A common language and a common direction
The coaching programme had ambitious goals: support for the chaperones in managing people, ways to influence the mood of the organisation and the emotions of individuals, and a common language and understanding of what chaperone work at Mäkelä alu is all about. In addition, the idea behind the coaching programme was that a sense of community among the chaperones would grow when they spent time together on a common cause.
”We had a variety of ways to act as a chaperone. We wanted to make sure everyone had the same tools and understanding of leadership,” Tero says.
Building community spirit was equally central. ”After the corona era, many people were stuck in their own bubbles. We wanted to strengthen trust and a sense of community. When chaperones get to know each other better, everyday conversation becomes easier.” Jenni adds.
The collaboration started with a management team workshop, where a vision for the whole organisation was created - Together for the Best of the Planet. During the programme, pre-employees were coached both as a group and as individuals, and the effectiveness of the programme was measured through a staff satisfaction survey and a 360 survey of pre-employees both before and after the programme. In addition, a Mäkelä Alu manual for chaperones was built during the programme, which brought together the content of the coaching.
”The shared vision came to life immediately. It came really quickly into everyday conversation after the chaperone training. This was a really big thing for us - we now have a shared inspiring goal that is talked about and referred to in everyday conversations.”
- Marko Orpana
”The coaching of first responders became part of everyday life. They now talk about the same things, use the same approaches and trust working together on a whole new level.”
- Jenni Hautakangas
”We often refer to coaching and tools in our everyday life. Lessons are revisited, and the chairs are actively practising to take the teams forward. Our ways of working have changed too - for example, we now often draw on the board with a marker when we think things through together. We also think more about things through people. That's a big change we've seen on the production side.”
- Tero Suomalainen
Overall, Marko, Jenni and Tero are satisfied with the cooperation so far. Janne and Jaakko were particularly praised for their ability to be flexible - it was clear from their careful preparation that they were able to adapt on the fly as the situation required. In addition, the activities evolved throughout the collaboration.
The MTTC's way of steering the cooperation was also praised. The steering group work was used to jointly monitor where we are going and what comes next, and to adapt the implementation if necessary.
”I would also like to thank Johanna, the project manager, for her excellent support throughout the programme. The surveys went out at the right time, the right people were in the right place at the right time, and the whole thing stayed under control. We were guided effectively, which allowed both us and certainly the coaches to concentrate on our own work.”
– Marko Orpana
