We have reached a new level of communication and collaboration
Haldor Topsøe
"I am impressed by what re:lead has helped us achieve. Some collaboration issues weighed heavily on us before the workshop, so heavily that we didn't want to work together. But we came out of the workshop completely relieved and very happy. Our communication has been released from it’s constraints and we have made agreements on how we can work together better."
Project Director at Haldor Topsøe
Who is Haldor Topsøe
Haldor Topsøe is a world leader in high-performance catalysts and proprietary technology for the chemical and refining industries. They enable companies in these industries to get the most out of their processes and products using the least possible energy and resources. Founded in 1940 by Dr. Haldor Topsøe, today, the company employs over 2,300 people worldwide, including approximately 1,700 people in Denmark.
The challenge
Getting back on track required a specific, strategic development project. The project team had previously acted as a role model for how to create excellent results in a project that cuts across the organisation. However, the team had subsequently entered an unfortunate spiral, partly due to changes in the organisation as well as the project entering a new phase.
There was a tendency towards fragmentation between areas of competence. The project team felt that they were working in different directions, and that they were not involved in each other's tasks. The ability to listen and understand each other was also declining.
There was a call for clearer roles, greater leadership and better prioritisation. Personal relationships within the team had suffered, and in some cases were strained to breaking point. Each member possessed skills essential to the project, so a team-turnover was not a possible solution.
"I've been losing sleep over this, but I got peace of mind after the first talk with Jørgen Sørensen and a bullish belief that we could solve this problem. Now the project has gotten a real push forward"
- Top management stakeholder in Haldor Topsøe
Our approach
We invited team members and a few internal stakeholders to a two-day workshop. In preparation, we asked each participant to describe which things they thought facilitated, or inhibited the interaction. We helped them express their frustrating experiences with their collaboration in an open, and direct way. Their experiences were compiled into a document, which also detailed what they needed in order to move forward. Every participant read this in advance of the actual workshop.
During the workshop, we first created a framework that built trust and strengthened their level of familiarity. We also facilitated work to resolve tensions and rebuild a mutual understanding, in order to reach agreements that could put the team back on track.
In order to find a solution, it was essential to both identify, and talk about how each member functioned individually, and which behavioural patterns they created through their collaboration. In addition, there was a need to clarify deferred tasks and create renewed clarity around roles, responsibilities, leadership, project phases, goals and organisational anchoring.
The effect
One team member stated that "Everyone has been brave and honest. What impressed me most is that two very strong people, both of whom I look up to very much, have shown how painful it has been for them. Because they have shown that side, now I respect them even more".
"The incredible honesty and authenticity shown by everyone has been the most important experience. When a challenge comes up in the future, I just have to remind myself what kind of group - both technically and personally - I have here."
It is statements like these that illustrate the impact that the process left on participants at the end of the workshop. The team has managed to rediscover its direction and learnt to deal with daily conflicts in a developing manner.
Does your organisation need a culture-upgrade too?
We work with people and organisations who have the courage to grow in new ways, by putting a consciously developing culture at the top of the strategic agenda.
Meet the team
Peter Schlichting Mortensen
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