Since October, we have worked closely with Folkekirkens Nødhjælp (DanChurchAid) on defining their brand and future direction. The next step in their transformation involves the development of a new unifying set of organizational values. Throughout the development process we invite employees and senior management in Folkekirkens Nødhjælp to give their recommendations at two full-day seminars. At the first seminar (on April 25) we invited all Danish employees and managers to learn what Folkekirkens Nødhjælp stands for and to prioritize the future values of the organization.

Prior to the value process, we have conducted a mapping of their authentic identity to define their inherent strengths and potentials. Based on the mapping we have developed a new core narrative and strategic direction that captures the fundamental focus of the organization and their future key priorities.

Involving the employees in defining new values

We developed and facilitated the seminar that consisted of important presentations and inspiring workshop elements. In the first part of the day, the participants worked with the new core narrative and on translating it into everyday practice. The employees told and exchanged “Springboard Stories” on central elements in the core narrative and discussed the new key priorities for the future. The last part of the day focused on the new values. Here the employees chose from 20 values that we identified from different sources (their strategy, the mapping of their identity and current management values) and chose the five values that they believe characterize Folkekirkens Nødhjælp best. They prioritized the values and described how each value guides internal and external behavior.

The participants discussed the new organizational values in a number of different workshop elements.

The particants chose the five values that they believe characterize Folkekirkens Nødhjælps behavior internally and externally. 

The participants prioritized between 20 predetermined values that originated from several sources in Folkekirkens Nødhjælps existing strategies and material.

All paticipants had the chance to engage in the plenum discussions on Folkekirkens Nødhjælps future direction.

We facilitated the full-day seminar that consisted of both presentations and inspiring workshops.

The participants joined us at an informal and inpiring seminar.

The input and recommendations from the Danish employees and managers make up the foundation for the next seminar, where Folkekirkens Nødhjælp’s international managers and leaders are invited to further prioritize and discribe the behavior each new value entail.

A high level of involvement in every step

As this new transformation involves and influences the entire organization, we have secured a high level of involvement in every step of the way. During the identity mapping, the development of the new core narrative, and strategic direction, we secured involvement both internally and externally through more than 30 interviews and a series of workshops with senior management, the board and the council in Folkekirkens Nødhjælp. Likewise, the development of the new values involves two workshops with employees and senior management to ensure their input to the new values and to establish ownership and identification during the transformation.

You can read more about other projects, where we have secured a high level of involvement in large-scale transformations. In the Municipality of Kolding, we facilitated a large-scale workshop with 600 participants and in the Municipality of Varde, we facilitated a large workshop with more than 300 participants. You can also keep updated on Folkekirkens Nødhjælps transformation on here on the journal.