Coor Service Management delivers services in both hard and soft facility management to customers in Sweden and throughout Northern and Eastern Europe. At the time, Coor established a new division Coor Property. They found property management as an area in which they could provide growth by operating, maintaining and managing energy
properties.

Challenge

Establishing the new division meant that more than 120 employees now operated in an independent unit with its own financials – one united business, new terms, new culture. The structural changes called for pivoting towards rethinking leadership, management, documentation, knowledge sharing and performance optimizing.

The challenge

To establish a new division and make it successful. To attract employees with the right know-how and to promote themselves towards current and potential customers.

“We have worked with Prosci Best Practices research from the very beginning. We have focused particularly on the role of the leader and communication of change in daily life. Tools like the Prosci ADKAR^® Model and storytelling about the change have contributed to show attention and support to individuals. That created a sense of security about the changes in the company."  

— Head of Coor Property, Coor Service Management

Solution

Partnership with Prosci

Coor Property knew the new division would only be successful if its employees embraced
all the changes it required. The project team partnered with Human Univerz, a Danish change management firm, and partner with Prosci, to apply the Prosci change management methodology and Appreciation at Work resources to the new division.

The Solution

With ambitious growth targets, the working processes of more than 120 employees were examined and subsequently changed:

• Introducing time recording
• Focusing on time scheduling and follow-up
• Optimizing the annual cycle of work
• Setting KPIs based on previously defined key financial and performance figures
• Introducing targets and criteria for continual communication and dialogue with customers
• Registering and documenting all parts of the project
• Strengthening the brand
• Participation and clear communication
• Conscious, proactive change leadership
• Concrete initiatives for Appreciation at Work

Application

Coor Property scoped the project (the new division) from a change management perspective to make the new division a success. Five areas were defined as focus areas.

Strengthen employer brand

Branding of Coor Property became a crucial part of the change process. In cooperation with a communications bureau, the project team established an employer branding process to increase visibility and communication to attract the right employees and to promote themselves towards current and potential customers.

Co-determination and communication

One of the project goals was to create an attractive workplace where employees were excited about the work they did and empowered to develop new competencies as part of their jobs. The new division accomplished this by giving employees more influence on their own working life.

Conscious, proactive leadership

A special focus was brought on conscious leadership by proactively working with Prosci
change management best practices research.

The Prosci ADKAR Model

Storytelling about the change and the Prosci ADKAR® Model were used as concrete tools to focus on individuals and involve all employees in the change journey.

Concrete initiatives for Appreciation at Work

It’s important that employees feel valued and appreciated, but if you express appreciation in ways that aren’t meaningful to your colleagues, they may not feel valued. Therefore, The Five Languages of Appreciation were implemented:

• Words of affirmation
• Acts of service
• Quality time
• Tangible gifts
• Physical contact

The leaders made small adjustments, which made great progress in their relationship to the employees.

Results

Within two years, the group considered Coor Property to be an inspiring and visionary division. Many crucial factors increased: finances, customer satisfaction, and employee satisfaction.

Results Highlights

• Successfully launched the Coor Property division on time
• Launch gained attention in the market and quickly led to $250 million contract
• Improved finance operations 40%, employee satisfaction 17%, and customer satisfaction 5%

Projects were delivered on time thanks to communication and dialog during the process.
Further, the market had recognized the work of the division: Operating and maintaining the property of Novozymes (a contract at DKK 250 million) was put out to tender – Coor Property won it.

The employees also seemed entirely content – the division only had one termination in twelve months. The new division has not only been a success in itself. It generates added value for the whole Coor Facility Management business and has brought the Coor Group into a new league in facility management.

This contributes in strengthening the other divisions and the collected profile of the group in the market.