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A NEW VISION

THE DEVELOPMENT

Bartsch

A friendly office, customers who are cordially welcomed and seen to, employees who hold open the door for each other. The Volksbank im Harz has one clear goal: It wants to be number 1 in its region. How will it be done? Through a new strategy and the commitment and dedication of its staff. We were tasked with the creation of a Dialogue Picture realizing not only the strategic vision in a text format, but also in a visual manner which could more effectively and concretely communicate this vision to employees, business partners and customers this vision.

FOLLOWING GOALS AND CONTENTS CHARACTERIZING THE NEW VISION

1.	to become nr. 1 in the region
2.	to become a cooperative bank
3.	designation of focused target groups
4.	Communication of the corporate group
5.	motivated, competent and successful employees
6.	holistic consulting

At first, Volksbank im Harz worked together with the management consultancy firm Goldpark to develop the new vision. In the final defining phase, we joined in and began with the visualization. We created different imagery which could serve later as a framework for the Dialogue Picture. The selected favorite was then further developed and worked on in several workshops and details were added in several workshops. The basic concept of a the Puzzle-World is easy understandable. Volksbank im Harz has recently restructured its business units, reorganizing them into a single large entity. As a cooperative bank with a strong sense of community, it holds the region together and is open to everyone.

Jürgen Bartsch
Head of Private Customer Banking
Volksbank im Harz

The Dialogue Picture was introduced at staff meetings to employees in groups of 10 to 14. All active staff were integrated into the dialogue and supervisory groups. The employees looked at the pictures and said what stood out to them. In this way a dialogue ensued in which we could show the employees what we want to say. Since we had developed a handbook to the dialogue picture, we could ensure that the partial images in the different groups were accompanied by the same statements. At the conclusion of the meeting each employee received the dialogue picture in puzzle form. Today we use the dialogue picture with representatives, members, and at customer meetings as a basis for discussion for the introduction of Volksbank im Harz as a cooperative bank in 2015.

INDIVIDUAL SCENES AND THEIR MEANING:

The Volksbank im Harz takes care of all its clients. Target groups with special needs or desires are particularly cared for. To these groups belong for example senior citizens, the youth market or women.

The staff at Volksbank im Harz are highly motivated. Good performance is expected but also rewarded and recognized. The picture shows an employee being honored for their good work. Their colleagues celebrate with them.

The staff at Volksbank im Harz also attend to the needs of their elderly customers. Our picture shows an employee conducting a seminar on “Internet Banking” for senior citizens.

This picture shows the employees at Volksbank im Harz in their role as advisor. They are always warm, friendly and ready to lend an ear to all customers. Instead of sitting confrontationally across from the clients, they sit together, advisor and clients looking at the monitor to find the best possible solution.