AAK is undertaking a cultural journey to improve collaboration and prepare for future growth. The aim is to create a cohesive and agile organization that can adapt to a rapidly changing world.
AAK is a global company specializing in vegetable oils and fats, with a strong presence in the food industry. The company has a decentralized structure and has grown through several acquisitions.
I meet Helén Knutsson, who works with Corporate Communication at AAK, to ask some questions about the company's ongoing cultural journey and the collaboration with Anchor:
-AAK decided to undertake a cultural journey a couple of years ago. Although AAK is doing well, the purpose of the journey is to continue to deliver good results and improve by working in new ways. At the same time, we have a rapidly changing environment that we need to adapt to, and AAK has the ambition to grow as a company. We are a decentralized organization that has grown through acquisitions, which in turn has meant that we have many different types of cultures that have become like islands within the organization. To address this, we decided to do a cultural journey.
-The goal of the cultural journey is ultimately to succeed in building bridges between the islands within the organization to reach the goal together.
The aim of the cultural journey is to build bridges between the islands within the organization to reach the goal together. Illustration: AAK
-We started the culture journey top-down, which is perhaps a bit unusual, but unified leadership is key in any kind of change. We did an in-depth analysis of the culture through various surveys, in-depth interviews and questionnaires. The results showed that the culture was quite fragmented, which is understandable for a decentralized organization. In light of this, we set a target and started to engage more people at different levels of the organization.
-It was at this point that Marielle from Anchor Management Consulting came in to help with the communication of the cultural journey. We worked together to develop a communication strategy to reach out and connect effectively. We worked on a clear why, the objective of the change and what tools and resources are available for managers to start taking responsibility and working with the change. The next step was to establish knowledge and provide inspiration through the established channels, such as managers “meetings and managers” forums that were supported by communication materials, the intranet as a central hub for materials and tools.
The Coffetable pyramid is part of the communication package. Illustration: AAK
-This kind of change takes time, but we are seeing good results from several parts of the organization. For example, a pilot effort in one of AAK's companies has made great progress and worked hard to turn a culture around, resulting in new behaviors. This has then been disseminated through a great movie that shows how happy they are with the work and the results.
-Now it's time to take the next step and continue living this throughout the organization. Now it's time for action!
We encourage everyone not to wait for someone else to do things, but instead to start within themselves. An important focus going forward is to strengthen managers in communicative leadership and create commitment.
-The collaboration with Marielle from Anchor has been great. Above all, we have had a pragmatic and solution-oriented collaboration that suited us both well. Marielle has been a great support and we have worked very well together all the time. In addition, we have had fun and a straightforward dialog, which has allowed us to quickly find good solutions.
| About AAK
AAK is a global company specializing in plant-based oils and fats, which are key ingredients in many popular consumer products. Founded in 2005 through a merger of Karlshamns AB and Aarhus United A/S, the company is headquartered in Malmö and operates worldwide. AAK combines innovative co-development approaches with sustainable practices to create value-adding solutions for various industries, including food, confectionery, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, chemicals and animal feed. The company's products improve taste, health and sustainability, making them an essential part of customers' success. AAK is committed to sustainability and applies responsible sourcing and environmental practices throughout the value chain, from crop to brand. AAK's international team consists of passionate, agile, responsible and collaborative people working to “Making Better Happen™”. Read more at www.aak.com |
AAK's culture journey is an important part of preparing the company for future challenges and growth. By working on communication and engaging the entire organization, AAK is well on its way to creating a more aligned and effective culture.
