Xerox
HIOW CLIENTYS RAISE THEIR GAME
Xerox
Xerox has a pioneering reputation and not least in human resource initiatives. They have a reputation for effective policy deployment and were the first company to win the coveted European Foundationation for Quality Management (EFQM) Award. One of the key themes running through their business approach is empowering emplo
yees. In the US the CEO wanted to accelerate empowerment in all areas of the business. X Teams became the theme although it was left to the Opcos how they interpreted it. Effective communication and employee engagement would determine success in EMEA.
The Challenge
HR had already developed a framework and process for how X Teams would operate and the guidance on how they might measure their outcomes to meet the high performance tag. However, at this stage it was still an abstract idea supported by some process and, for many employees, would seem like just another unneccesary complication to the day job.
The Result
Within two months of the launch of X Teams in the EMEA region, 45 teams had applied for X Team status and fulfilled the required criteria. This included functional and cross-functional teams as well as virtual teams.
Case study follow-ups revealed that most team members had discovered new, positive experiences, particularly as they were required to negotiate the level of emplowerment with line managers and manager mentors. Their attitude became significantly more 'can do' rather than process workers.
The How
The HR team originally looked to a design agency to come up with a campaign to promote X Teams. However, it became evident to the vice president HR for EMEA that this was not going to work as an approach. His question was: "Yes the posters are eye-catching but nobody understands what the concept is all about." Saffron House was called in to help Xerox look at the challenge more strategically.
The approach was to look harder at the target audiences and understand the obstacles to gettinmg them on board. As a result a more educative approach was adopted, with hard copy collateral taking on the topic of empowerment and providing a simple self-diagnostic. Employee were asked to look at some of the benefits which come with empowerment. Importantly, they were guided on how a prospective X Team could negotiate their level of empowerment with managers and manager-mentors and the mterics involved in their outcomes,
Ove the following months, teams signing up and qualifying as X Teams increased to over 150 throughout the EMEA region. As a rapid follow-up, early adopters were interviewed and their experiences captured as case studies wheich were then turned into articles and communicated through internal media.
For Xerox HR, the decision to move from tactics back to strategy at the beginning meant turning away from the usualprocess of handing communication off to Corporate Comms to put out posters. They needed to get the kind of response that would make X Teams a successful transition to empowered working. To do this, they sat with their audience to understand the current pressures, frustrations and obstacles.
Solutions
“The highly professional work done by you and your creative team was a major contributor to our success. The creative realisation was excellent. An outstanding performance especially given the short notice and limited briefing you received.'”
Brendan Rogers - Philips Lighting
“Overall, the aspect of working with Saffron House that I value the most is that they challenge my thinking, and then deliver pragmatic solutions.”
Paul Rutherford - Clearswift Corporation
