Over the past few months the largest bank in Denmark, Danske Bank, has been deploying a new strategy which involves cutting 2.000 jobs and closing some 75 - 100 branch offices. Today the CEO, Eivind Kolding, claims that the bank wants to "build trust". A statement that seems rather difficult at a point in time where most customers experience severe increases in financial expenses, and can expect a lower level of service in a near future. 

What makes your public transportation experience a good one? There are obvious factors like on-time arrivals and clean vehicles, but for most of us a good service from the man or woman at the wheel is of equally high importance. The public bus transportation industry in the greater Copenhagen area have for many years had a poor image in the public eye, which affected both commuters and potential job applicants. In collaboration with Stagis, the industry decided to turn around the negative image with the project ‘Chauffører med karaktér’ (Bus drivers with character).

"My passengers and I have great experiences together" - Gunnar, bus driver

‘Chauffører med karaktér’ has over the course of nearly four years focused on creating a positive image of public bus transportation and, chiefly, bus drivers in the greater Copenhagen area. We are very proud to hand over a project that has experienced very positive and measurable results.

The primary goals of the project have been to increase job satisfaction among bus drivers and to change the overall image of the public bus transportation industry. Before the project was launched in 2009, almost half of the involved bus drivers thought that their job and the bus industry in generalhad a bad image. A recent survey from August 2012 shows that this number has dropped to 12 per cent. Actually 84 per cent of the bus drivers take pride in their job today – compared with 66 per cent in 2009, and 90 per cent thrive at their workplace, which only 71 per cent did in 2009. This change for the better is a direct result of the project, and is especially due to the success of both internal and external communication efforts.

‘Chauffører med karaktér’ was a classic Stagis project in the sense that it called for our particular method of approaching a project where there is a need for finding, developing and expressing authentic strengths. Our certain method relies on the following five phases: 

1. Research – research and mapping of the company’s authentic strengths.
2. Strategy – Development of strategy, process management and planning of e.g. scenarios to develop authentic strengths.
3. Structural changes – Change management through cultural and structural changes, development and operation of change programs, new services, cultural interventions and internal education programs.
4. Design – Development of the company’s symbols, surfaces and digital interaction.
5. Communication – Communication and marketing across media channels, development of external image through e.g. events, campaigns and PR.

In our extensive research and mapping of the authentic strengths of the public bus transportation industry, we found, that the bus driver was the biggest asset. Therefore we concentrated on making the bus driver more accessible, showing the person behind the uniform.

Sulajman Baftijari wins "Busdriver with character of the year" at event on Christiansborg Slotsplads 2 September 2012

Changing the image of the bus driver in the public eye meant that the passengers had to be involved. We created a text message service where passengers could praise their local bus driver when he or she had made the commuting experience a good one. This was a huge success and a lot of passengers took part. Improving the image of the bus drivers and the industry in general naturally had to be backed up by internal change. Therefore we created an academy for mid-level managers and bus drivers, where they learned how to communicate better with each other, and also how to communicate better with passengers.

A very clear and recognisable design line was created for the project, and implemented in both internal and external communication. The clear graphic design line created a strong visual identity for the project, which both bus drivers and passengers immediately links to the project.

The internal communication effort included, but was not limited to, newsletters, break room posters, posters compiling praise from passengers, a project website and a Facebook-site to make sure that everyone working in the bus industry knew about the project. Externally we involved the passengers through campaigns in the busses, a text message service to give praise to the driver and to vote for the driver of the year. Additionally we made films about the daily life of a bus driver, created a website and Facebook-site, and twice coordinated an event celebrating the bus drivers with the most character based on the passengers text messages- just to name a few of the many activities in the course of the project.

Stagis initiated the project in 2009, and it stands as one of our biggest projects to date. The project ended in 2012.

Friday night it was officially announced that Copenhagen is awarded the title of European Green Capital 2014. The title is awarded by the European Commision in Bruxelles and given once a year to the city in Europe that shows the most initiative and innovation in creating green, sustainable solutions for cleaner and healthier city life.

Copenhagen competed with 19 other cities in Europe for the award. Three cities were selected to present their bid in front of a jury in Bruxelles. Frankfurt Am Main, Bristol and Copenhagen were the final three candidates.

Stagis’ role in Copenhagen’s bid for the award was to help the Municipality of Copenhagen to put into words and images the many great green initiatives and innovative solutions that Copenhagen offers its citizens. The end result was a great presentation; although deciding on which green activities and initiatives to include in the hour-long presentation was a difficult task – Copenhagen really has so much to offer in this regard. For instance, Copenhagen has a unique central heat distribution, we are becoming the no. 1 city in the World in terms of using the bicycle to get around the city, and the city is developing new recreational areas to make life in Copenhagen greener and easier.

Through a workshop and several meetings with the Technical and Environmental Adminstration of Copenhagen, Stagis helped to concentrate the many green initiatives and solutions into a concept which provided a red thread through the presentation. The concept, which we named ”Sharing Copenhagen”, describes not only the green solutions and the benefits to all Copenhageners, but more so the actual way the City of Copenhagen works in creating a better, cleaner, healthier and greener city. The Municipality of Copenhagen has a unique approach to making the green growth happen: Whenever there is a problem to be solved, they try to find a solution that will work in several ways. For instance, there is a growing problem with traffic congestion (just like so many other big cities) and the solution doesn't only solve congestion - it also aims to create long term health improvement, more green areas, less air pollution and lower cost. That's why the streets close to my house at Dronning Louises Bro has wider bicycle lanes than car lanes. It helps more people bicycle and less people to choose the car. So, the way we solve problems in Copenhagen is by thinking "smart" solutions across several boundaries. The other strength that is important in Copenhagen is our ability to share. We share ideas, we get people to participate, and the city is open to share solutions with the rest of Europe. We thought "sharing" was a key concept in the way Copenhagen works. And certainly an important part of the role Copenhagen takes on in 2014.

I am really proud and happy that my team has helped Copenhagen (and all you copenhageners!) claim the title as European Green Capital 2014. I think there are so many things that we can share and teach to other cities in Europe, and around the World. Although I might be a little biased, I believe that it is well deserved. First of all it is well deserved by the team that did an extraordinary effort during May, developing the concept and preparing the copy and design for the presentation for Bruxelles (well done, Marc, Søren and Michael!). Secondly, I think it's well done by the City counsil and everyone in Copenhagen. We look forward to 2014 when Copenhagen will have many great activities celebrating the city’s year as the greenest, most livable city in Europe. We might not be the biggest city or the biggest country, bu we should still participate in being a role model that others can follow.

Here is a selection of the 66 slides of the one hour-long presentation that was delivered by the director of, and his colleagues from, the Technical and Environmental Adminstration of Copenhagen in Bruxelles:

There is an article on the award on Danish newspaper Politiken.

”One of the best books in Danish on this subject. (…) The Authentic Company is an interesting book that invite leaders to focus on the company's inner strengths instead of market analysis and spreadsheets”.

The reviewer Henrik Ørholst from the newspaper Berlingske seems to be fond of my book even though he thinks the book has too many pages, and that the language is a bit to academic. I’ve certainly considered shortening the cases and the book in order to make it a quicker read and easier to get an overview. On the other hand, I know that some of the managers from the public sector are happy that I use examples that fit their mindset specifically, and managers from public and private healthcare organizations who appreciate the stories and examples that fit their everyday view of work.

The review is accompanied by an interesting article about the corporate museums, largely using examples from the book. I think the upside of the many pages (about 360 including introduction etc.) is that different people with a different focus can find examples, case-studies, research and knowledge that suit their need. I personally hate professional books that only refer the theory and the numbers – I want the story aswell. What did they do? How did they do it? And in their own words, please... So I’ve included the voices of Jørgen Vig Knudstorp from LEGO, René Rezepi from Noma, Alberto Alessi from Alessi, hoping that when you read the book you get to meet them and find inspiration from them, just like I did when I met them. Even though I largely view organizational authenticity as a strategic way of focusing the business, it is also about personal meetings and the way leaders are able of telling the story about what they did and where they want to bring the organization next.

I am considering making a shorter version of the book by shortening some of the case studies, taking out some of the contextual descriptions of what I call the “meaning society” (meningssamfundet) and focusing a bit more on the possibilities and tools that a manager can use in order to create an authentic company. So maybe by the end of this year or next year Henrik Ørholst get a book on the subject with fewer pages.

Here is a short extract of the review in Danish:

”Bogen har flere eksempler, som alle er spændende. Her finder læseren den utilpassede kok René Redzepi fra restaurant Noma. Her er der opbygget et stærkt brand med udgangspunkt i det nordiske fortælling, hvor der er mad fra vores del af verden, som er i centrum, og iscenesættelsen får alt hvad den kan trække pågodt og ondt. Bedst er historien om den italienske motorcykelfabrikant Ducati, der rejste sig fra ruinerne og blev forvandlet til et succesfuldt brand (…). Sidetallet er oppustet, og det er med til at sløre for budskaberne. Men nårlæseren får destilleret budskaberne, er det en af de bedste bøger på dansk om emnet. Forfatteren har eksemplerne parate igennem hele bogen.”

Yesterday a photo exhibition ”Bus from Bagdad” opened at Kongens Nytorv, just between the Metro and Strøget – probably the best spot in Copenhagen, where more than 10.000 people walk by every day.

Inside a bus the mayor of integration in Copenhagen, Anna Mee Allerslev, gave a great speech on the relationship between meaningful work and successful integration.

The exhibition is part of the Stagis project Bus Driver with Character. The photographer, Henrik Saxgren, is giving voices to 30 bus drivers with foreign background, telling their stories and thereby pulling them out of anonymity. The exhibition will be on the road the next five months and can be seen in several major cities in Zealand. See the tour plan and read more about the background of the exhibition here.

We are very proud and exited to announce that we have been chosen to assist the City of Copenhagen in their pursuit to win the European Green Capital Award in 2014.

The prestigious award, which is given annually by the European Commission, is an endorsement of the winner as the most green city in Europe.

The City of Copenhagen has been shortlisted along with Bristol and Frankfurt Am Main to make a final presentation before a European Commission jury in Bruxelles on June 8. Stagis will assist the City of Copenhagen in creating a presentation that will highlight the unique “green” qualities that Copenhagen possesses.

In the process of identifying Copenhagen’s green qualities, Stagis will utilize a 3-part process involving culture, design and communication. First, we will identify and document specific examples of the City’s way of working with green solutions. Secondly, we will create a design for the presentation that will help to showcase these examples. Finally, we will produce a plan for communicating our findings in the final presentation and help to train the presenters.

During the months of April and May, we will work intensively on creating the best possible presentation of Copenhagen as Europe’s greenest Capital. If all goes according to plan, Copenhagen will be awarded the title of European Green Capital 2014 at the award ceremony in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain on June 29 2012.

Over the past six months I've had the privilege of spending time with the management and employees at HP in Denmark. After several tough years during the financial crisis and a shifting environment for the IT industry, the Country Management Team wanted to rediscover and focus on the strengths of the Danish HP organization in order to increase engagement, motivation and pride within the organization. Stagis was invited to work with the management team to rediscover the authentic strengths of HP and to help the organization remember and reclaim what they are good at – what HP in Denmark is passionate about.

During the spring I met most of the managers in the Danish organization and during May and June I’ve personally been meeting and interviewing a lot of managers and employees at Hewlett-Packard in Allerød. When I started out I mostly thought of HP as the hardware company that most people think about – a company that produce servers, laptops and printers. But then, as I met with people and joined workshops and meetings, I remembered some of the things I had heard and read about HP over the years. When Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard founded their small company in a garage in Palo Alto in California in 1938, they were not only founding a small tech shop, they founded what is now known as Silicon Valley, the cradle of an entire industry. And they led the HP company from being good to great through a number of leadership principles that have been praised in well recognized management litterature. Like “Management by Walking Around”, “Open Door Policy” and “The HP Way”. Here’s one of the ads that ran during HPs “reinvent” campaign reconnecting to the historic garage and the principles of Bill and Dave:



I think the ad captures some of the greatness of HP. Since the time in the garage HP has come to be the largest IT company in the world with more than 320.000 employees around the globe. But during the past few years things have been tough in the tech industry due to the financial crisis. The former CEO Mark Hurd introduced new forms of reporting and cut costs in order to help HP stay afloat. Just a few months ago the former CEO of eBay, Meg Whitman, took over the role of CEO. The shifting external environment had an impact on the tech industry and on HP. Customers are reluctant to invest in IT, the strategy of HPs PC division is subject to media commentary and naturally, life in the tech business is not what it used to be, five or ten years ago. As you can imagine, the financial crisis naturally leads into identity questions like “who are we?” and “who do we want to become?”.




When I first entered HP one of the things that struck me was the lack of visual identity. The building is new, cool and looks great, but if someone had removed the HP Invent graphics from the building I wouldn’t be able of seeing, which company was working here. The same goes for the reception area and the meeting rooms. Where is the physical, visual or tactile expression of identity and the passion for the products, the employees and the customers? Every organization needs to express and show who they are in order to build a strong authentic identity.

Here’s the good news. Last week I was visiting HP in Allerød again. Newly appointed Managing Director in Denmark, Jakob Schou Meding, was on his tenth workday at HP, talking about community, knowing each other, working together and how to build trust in front of about 200 employees. People were cheering and seemed to have high hopes for the future. I joined to give a brief presentation of the authentic strengths of HP Denmark that I discovered over the past months. When I walked out of there I was proud to be part of the process and I felt quite sure that I was witnessing a local organization becoming a new, more focused version of itself. In the very near future the organization will be working with a series of initiatives to increase the sense of community, appreciation, engagement and leadership – and to help the potentials of the Danish organization grow.

On Valentines Day we launched a new campaign in the Copenhagen buses. Some 300 bus drivers handed out roses to some of their passengers in order to create conversation and good vibes. We named it 'Good moments' and several thousand text messages returned from happy customers who appreciate what the bus drivers are doing every day. Like waiting for a moment to pick someone up. Or giving good advice. Or telling a joke. The character of the moments are many - just like the passengers and the bus drivers themselves.

Here's one of the messages that was recently sent as a text message to the website:



(Quick translation: The bus driver welcomed everyone in the bus this morning and now the driver is trying to comfort a baby over the loudspeaker)

Lots of local newspapers covered the story in February. Now we are working on a series of new projects, campaigns and initiatives. Last year the Danish Government decided to expand the project that Stagis started in 2007 and this year lots of projects have external visual impact. Right now we are creating a new design for 'Chauffører med karaktér' (bus drivers with character), a new website, outdoor campaigns and we are planning to inspire the media to forward the good stories about bus drivers in several different ways. The project is defined to run throughout 2011 and many initiatives are expected to become the new standard of the industry.

Municipality of Copenhagen wants to raise the traffic safety between so-called ”soft” and ”hard” road users to get less injuries in the busy metropolis. And as Stagis has worked a lot with different institutions and organizations in regard to traffic and safety as well as the bus industry of Greater Copenhagen we seemed to be the obvious choice to partner with. This work has led to a collaboration with Department of Traffic within the municipality of Copenhagen. The Department of Traffic wishes to create a better dialogue between the different road users, in order to obtain more safety and less conflicts on the busy streets of Copenhagen. During the summer, the Stagis team has developed, written and designed a new magazine targeted at the ’professional’ road users, namely the busdrivers of the city.

Part of the concept is, that there is a busdriver involved in every story, giving different contemplations about safety. Most of the stories are fairly short and they involve different road users who give their personal view on the issue of safety. The first issue of 'God Tur' (could also be translated to 'Safe Travels') features a story involving a dialogue between a busdriver, a motorist, a cyclist and a pedestrian, advicing each other on safety and pointing out the most dangerous places in the city. The magazine also contains good advice on how to avoid stress during work hours and communicates some of the new initiatives happening in the streets of Copenhagen.

The magazine is handed out in the workplaces of the busdrivers (about 20 places around Copenhagen) these days, reaching about 3,000 people who spend most of their workday in the traffic. In the next couple of months we will work on the next issue which will be out on the streets about November 1st. The content will be created in collaboration with the busdrivers and the other road users in order to speak with their voice and make the magazine easy to identify with.