CEO, HARTMANN Group
“I’ve really appreciated Axiom’s holistic approach to helping HARTMANN communicate change messages more effectively. They helped us shape some innovative techniques to communicate our messages, launch them and keep them alive. A number of our colleagues around the world were trained as Big Picture ‘super users’ to help us own and deliver the messages with skill and infectious enthusiasm. Finally Axiom helped us measure the effectiveness of recently started communications to date. Our partnership with Axiom was really inspiring and the results have exceeded my expectations!”
Gabriele Müller, head of Global HR, HARTMANN Group
“It was remarkable to see how much quality work was delivered in such a short space of time, by a small group of people drawn from all over the world working collaboratively without ever once meeting face to face.”
Michael Leistenschneider, HARTMANN Deutschland
“After the inspirational super-user training, I want to thank you for the magnificent work you delivered! Yesterday I made the first presentation to my colleagues, using the PowerPoint and video. They were blown away! It is a real pleasure to work with such high-quality materials – everything fits together perfectly and our inspirational message is brought to life.”
Walter Beumer, commercial director, HARTMANN Netherlands
“The Big Picture has inspired a common understanding of the need for change and has helped lay the foundations for a significantly accelerated pace of change on a key strategic project.”
Dr. Hendrik Rosenboom, Process Excellence Management, HARTMANN Group
