“Sometimes an organisation’s values are just posters on a wall, but I find that when values are authentic to an organisation’s culture, they naturally become integrated into every day ways of working and are embraced by employees,” says Culture and Engagement Director Kristin Horbinski. “At Glanbia, we are purpose driven and values led. Our values are the foundation of ‘how’ we deliver on our growth ambition.”
Last year, Kristin led a cross functional working team and gathered input from colleagues around the world at every level of the organisation through stakeholder interviews, listening sessions and focus groups to refresh Glanbia's values. The team's vision was to ensure that every employee had a voice in the output. “This project embodies our values of Find a Better Way and Win Together, and we were proud to deliver a single set of shared values ensuring we could remain grounded in who we are, but also inspired for what the future holds.”
Suzanne Muller, VP Insights and Analytics and Ian Checketts, VP Global Operations were among those who took part, helping align our values with how Glanbia has evolved over the past decade.
Spotlight on two Glanbia values: Find a Better Way and Win Together
Both remark on the way the refreshed values interlock and shape our business.
“Find a Better Way feeds into Win Together, for example,” says Suzanne. “People working on consumer and shopper insights, brand management, integrated marketing and customer strategy will all be at the table together. One cross-functional team will look at a particular facet, find a better way to work and share that so our other brands can benefit. It’s a case of a rising tide lifts all boats,” she says.
The pace of change and the increase in the use of data and automation mean that ‘finding a better way’ may well be a differentiator between companies in the coming years. “We have to constantly challenge the way we do things and look for new methods of connecting and communicating,” Suzanne says. “Working in cross-functional teams speeds up and improves how we make decisions.”
Ian has seen colleagues going above and beyond in terms of turnaround and meeting customer expectations as well as respecting our local communities by finding a better way to handle waste more sustainably.
“It was great when people shared with us in workshops what Find a Better Way meant to them – the little things and the big things,” Kristin says. “Little things could mean turning to the left instead of the right on a production line. Although this might seem small, it all adds up.”
The business benefits our values bring
Adds up, not just to more efficient ways of doing things, but also to colleagues feeling a greater sense of connection and engagement, with all the benefits that brings, from reducing employee turnover to improved job satisfaction. This creates a better work culture that’s also good for business.
So too is fun - whether that’s getting together for a workplace celebration, recognising an awareness day or reinforcing bonds through a fundraising effort.
For Kristin, the definition of Glanbia’s value Sense of Fun is more wide-ranging than that, “It’s about fostering connections on many levels,” she explains. “This value really sets us apart from other employers.”
What Sense of Fun means to Glanbia as a value
“For us, that Sense of Fun involves finding a balance between being very results-oriented and taking time to pause, recognise and celebrate our successes. This is not just for special occasions – we do that daily.”
Suzanne agrees: “A Sense of Fun is critically important. Getting together matters and it makes a difference. It’s the informal connections you make away from a screen or a meeting that really bring people together. A Sense of Fun not only lightens up what we’re doing every day and keeps us energised and connected. It also helps the business by fostering stronger partnerships and much stronger connectivity within the region and globally.”
Leveraging technology at Glanbia so we can live our values
Glanbia recently launched a digital employee appreciation platform called Cheers that enables anyone to send a thank you quickly and easily to a colleague who’s made their day. More than 1,000 colleagues sent their appreciation in the first two weeks alone.
“One of my favourite events each month is to review, vote on and recognise those who’ve been nominated by a peer or manager for living the Glanbia values,” says Ian. “I’m often overwhelmed by the response we get. It’s very difficult to select just a few winners,” he says.
On his travels to various operating locations, Ian frequently comes across smaller, but no less significant, examples. “They’re so natural and ingrained in our day-to-day practice, it’s humbling to hear how the values are being lived each day by our employees,” he says.
Making sure everyone feels heard
“We're fostering a culture where every employee has a voice, feels valued, and has the opportunity to thrive and reach their full potential,” say Kristin. Glanbia’s simple, relatable and real values come up in every meeting, in every conversation. They’re the way people talk and work and think.
“Collaboration is what it's all about at the end of the day, right?” Suzanne says. “We're a very diverse, global organisation with incredible experience and perspective. When we come together and leverage that, it's amazing what can happen.”