Uncovering and redefining a purpose

Uncovering and redefining a purpose

This company was founded more than 90 years ago and is privately owned. It has been operating in the leisure industry since the beginning and has had various forms since its inception.

Under the pressure of a changing sentiment in society we helped this organization uncover and redefine its purpose for a digital first world and designed solutions together with them that blend the virtual with the physical. They are staying close to why they were founded in the first place but have found a new way to adapt to a changing world and still be relevant for society. They are gearing up for a centennial celebration in a few years time more successful than ever before.

Privately owned leisure company

What’s in it for them

New business model development for future ready concepts connecting digital, physical and sustainability in a proven value proposition.

Unlocking of individual talents in new fields of entertainment and digital transformation and changing habits and patterns of working.

Feeling of involvement for all employees and application of internal knowledge and expertise to core challenge going forward.

Redefined purpose ready for the future in line with brand and corporate values and in synch with shifting values in society.

What makes this program unique?

Our engagement with this client now enters its 5th year. Our approach helped them not only to develop a futures ready plan but maybe more importantly helped them to create alignment with all stakeholders to get to action. As the power of a leisure organization sits in operational excellence, success was achieved by changing behaviors and processes that were in line with the future ready plan. This case is a clear example that strategy doesn’t create change, people do. And a true testament that fundamental change doesn’t happen overnight but that it requires perseverance and commitment and a true belief in your vision for the future.

The core team only exists of three people that have gone through the 4 steps of our approach and are now being enabled to activate the entire organization of a few hundred to move in the same direction and together strive to a successful centennial celebration.

“Building a narrative arch across everything we do in our park unlocked our true future value.”

Marketing director

Growing a changing business (2023)

Growing a changing business

In a world that is changing faster than ever before, it is increasingly important to identify both business opportunities and understand what skills and capabilities are required for leadership to cope with and anticipate these changes. This not only requires a new mindset, but it includes different skills and tools that can be applied by the leaders with their teams in daily practice.

For the second year, we are working with a global recruitment and workforce services organization to run their leadership program: a continuous learning journey where theory and practice blend into one approach. In cohorts of 30 people, their leadership is challenged to connect their ambitions and plans to the global strategy in order to grow into a futures-ready organization.

Global recruitment and workforces services

What’s in it for them

Better understanding and embracing of the global strategy, which leads to faster execution and common understanding.

Participants know when to reach to whom and for what in order to collaborate on global challenges.

Established mindset shift in connecting the individual goals to the organization’s strategic goals.

Greater ability to adapt to changing circumstances in the midst of changing workforces industry.

What makes this program unique?

We used our four step approach in the design of this program. We worked closely together with the client to better align this approach with the organization’s tone of voice and challenges, such as: how do they currently operate within the strategy, what do they need in order to best execute their plans, and which stakeholders are key for each of them?

This program consisted of three offline modules, combined with online business coaching in small intervision groups to align the insights of the program with participants’ personal development plans. In this way, we maximized the impact of the program by bridging the gap between program insights and what it means for your daily business context.

“This program has really connected our leaders to our global strategy and helped us set the next step in our growth across the different regions and business units ”

Global Head of People and Culture

Developing digital leaders (2023)

Developing digital leaders

How to grasp opportunities around digitalization as an enabler to shape the acceleration of the energy transition in Europe?

For one of the largest energy networks and distribution companies in Europe, we developed a program that supports their 2000 leaders in digitizing their business. Accelerating the energy transition by digitalization is only as successful as the people driving the actual change. That is why it is crucial to empower leaders to use the potential of technology in their business.

European Energy Networks company

What’s in it for them

Being able to lead the energy transition by embracing the digital strategy and connecting it to the business of the leaders.

Employees learning how technologies can help run their business in a better, more efficient and futures ready way.

Established mindset shift in understanding the need for digitizing the business and where and how to start with it.

Greater ability to adapt to changing circumstances in the midst of this digital era.

What makes this program unique?

This project challenged us to design a program for 2000 leaders instead of the usual 30. Luckily for us, we like a challenge.

In close collaboration with our client, we designed a 6-months learning journey, during which leaders were challenged on their mindset, were taught new skills, and were given the tools to apply learnings in their daily business. Most steps of the journey were designed to be fully digital as per the objectives of this program. To further maximize impact, we designed two in-person events for 1000 people each, followed by a roadshow of live hands-on workshops to translate program insights into what it means for your daily business context.

“Reaching this number of people in such short time with a active, engaging program and not just a one off event is truly challenging, and something that we couldn’t have done without Minkowski”

Head of the digital empowerment department

Embracing change during a global crisis (2023)

Embracing change during a global crisis

For a company that was founded more than a century ago and is now operating in 50 countries worldwide in the field of medical and safety technology products, we designed a program for 45 of their leaders.

In a world that was changing rapidly because of the COVID-19 crisis, this program focused on how to embrace change, and develop new capabilities to be ready for the future. Participants participated from locations across Europe and collaborated to uncover what would be possible for the company in a post-pandemic world.

Medical and safety technology product manufacturer

What’s in it for them

Better decision making on how to prepare best for the future and how to implement these decisions more effectively.

Higher satisfaction from individual participants as they experienced firsthand that it was possible to change long held beliefs and habits.

Improved feeling of connection with each other and team spirit in a time when physical connection was impossible.

Development of a futures ready mindset that helps leaders embrace change and adapt faster to changing circumstances.

What makes this program unique?

This program started during the COVID-19 crisis and was first delivered fully online. Because of this, participants learned new forms of online learning and collaboration aside from the leadership- and futures thinking capabilities that were developed at the core of the program. Together with this client we decided to deliver only the last step of our 4-step approach (Awaken, Assess, Accelerate, Activate) in a face-to-face setting as soon as circumstances allowed us to do so. To that extend the group gathered for 3 days in mid 2022 to conclude the program and activate their future(s) together.

“It was very good to meet in person and to go for a
face-to-face 4th step! This had a very positive impact
and made all the work pay off.”

Senior HR-leader

Activating a futures ready strategy (2023)

Activating a futures ready strategy

Change is a constant: the world is always changing and transforming. Society is confronted with unforeseen circumstances that have a disruptive impact on every organization. And it seems that these shifts are speeding up. How to guide the organization and its people through uncharted territories and be successful and relevant for the times to come? 

This is the learning journey we are currently running for 300 top leaders of one of the largest insurance and asset management companies in the Netherlands. In groups of 30 participants we are guiding them to activate their futures ready strategy and develop their futures thinking capacities as well as their leadership capabilities to enable them to navigate through a rapidly changing world. The program started in early 2023 and runs until 2025.

Dutch insurance and asset management company

What’s in it for them

Better decision making on bold ideas that should be executed and which ones shouldn’t to accomplish their goal
in less time/meetings.

Higher satisfaction due to personal development aspects and the ability to build strong relations and expand network throughout the company.

Improved feeling of empowerment due to leaders who learn skills and get tools
to navigate uncertainty.

Greater ability for the organization to cope with (unexpected) changes and adapt accordingly to stay on course.

What makes this program unique?

Our SCOPE for Change approach was leading in the design of this program: focussing on both the business (Futures) and human side (People). In co-creation with our client, we designed a program consisting of 4 chapters as per our approach: Awaken, Assess, Accelerate, and Activate. All sessions are designed to be facilitated online. Halfway through the program for chapter 2: Assess, participants will come together for a 3-day in-person journey. By combining offline with online, you maximize the ability to network and bond with peers, while allowing for new forms of online learning and tracking program impact.

“This program really creates a mindset change and confronts us with the way that we say we do things, but that we don’t.”

Senior leader and one of the participants

Creating a company of disruptors (2023)

Creating a company of disruptors

A disruptor: someone who has a vision, anticipates the future, and embraces the learning moment when something doesn’t work out as planned.

For a financial solutions partner with over 35 billion euros in assets, we designed a futures-readiness program for their 300+ executives and co-created a new strategy simultaneously. The purpose: reshape the organization into one of disruptors. Enable leaders to embrace change, seize opportunities by challenging the status quo and the freedom to innovate, and ultimately seek better ways to accomplish the organization’s ambition.

Global vendor finance company

What’s in it for them

Co-created strategy by all relevant stakeholders throughout the organization creating faster execution and common understanding.

Employees learning new ways for online collaboration and how to work together remotely on strategic challenges.

Established mindset shift in 30% of the participants creating fundamental traction to change the organization from within.

Greater ability to adapt to changing circumstances in the midst of a crisis.

What makes this program unique?

As this program took place during the Covid-19 pandemic, this program was redesigned into a fully digital learning journey. This provided opportunities to track the progress and results of the program in a detailed way, providing the organization with a clear view of the impact the program has generated. Moreover, participants learned to embrace new ways of online collaboration which helped them anticipate the times of sudden change and uncertainty.

“The resulting mindset shift of participants was so fundamental that this was the best program. I had run in my 20 years at the company”

CEO and one of the participants himself