The cultural transformation at Bischof+Klein is continuing. The involvement of our colleagues in the production department is an important milestone. With interactive formats such as the values puzzle and regular team meetings, a new “we” is also emerging here – characterized by cooperation, personal responsibility, and open communication.

The different circumstances in the individual divisions (different shift systems and departmental focuses) necessitate individual implementation planning for the managers. The following two examples illustrate the different approaches.

Cultural transformation in the Industrial Packaging division at plant 1 in Lengerich 

Here, operations manager Frederik Rutsch and the team leaders started off with two-hour workshops concerning the new values and cultural transformation in the summer of 2024. The core idea behind this was: “It starts with me.”

With the “Mentimeter” survey tool
To this end, they also used the innovative “Mentimeter” survey tool to collect feedback. “It was a little slow at first, but later on we received very strong and positive feedback. The information and ideas first have to sink in in people’s minds," assumes Frederik Rutsch.

Constructive discussion with the “shaper triangle”
An additional campaign was launched in November along with the mandatory annual training courses. This time, one module was added. The machine operators were familiarized with the techniques of constructive discussion using the “shaper triangle.”

Cultural transformation will remain a key topic this year. From March, our team meetings will start with a culture check-in – this will keep the topic present in people's minds.
 

Cultural transformation in the cast film and blown film extrusion department at plant 2 in Lengerich:

Here, operations managers Stephanie Seidel and Jürgen Ruhoff started off as a team and conducted eight compact kick-off meetings from August to September 2024 to introduce employees from the various departments at plant 2 to the concepts and values of cultural transformation. In 45-minute sessions, these dealt with the need for transformation in the face of tough international competition, our own expectations, and our corporate values. Responses ranged from skepticism and rejection to enthusiastic approval.

Values puzzle makes values tangible
The values puzzle was then used in small groups. The 20 predefined answer cards were tailored specifically to day-to-day production work. The objective of this was to engage in personal dialogue with the employees – generally at first and then with initial practical examples. The participants therefore developed a common understanding of how our ten values can be implemented in their day-to-day work. It emerged that many of the values are already part of their daily work.

Regular team meetings for sustainable change
Regular team meetings have now been a fixed part of the cultural transformation in the cast film and blown film extrusion department since January 2025. Each shift takes part in a 45-minute meeting once every four weeks. Initially, the focus will be on the ten corporate values. As of April, the content of these team meetings will change and responsibility will be transferred from the operations managers to the team leaders and industrial forepersons. The focus will then shift, for instance, to quality and communication regarding further operational improvements.

Cultural transformation takes time and commitment
Cultural transformation is a long-term process. While the groundwork has been done, change rarely happens overnight, but rather step by step. Stephanie Seidel: “What is crucial is that everyone participates. We are looking forward to the next steps and would like to thank all employees for their openness and commitment.”