Enhancing corporate change: Insights from the CIVIC SCOUTS AT WORK digital reflection groups
CIVIC SCOUTS AT WORK is a transnational capacity building programme for employees in companies which has been running since 2021 and aims to establish the place of work as a place for civic education.
The digital reflection groups are an integral component of our SCOUTS programme and take place throughout the duration of the programme. These virtual round tables serve as spaces for our different stakeholders (SCOUTS, facilitators, company representatives/CEOs/HR representatives) to exchange their thoughts on the progress within the individual SCOUTS groups/companies and reflect upon the programme and its implementation.
While these digital reflection groups primarily take place on the national scale of our participating countries (Bulgaria, Croatia, Germany, Hungary) in the respective country languages, we also organise transnational reflection groups across borders held in English.
The most recent digital reflection group, involving facilitators from various countries, was guided by four key questions. The main takeaways and reflection points are summarised below.
What impact do you think the developed concepts* will have within the companies?
- The developed concepts enable SCOUTS to move from a problem level to the symptom level. Here, the real work begins by envisioning solutions and setting up a long-term action plan.
- The concepts also influence SCOUTS and their respective companies by increasing awareness of change and the components of change management.
- As part of one of the proposed concepts, SCOUTS groups will continue to hold informal gatherings to discuss company internal issues at stake, such as sustainability and intercultural competencies.
What changes would you make for a potential second round of CIVIC SCOUTS AT WORK to ensure the success and sustainability of the programme?
- Facilitators expressed the desire for more collaborative opportunities through transnational reflection groups such as these, especially prior to going into the individual companies and working with the respective SCOUTS groups. This would help in sharing best practices and exchanging ideas on first approaches.
- More translation work needs to be done from our end as civic educators, breaking down terminologies and trying to showcase in easy language what benefits the companies and individual employees will gain by participating in the programme.
- Moreover, management, leadership, as well as board members should be included in onboarding activities and little check-ins every now and then throughout the duration of the programme. This way the motivation among the employees is kept high due to the recognition and gratitude granted from management levels. Also, the implementation of the developed concepts will be better secured afterwards since approval from the CEO side is granted.
- Bottom-up empowerment of SCOUTS should be prioritised.
What added value does the programme have for you as facilitators?
- Having a needs-oriented approach to this programme is definitely an eye-opening and new experience.
- Creating a custom tool in consultation with the SCOUTS, rather than purchasing a ready-made one, is also a novel approach.
- It serves as a reality check highlighting that what is assumed to be obvious from a civil society perspective often requires additional explanation and elaboration within the private sector and other settings.
- The transnational character of the programme is one of its greatest values.
In your opinion, what is the added value of the transnational character of the programme and how can we further enhance it?
- It would be beneficial to first reach a common consensus on the definition of ‘civic education’, as it may vary from country to country.
We’re grateful for the numerous participations and meaningful exchanges as well as for the honest feedback from our programme facilitators. As one of our facilitators has mentioned ‘Let humans be humans again, even though companies are often associated with a big machine’. So let us try to put the humane back into the corporate world.
Next up we very much look forward to hearing what our SCOUTS have to say on that after the summer break during our next transnational reflection group in September.
*The so-called ‘workpiece’ / concept is an idea developed by the individual SCOUTS groups within the respective companies which target the given issue at hand and outline an idea on how to go about this company internal issue successfully.