COLOPLAST: BETTER MANAGEMENT STARTS WITH

THE BENEFIT FOR COLOPLAST
• Better quality in management
• Well-anchored management evaluation
• Both local and global commitment
COLOPLAST:
BETTER MANAGEMENT STARTS
WITH CLEAR MESSAGES
A united Coloplast with proven better quality
in management, a framework for feedback
and more committed employees. With an
eye to cultural diversity and the individual
manager's development, the People and
Communications Department, the CEO
and local HR Business Partners are working
to ensure that the entire organisation is
working on its own development.
Anders Monrad Rendtorff, Senior Vice President, People and Communications
From People & Communications at the head
the culture at Coloplast, and this also meant
employee survey or a manager survey. While
office in Humlebæk to large-scale production
a shared understanding of management. We
the employee survey investigates overall com-
in both eastern and western parts of the world:
had to identify what good leadership means
mitment and wellbeing within the organisa-
Coloplast operates across great distances, but
for Coloplast.” So says Anders Monrad Rend-
tion, the manager survey is an individual 270°
differences in the understanding of manage-
torff, Senior Vice President for People and
evaluation of each manager. All managers are
ment, culture and development have been
Communications.
evaluated by their own employees, colleagues
shortened in recent years. The result is a uni-
This was the beginning of what Coloplast now
in management and themselves. Coloplast
ted Coloplast, in which guidelines, quality and
refers to as the People Cycle: an annual cycle
has worked with Ennova to carry out two em-
the system of manager and employee develop-
which, along with the Leadership Principles,
ployee surveys and one manager evaluation
ment are the same all over the world.
places the individual employee and manager's
over the past three years.
development in a system and forms the basis
“We began in 2010 by implementing the initial
Success requires leadership
of the development and commitment of the
processes, using our Leadership Principles as
“Coloplast has almost always been a success-
company's 8,500 plus employees.
a starting point,” says Anders Monrad Rend-
ful company. But years ago, we weren't getting
torff.
the results we should have done. Something
Development based on facts
“We've made it a priority for the entire organ-
was wrong, and it was clear that it was time for
One of the elements that helps to ensure deve-
isation to understand that it is important to
us to turn around and take the long way round
lopment at Coloplast is surveys. Every spring,
know where on the scale the individual man-
to success. We had to build a cohesive idea of
the HR annual cycle begins with either an
Annual cycle for development of managers and employees at Coloplast
People Survey
People
Review
Review of
Personal
Development
Performance
Development
Plan
COLOPLAST'S
MANAGEMENT
PRINCIPLES:
•
Set high ambitions and challenge
your team
•
Give open and honest feedback about
performance
•
Show visible and decisive leadership
•
Focus teams on delivering business
results
Salary &
Bonus Process
FACTS: How Coloplast measures its managers
The Coloplast manager survey is a 270° evaluation. All managers at Coloplast are evaluated by
their own employees, colleagues in management and themselves.
In 2013, 822 managers received a result report.
The survey is part of the annual People Cycle development programme.
The questions in the employee survey and manager survey are comparable. The employee survey
focuses on general management and job satisfaction at Coloplast, while the manager survey is an
evaluation of the individual manager.
We want to develop a performance culture in which all employees at Coloplast
know exactly what they need to do to fulfil ambitious, high objectives.
Anders Monrad Rendtorff, Senior Vice President, People & Communications
ager is, so that results can be improved. This
feedback, and so our challenge is to maintain
honest feedback. Our Leadership Principles
understanding has made implementing the
an adequate level worldwide. If you're a busy
are used and form the basis for many of our
full HR annual cycle easier - including, for ex-
salesman in Asia or South America, spending
development tools.”
ample, inclusion of the Leadership Principles
most of your time on customer contact, it can
What defines these tools is that they are
in the survey.”
be hard to understand why these internal
generic, but can also be adjusted. This is
Today, the quality of the organisation's work
processes are now so important. This means
important, because it must be possible to
on development is already much better.
we spend a lot of time explaining to the entire
adapt the tools to the company's situation
organisation why management and develop-
and agenda, which determines where HR
Mandatory management feedback
ment are prioritised so highly. It's that under-
should focus its attention.
“All of our managers know that surveys
standing which makes the difference.”
Super-committed employees
and feedback are a normal part of being a
manager at Coloplast, and they have a very
Expectations from senior management
Coloplast has found the key to becoming an
professional attitude to it. It's personal feed-
The manager survey questionnaire is struc-
evolving organisation. According to Dinusha
back, which makes the managers even more
tured around the four Leadership Principles,
de Silva-Parker, who works in HR and or-
excited about the results. Managers can't
which should be key to managers' commu-
ganisational development at Coloplast, the
control the feedback from their employees, so
nication. In addition, Coloplast's CEO, Lars
keywords are simplicity, relevance and local
it's like sitting an exam and getting judged.”
Rasmussen, is keen to ensure that everyone,
adaptation.
As a manager at Coloplast, you automatically
across national borders and cultures, gets the
“Managers aren't born experts in manage-
say yes to Nordic values and the Leadership
message that leadership is on the agenda.
ment, but they bear a great responsibility,”
Principles. That is a prerequisite for succeed-
“Lars Rasmussen repeats again and again
she says.
ing as a manager at Coloplast. According to
that he has the same expectations of all ma-
“So it's important that we make the manag-
Anders Monrad Rendtorff:
nagers, regardless of their level: they should
er's development tools easy and simple to
“In Denmark and other Nordic countries,
be ambitious, focused on business results,
work with. We involve our managers and cre-
we're used to values such as honesty and
visible and ensure that they provide open,
ate understanding through local initiatives.
The results show progress: How employees rated
their managers
78[+3]
Overall Leadership
Principles index
We can see that managers are working actively
with the results. Those managers who were below
standard have all developed. There can only be one
reason - they are taking this seriously and working in
a professional manner with the development tools.
Anders Monrad Rendtorff, Senior Vice President, People and Communications
2012-2014 period, scale of 0 to 100
76[+2] 76[+3]
Sets high ambitions and
challenges the team
Gives open and honest
feedback about performance
79[+3] 80[+4]
Focuses team on delivering
business results
Shows visible and
decisive leadership
Otherwise we don't have the entire organi-
“We emphasise that they should be aware of
both big and small chanes are taking place in
sation on board.”
and look after those managers who get a nasty
departments.”
The involvement of the entire organisation is
shock when they get the results.”
important to Anders Monrad Rendtorff:
The local HR Business Partners are also re-
Moving towards a performance culture
“Earlier this year, I visited one of our depart-
sponsible for helping managers to transform
“We can see that managers are working ac-
ments in the USA to pass on a clear message:
results into development. Again, the keyword
tively with the results,” says Anders Monrad
participate in the survey and give open,
is relevance. Coloplast's mantra is that only
Rendtorff.
honest feedback. Both we and your manager
by making development efforts local and
“Those managers who were below standard
need your feedback in order to change.”
relevant can development succeed globally.
have all developed. There can only be one
The local HR departments set local activities
reason - they are taking this seriously and
Coloplast is “glocal”
and initiatives in motion, and there is an un-
working in a professional manner with the
Over 40 local HR departments in 18 coun-
derstanding that there is no single template
development tools. This is a clear example of
tries are responsible for ensuring that the
that can be used as a solution to management
the great impact of leadership.”
structure of a performance culture is local,
development.
It is also a step on Coloplast's path towards the
present and adapted to cultural diversity. In
“Over 800 managers receive a report contain-
performance culture.
other words, simplicity, relevance and local
ing individual results, and I can see that there
“We want to develop a performance culture in
adaptation.
is a huge difference in the evaluations,” says de
which all employees at Coloplast know exactly
“We ensure that the local HR Business Part-
Silva-Parker.
what they need to do to fulfil ambitious, high
ners see the results of the managers' evalua-
“There are as many different follow-up trajec-
objectives,” he finishes.
tion first,” says Dinusha de Silva-Parker.
tories as there are reports and managers, and
Ennova's partnership with Coloplast
So far, Ennova has carried out three surveys for Coloplast: two employee surveys and one manager evaluation, covering around
8,500 managers and employees. The survey's questionnaire was developed by Ennova based on Coloplast's four Leadership Principles and
input from relevant management models. Ennova is also responsible for the practical aspect of the survey, ensuring success by the fact that
all employees and managers find the system and process to be simple and easy to work with.