Combining established and new values

Interview with Julia Mayer (LIWEST) on value-based leadership

LIWEST has 4 values in its corporate culture, some of which have grown over many years, while others have been actively developed because they are important in our corporate culture.

The two values of reliability and proximity have grown:

Reliability is a very old value. We are part of the critical infrastructure in Upper Austria, so reliability is a fundamental value that is obvious.

Proximity is a value that is important to us because of our technical background. Proximity should make technology more “human”. We want to be perceived as “caretakers”. We have a supportive culture within the company itself. We live proximity to our colleagues every day.

Within the company, however, we have also actively asked ourselves what we stand for.

We worked with the value scale. It was important to us that the values not only sound good, but above all are tangible.

The two cornerstones of the value scale were each assigned 2 values so that the value scale is balanced: Efficiency (reliability and curiosity) – Humanity (fun and closeness)

The result is the values:

Fun – we have fun every day, fun at work is important to us.

The most recent value is curiosity.

Innovation – creative thinking – lifelong learning – setting impulses and trying out new things are part of this value

The values were formulated by representatives of all departments and our management.

Behind all values, we want to create a values roadmap.

Many goodies and measures in the company are assigned to the values and must contribute to the values.

During our conversation, Ms. Mayer shares some examples:

LIWEST “Weihnachtsroas” – every department prepares something for it

The Christmas roast takes place in the morning for all colleagues.

We want to break down departmental thinking, the value behind it is proximity

Family and Friends Day – children, parents and friends are invited, the value behind it is fun

An internal LIWEST ideas competition – which suggestions for improvement in their own area can each employee contribute,

or a Curiosity Workshop in the Tabakfabrik both aim to arouse curiosity.

Our managers have the task of implementing their own measures under the values in each department.

We all define ourselves as “Caring Experts”, and the aim is for every employee to act in the spirit of the Caring Expert. “Moments of truth” have been defined in each department, in which we focus in particular on the value of proximity.

In the HR department, for example, we attach great importance to supporting new employees on their first day with us. Our “moment of truth” is, was it really a good day for new employees in terms of closeness!

Proximity is important to us in the direction of our customers and colleagues!

The value of curiosity is currently the least practiced on a daily basis. In the digital transformation, the value of curiosity should become even more important. We should be more successful in emphasizing curiosity in our daily work.

Selected employees meet several times a year at the Resonanzcafe.

They are cultural messages that deal with topics that concern the company.

This is how we try to keep curiosity high. The employees’ voices are heard and they can have a say and help shape the company.

The cultural ambassadors also give us a good picture of the mood.

Ms. Mayer reports on another exciting company project that focuses on resilience.

2 people per team are part of the resilience journey

Optimism

Solution orientation

Future orientation, for example, are topics that colleagues work on. Knowledge about this is only shared informally; there is a new Journey every year and around 16 employees have the opportunity to take part again

We provide information about such initiatives

– Ensure a peer group exchange

– Company-wide exchange and also

– Guarantee a cross-departmental exchange.

At LIWEST we also have mobile working offers.

Maintaining a sense of togetherness is part of a shared task. Many of our teams have a team event once or twice a year.

Many employees want to come back to the office. They want to coordinate and meet up. So we see that fun is not just at the front door. Of course we also have stressful times, but the fun prevails.

We have success celebrations in two departments. Anyone can nominate a colleague with a minor or major success.

This is a very successful project. This is how we make the values tangible on a daily basis.

Your own stress tip:

Going out into nature, even to the park. I go for a walk.

Sometimes I also go out onto our terrace and talk to my colleagues about something completely different.

That helps me to switch off or switch back.

Photo credit: Matthias Witzany