Blue Culture Cultural Development at AXA

Human Synergistics Summer Conference Zurich, June 11th, 2012

Stefan Marti

Agenda

 Starting Point

 Cultural Leadership Development based on LSI

 Blue Culture / Sustainability

 Learning Points

2

AXA Portrait

AXA Group •  one of the leading insurance

companies in the world •  more than 100 million clients •  214.000 employees •  61 countries •  head-office in Paris

3

AXA Winterthur •  Swiss Market leader •  more than 4000 employees and

2750 sales partners

Move from … to …

Empowerment and Trust

Listening, Asking, Talking

Genuine / authentic communication

Command & Control

Talking

Avoidance of conflicts

Leader acting as Manager

Leader acting as Coach

2012 and Beyond:

Motivated Co-workers

Entrepreneurship Focus region Switzerland

•  Worldwide: 10.000 managers •  Switzerland: 750 managers

Distinct Client Orientation

Excellent Leadership

Leadership as the most important lever for culture!

Ambition: A First Choice

Company

AXA: Leadership development as an Impulse for Culture

2012 and Beyond: 3 Stages

May 10 Nov 07

1 2

Jul 09

LSI

Stage 1 Top 1.000 AXA Top 80 from Switzerland centrally in Paris

Stage 2 country-roll-out Top 10.000 AXA 650 managers Switzerland

2012

1 2 LSI

Stage 3 blue culture sustainability

OCI

2011

blue culture

Terms of reference for change

• Top 1.000 centrally in Paris • Countries are autonomous in performing the transition;

alignment process and areas of focus may differ by country

• Long-term process: sustainability • LSI as the main tool • Conscious Business and LSI:

perfect fit

LSI

Concious Business

„ I believe that a culture of self-accountability, integrity and modesty, paired with the ability to communicate, to negotiate and to create commitment is instrumental in creating a high-performance organization.“

Fred Kofman

„Conscious Business“ Model as a basis

In times of drastic changes is it the learner,

who will own the future. The knower, who believes to have learned

everthing already, is geared up for life in a world,

that does no longer exist any longer. Eric Hoffer

Knower / Learner Model

Conscious Business: Overview

Have

Be

It

Myself We

1.  Authentic Communication (express your opinion productively and listen)

2.  Constructive Negotiation and Conflict resolution

3.  Commitment

4.  Self Accountability (accountable instead of victim)

5.  Learning attitude (Learner rather than Knower)

6.  Authenticity

Do

7.  Emotional Competence

Behaviour

Attitude

It: Results, Innovation, Change

We: Trust, Openness, Climate, Respect Myself:Motivation, Engagement, Health

Accountability

„If we want to become a client-focused enterprise, we need to make full use of the talent and the creativity of AXA employee.

In future, everyone here needs to feel accountable for reaching the targets, acting effectively and striving for constant optimization.”

LSI as a tool to identify the individual position

Give in "flight“

ME

Compromise

Avoidance ("freeze“)

LSI - a conflict model

YOU

Consent "flow“

Competition / Power "fight“

Conscious Business and LSI: the perfect fit!

Victim

Aggressive Communication (Red straight talk) (Fight)

Learner

Commitment Self-accountility

Blue Straight talk

(genuine and respectful)

Authenticity

It

Myself

We

Knower

Passive-defensive Communication (Fleeing)

Behavioural EFFECTIVITY

Sustainability: CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT

HYPE

FLOP ONEROUS TASK

CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT

CULTURAL ELEMENT (intrinsic)

FORMALITY (imposed)

FASHION (passing)

TREND (lasting)

Behavioural SUSTAINABILITY

BLUE CULTURE

SEMINAR

Sustainability: CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT

B: Behavioural Change

I: Individual

L: Leader

C2: Culture

Systems, Processes

B = I x L x C2

Striving, Performing, Personal Reflection, Awareness Inviting, Encouraging, Admitting, Supporting , Demanding, Inspiring, a Role Model Organisation-specific development processes Teambuilding, Dialogue with leadership team, OCI

Systems Alignment (i.e. HR-processes)

Leadership Workshop Agenda

•  Mindsets –  It, We, Myself –  Learner / Knower –  Accountable / Victim –  Values / Authenticity –  Personal LSI

•  Skills –  Communication –  Conflict Management –  Commitment

•  Cultural Development –  Employee Engagement –  Client Focus

•  Dialogue with Leadership Team (1/2 day)

•  Design Changes for individual area of competence (curve)

Module 1 „myself, Leadership“ Module 2 „Culture: Walk the Talk“

Putting into practice in day-to-day leadership

Training

•  Seminars for all other leaders and specialists •  Follow-up seminars (accountability, emotional competency,

high potentials) •  Integration in leadership base training •  Training for new leadership hires

•  Communication Style Alignment •  Roadshows for all employees •  Regular Communication •  MD-Letter / Intranet

HR

•  Promotion criteria •  Performance Management •  LSI 360° in Talent Management •  HR Business Partner as coaches

for organizational development

The blue culture itinerary

Communication

OCI 2012 Workshops

Organization-specific development processes

Teambuilding LSI

Blue Tools for Leadership Practice

•  Blue Leadership •  Blue Teamwork •  Blue Conflictmgt / blue straight talk •  Blue Commitment •  Blue Change Management

Supp

ortin

g a

ctio

ns

Cor

e ac

tions

Team-Building with LSI

12 1

1

10

9

8

7

6 5

4

3

2

1

Creation of team processes

LSI –Analysis of 600 leaders at AXA Winterthur

LSI

Bottom 20%

LSI

Top 20%

How good ist XY at his Job? (External Assessment) It

How do you assess XY‘s work relationships? (External Assessment) We

How content am I with what I am doing? (Self-Assessment) Myself

Taking stock

•  blue culture was established sustainably -  Sense of purpose and momentum - Clarity: Leadership @ AXA Winterthur - Common Focus - Common Language; Vocabulary permeates business life - ‚Working on Culture ' is concise and has become operational - Self-accountable follow-up in the departments

•  Scope-KPI Employee-Engagement: Increase of 5%! •  Role of HR strengthened

2010 2007 2012

Defreezing Move Blue

Culture

Success Factors / Key Learnings

•  LSI: high acceptance; common language, individual involvement •  Combination with Conscious Business: concepts are relevant for

leadership; inspiration •  Implementation Philosophy

•  Focus on country; embed in local strategy • Mandatory leadership seminars (incl. C-level)) •  Freedom: Cultural curve driven by participant; no ‚brainwashing‘

individualized proposal for reflection instead of a one-fits-all leadership role model

•  Sustainability rather than a hype •  C-level had an active role •  HR had an active role (HR Business Partner, MD) •  Cultural development by leadership

Leadership development Cultural development

Thank you!