— Sylvia Borcherding: For the first time we organised a joint Elia Group Innovation Week, which showcased the progress in digital activities and implementing new technologies into our core business. Our new common Elia Group safety guidelines leaflet reinforces safety being our top priority across the Group. We also joined forces in talent management and developed an approach to implement skill-based workforce management. As a Group, we are also creating a stronger image in the recruiting market. We managed to find two important profiles under difficult circumstances -a strong German CEO for 50Hertz and a Chief Digital Officer for Elia Group, who will lead the digital transformation of our companies. Looking at collaboration, I more and more feel the Group coming alive with the presence of Elia colleagues in Berlin, 50Hertz colleagues in Brussels, as well as the increasing participation at each other’s yearly employee parties. We also have our first Belgian Group Head working as an expat out of Berlin. And finally, I am very happy to see a change in mindset – people start proactively thinking about the best possible outcome for the Group.
Which key
challenges do you face?
— Peter Michiels: The digital transformation constantly increases in speed and requires the overhaul of proven business models with digital strategies. To secure our long-term future, we need to be innovative, flexible and efficient. The major challenge now is to effectively seize the opportunities of the digital transformation for the Group and enable our people and organisation to actively contribute to it. To achieve this, we need highly motivated and agile employees. Teams will increasingly work together horizontally across functions and independent from hierarchies. This requires a massive change in mindset and culture.
— Sylvia Borcherding: It is not only a matter of becoming more agile and innovative, we also encounter challenges when dealing with intercultural differences, working across different locations or adopting new structures, responsibilities and processes. It is undeniable that people associate themselves very strongly with the national company whether it is Elia or 50Hertz, but being a strong Group also requires one common culture. This does not mean ignoring the differences between Elia and 50Hertz or Belgians and Germans, but to speak one language with respect to the culture we want to have and to adopt common behaviors. A common culture will help us to strengthen the foundation and realise our ambitious strategy.
What kind
of culture is required to achieve Elia Group`s ambitions?
— Peter Michiels: Having
shared values, beliefs and behaviours will be an important factor in forming
and driving the Elia Group. To succeed in the future, we launched the cultural
programme 'Make A Difference'. It promotes six behaviours, which further build
on our strengths, but also foster an agile mindset and an efficient way of working
needed to adapt to the rapidly changing world around us. These six behaviours
enable us to speak with one voice, to simplify and reduce complexity, to give
and ask for feedback, to have an impact with every action we take, to make choices
in the interest of the entire Group and to actively co-create the future.
— Sylvia Borcherding: The long-term success of the Elia Group clearly depends on our way of collaboration. We are working on a common group culture by implementing these six behaviours in both countries. To me the two behaviours 'feedback' and 'simplification' are particularly important. A good feedback culture is crucial. It is important to manage expectations for continuous improvement, but also to show personal appreciation more regularly. After all, a good mood and high motivation help achieve success. With regards to simplification, we have a lot of seemingly small things to change. For example, by reducing the high number of signatures in many approval processes we could decrease complexity and thus, significantly increase efficiency in our daily work.
How do you
plan to implement these behaviours withing Elia Group?
— Peter Michiels: In Belgium, we started working on the two behaviours ‘feedback' and 'one voice' across all levels and teams. Next on the agenda are 'simplification' and 'impact'. In Germany, we are defining our priorities now. Although important, it is clear that it will be more than just communication campaigns, training courses and workshops to explain to our employees what the six behaviours mean. Our leaders and managers have to be role models and show the way. People should feel able to test and try new things, without being afraid of making mistakes. Additionally, we will have to audit our business processes, detect where we see barriers for these six behaviours and eliminate them.
— Sylvia Borcherding: It is about more than information campaigns, training and workshops to teach our employees the six behaviours. It is crucial that we empower our leaders and managers to act as role models and to exemplify the behaviors. All employees should feel that they can try new things without fear of making mistakes. In addition, we must review our business processes and remove possible obstacles and contradictions to these six behaviors.