It’s up to us. A manager’s guide to our brand and values + your toolkit for team meetings
What is this guidebook for? Exova is an extraordinary organisation. Our business is built around helping to make the world a safer, better place – and we are very good at it. At the same time, we have been operating under different names across more than 25 countries – and few people beyond our customers know much about us. The new Exova brand will change those perceptions – both within and beyond the organisation. Creating our brand has also helped us to pinpoint the qualities we share as a team, all over the world. Those four qualities are innovation, integrity, teamwork and performance – and they are so essential to our future that we have made them our company ‘values’. There are two aims to this booklet. The first is to provide you with a quick guide to the new brand and values. The second is to help you relay that information to all of your team members at the meetings you will be holding.
But it doesn’t end there. Myself and the other senior directors are really keen to hear any feedback and ideas that you and your team have. And we will be feeding these ideas back across the organisation as the year progresses. This is an exciting year for all of us – and there will be lots more happening in the months to come. With our fresh sense of purpose and direction, we have a once-in-lifetime opportunity to pull together and make a positive impact on the future – for ourselves, our clients, our shareholders and the wider community. I very much look forward to your support and hearing your thoughts.
Grant Rumbles Chief Executive Officer
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How did we get here? Formerly the testing arm of Bodycote plc, Bodycote Testing Group was established in 1980 and has grown significantly through organic and geographic expansion. In 2008, we were bought by Clayton, Dubilier and Rice, (CD&R), a global private equity firm whose strategy is to build on the excellent reputation in testing services and to expand the company’s sphere of influence.
Now rebranded as Exova, we continue to find success as a market leader through: – The development of our people and expertise – Select acquisitions – Continuous investment in technology and facilities – The development of strategic partnerships Headquartered in Edinburgh, Scotland, we now operate from more than 130 facilities in 25 countries and employ more than 4,000 people.
Our Vision To be recognised as the number one supplier of choice for Testing and Advisory Services.
Our Mission We aspire to be the best. We believe that being at the forefront of our industry requires talented people, expertise and excellent processes, which we continuously seek to improve. We balance the demands of our stakeholders, creating a sustainable, high-growth organisation, whilst providing additional value to our people, customers, shareholders and those communities within which we work.
Our brand and values_
The Bodycote Testing Group was purchased by the private equity firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, Inc. in October 2008 from Bodycote plc. Part of the sale agreement permitted the Testing Group to use the Bodycote name for a period of 12 months. Since the sale announcement we have been actively seeking a new name and identity that reflects the vision, mission and values of the new business.
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This process has been complex, particularly as we operate in more than 25 countries, 11 languages and 15 markets. However, after working through more than 1,000 useful suggestions from our staff competition and consulting an external agency, we chose Exova. This is a word that works across many languages and can be registered in the countries we need it to be. It is also a combination of words that are very relevant to us. For instance, ‘ex’ is derived from excellence, expertise and experience; ‘ova’ from innovation; and ‘va’ is Latin for ‘go’. This guidebook shows what the Exova brand looks like, and that ‘look and feel’ will soon be extended across each of the group’s sites across the world.
Many of us will have some affinity to old brands that have been incorporated within the group but it’s now important that we all think of ourselves as Exova. This will put us in a strong position and make things simpler for our customers. Building on our skills and experience, it will also enable us to perform even better and become more competitive – particularly important given the current global economic challenges. Creating the new brand also led us to identify four key values that are shared across the organisation. They are innovation, integrity, performance and teamwork – and over the next eight pages, we will look at them in a little more detail.
Innovation_
Your innovation makes the world a better place. We should all feel proud.
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Our people are not only encouraged to be innovative, they are expected to be. Points to discuss with your team: Innovation is so integral to our work, that our name, Exova, is in part derived from the word. It is our ability to innovate that will continue to make the world a better and safer place. The work carried out by our colleagues in laboratories, workshops and offices across the globe is of the highest calibre, and our desire to continuously improve upon our performance makes Exova an organisation within which innovation thrives. We don’t simply encourage our colleagues to innovate, we expect them to.
Innovation is about constantly questioning, improving and imagining. It supports the continuous improvement culture embedded in our business. It’s what our customers (and our rivals) recognise us for. Together we have the expertise and resourcefulness to view barriers as challenges – and to find winning solutions, however large or small. This ability and positive thinking creates a working environment that is stimulating and inspiring. As managers, it’s our role to foster an innovative spirit among our teams, and to guide that spirit too. Successful innovation is intelligently controlled and managed.
Integrity_
The world trusts us. We do the right thing from start to finish.
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Integrity is at the heart of everything we do. It is ingrained in our culture and is paramount in our dealings with all our stakeholders. We comply not only with the letter of our agreements but also with the spirit in which they were conceived. Points to discuss with your team: Exova would not be where it is today without an emphasis on integrity. Whether we’re working in a laboratory, negotiating a new contract, or delivering on a promise made to a customer, we are open and transparent. We treat our colleagues, customers and other stakeholders with respect. ‘Doing the right thing’ is ingrained in our company culture.
We also understand the implications of our actions for our customers and colleagues. We are committed to meeting any promise that we make to them and that’s why we are trusted by hundreds of customers across the globe. That’s why they also continue to do business with us and recommend us to other organisations. Our people are highly committed to their work. We do not shy away from taking responsibility. Good customer care is central to our approach and, as managers, we will continue to embed integrity, honesty and fairness within everything we do.
Teamwork _
We are one big team, all over the world. Let’s bring everyone in to play.
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The teamwork of our people provides the power behind our vision – and their passion constantly raises the bar in terms of what we can achieve. Points to discuss with your team: Our greatest asset is our people. Exova is made up of the most talented people around, but to truly fulfil this company’s potential, we need to stay focused on the common goal of ensuring that Exova excels at everything we do. Indeed, as Exova has grown and spread globally, it’s even more important that we work together seamlessly within, and across, teams, sites, countries and continents. The ability to do so effectively and efficiently will set us apart from other global organisations in our field and continue to be our number one differentiator.
The combined knowledge and collective experience of our people across 25 countries, our power to deliver on our promises and our ability to generate leading-edge solutions will be integral to Exova earning the reputation of being the best in the world at what we do. As individuals, we have the passion and drive to succeed, but in teams we can constantly raise the bar in terms of what we set out to achieve.
Performance_
The importance of execution is recognised.
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We are action-orientated and we are accountable. We understand that we are judged upon not only what we promise but, more importantly, upon what we deliver. Points to discuss with your team: How we execute our work sends a clear message to our customers. We take pride in everything we do and the high-quality results we deliver. The performance of our people attracts praise from our customers. Across the world, we have teams of highly organised and talented individuals who confidently see projects through from conception to delivery. What’s more, they enjoy taking ownership of their work and do not settle for anything less than the best. As managers, it’s up to us to continually question every aspect of our individual performance and the performance of our team members. We need to ask ourselves what we can do to improve upon our already excellent performance.
We must seek opportunities to enhance Exova’s performance and empower our colleagues and team members to do likewise. We must also furnish them with the confidence and tools they require to succeed. But our managers don’t only lead by example, they welcome ideas on how to improve performance from colleagues at every level of the organisation. Exceptional performance sets Exova apart from its competitors and helps us to attract and retain the best staff. It maximises value for our shareholders and it demonstrates to our customers that, by choosing Exova, they have chosen the best.
Your team meetings Make sure the meetings happen Ensure that all your team members have the opportunity to attend a meeting, even if that means holding three or four sessions.
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Be prepared Rehearse your PowerPoint presentation in advance (the slides are on the enclosed CD). The slides contain bullet points and, having read this guide and been to the Senior Leadership Group (SLG) roadshow, you should be able to talk through them to your team. The bullet points are all based on the text in this guidebook, so you can easily refer back and work out what you want to say.
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Set up the room Ensure you have access to a room with a screen for showing the Powerpoint slides and short movie (see point 7).
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Get it in writing Nominate someone reliable to takes notes during the meeting.
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Set the scene Welcome your team members. You may want to explain that all managers have been asked to base the meeting on this guidebook. You may also wish to say that, for the purposes of the meeting, you are a facilitator rather than a manager – and that the brand and values are relatively new to you too. Change can be worrying for people, so you could also reassure your team that this is positive news.
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Explain the rules Set a time limit for the meeting (we suggest 60-90 minutes) and ask for feedback from everyone in headline form (no rambling). No phones.
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Run the movie and slideshow The enclosed CD contains a one-minute movie unveiling the Exova brand. Play this to your team first. Next, run through the PowerPoint demonstration, talking your team through the bullet points. The CD also includes Grant Rumbles’ SLG presentation – these are for your background
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information, although you can show it to your team if you want to. Get people talking Ask your team what they think about the new name and brand and if they have any questions. If you receive any questions you are unable to answer, simply put them on the enclosed feedback form and let your team know you’ll get back to them. Then turn attention to each of the values. You should spend at least 10 minutes discussing each one. Ask the group for examples of how the values are already in evidence and suggestions for how they could be built upon in the future. Any good ideas, questions or relevant concerns should be included in your feedback form.
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Postcard from the future To round things up, ask the team what sort of company they would like Exova to be in 12 months’ time and how (if at all) that differs from the company now. The most useful team response in each region will win a prize.
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Feedback As soon after the meeting as possible, run through the notes that have been taken and compile your feedback form. The ideas and comments that are collected through this process will be fed back to everyone in the organisation through a range of communications including the intranet, posters and a new publication called The Exova Magazine that will be launched in July.
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For more information contact Claire Purves Communications Manager, Westerton House, Westerton Road, Broxburn, West Lothian EH52 5AU
T: +44 (0) 1506 864 317 E: claire.purves@exova.com W: www.exova.com I: exova.org