SUCCESS STORY

Corporate Culture Enrichment Supporting a Climate of Constant Change

CAREFULLY PLANNED, CONSISTENT MESSAGING SUPPORTED BY ACTUAL ACTIVITIES, REWARDS AND VISUAL REINFORCEMENT

Client: Access Information Management
Project Timeline: Fall 2012 - Present

Services Provided: Employee Engagement and Morale Building, Corporate Culture Enrichment, Internal Annual Theme Conception, Development and Presentation

The Challenge

Access is an international company spanning some 230 markets worldwide and employing 2,300+ team members. Ensuring that the managers, marketers and salespeople of these far-flung and varied teams maintain focus as well as enthusiasm for their important work requires creative communication, above all. Building team camaraderie to promote smooth interactions among the managers – and subsequently their local teams – of markets across the globe, and to keep everyone rowing in the same direction day after day, takes adherence to a carefully planned, consistent company-wide message that is supported by actual activities, rewards and visual reinforcement. Multiple languages and national customs must be considered and respected, of course.

The Process

Adam and Rip Muhlenhaupt took on the responsibility for assembling and establishing the “We are Access!” culture as Access doubled in size in September 2012 with its acquisition of Retrievex. Rip had been integrally involved in the creation of Retrievex just five years earlier, having named the company and established its unique brand.

To ensure that team members on both sides of the acquisition would embrace the changes associated with such a significant acquisition, as well as recognize the importance of their contributions to the organization’s success, it was important to consider a re-introduction of “the new company.” The Moving Company set out with a new corporate graphic identity that necessitated a complete cosmetic makeover of company vans, uniforms, marketing materials, customer communications, boxes and facilities (including establishing a new and critical safety focus for all employee actions) that would most importantly underlie an emotional revival for every employee.

This far-reaching strategy was supported by creative communications, development of the kick-off management gathering, as well as executive video messages.

Ongoing, 90-minute “FACTS Presentations” that included all employees online were designed and coordinated to be energy-charged and informative. The investment Access Leadership made in these presentations for which The Moving Company was responsible for designing, assembling, coordinating and presenting was significant given the numbers of participants pulled from their normal work schedules every month. The positive effect on overall communication amongst Team Members and their interactions with customers was clearly evident.

The Moving Company conceptualized, introduced and maintained a unique “Tag Bonus Program” (firmly rooted in the Vision, Purpose and Mission that is carefully guarded) that keeps the momentum going year after year. “You’ve been tagged!” enabled peer recognition of fellow team members going above and beyond, with every employee empowered to nominate others for company-wide recognition of their extraordinary contributions. In fact, this program was hailed by Rob Alston, CEO, (specifically calling out its creator, Adam Muhlenhaupt) as one of the most impactful Team Member motivational initiatives introduced during his tenure.

To maintain a consistent yearly re-introduction of the varied components of motivation-building communications, The Moving Company works closely with Access executive staff to conceptualize and bring to life an “Annual Theme” for the entire organization to rally around.

Problem Solved

From the start, “The New Access” took off upon acquiring Retrievex – Acquisition #32. In fact, the list of company acquisitions now tops 150, attesting to the successful embrace of the concepts initially developed in 2012 and diligently applied to date.

Significantly, The Moving Company developed and coordinated “Day One Integration” all-hands meeting presentations / celebrations for each acquisition to ensure that new employees would readily embrace the change by providing them key information about their new employer as well as the tremendous importance of their personal, continued contributions to “the new company” particularly as related to their support in client support and positive communications.

Particularly successful in communicating the vision for employee participation in the company’s growth was the inclusion of Mark Wahlberg’s TICDA philosophy: Today I Can Do Anything. This was supported by the strong promotion of the company’s belief in “The Three C’s: Company, Client and Community” that included sincere appreciation and commitment to “giving back” in all local communities of the markets Access serves. Each of these programs fully developed by The Moving Company in direct collaboration with Access Leadership.

Our relationship with Access – Leadership, local management and corporate and local Team Members – has been extraordinarily warm and productive over many years. It is has been, most certainly, our pleasure!