OP Southeast Finland, officially known as Southeast Finland Cooperative Bank, is the fifth largest cooperative bank in the OP Group. We offer banking and insurance services under one roof, as well as real estate brokerage services for OP Home.
As a workplace, we want to be the best workplace in the world for our people, and for our customers, we want to be a coach for better financial choices.
Organisational change and creating a corporate culture are topical
OP Etelä-Karjala and OP Kymenlaakso merged from 1 May 2024 to form the current OP South-Eastern Finland.
The organisational change has been a big one and, with some exceptions, all teams have members from both old banks. In practice, during the merger process we have been recreating the corporate culture together with the staff.
We already had SmoothTeam in place before the merger. We originally chose it because it seemed like a really simple tool and different from other team building tools on the market. This has been the case and things have worked smoothly and effortlessly.
SmoothTeam has been a fruitful tool in the merger process
In connection with the merger, we also built a new organisation, so that meant changes to the teams. SmoothTeam has been a very good tool to help team members get to know each other.
We've also gone through a lot of things like interaction issues and the rules of the game for each team, and SmoothTeam has been helpful here. In the simulation, you can have a discussion about the rules of the game, for example, which you can continue later in the team's common moments.
It's great that simulations can get to the heart of what each team is all about. For example, if interaction is an issue, the simulation can be used to establish rules of the game for interaction within the team.
SmoothTeam's playfulness adds just the right amount of lightness for flexible use
Simulation is a good tool for dealing with serious issues in a light-hearted way, without belittling the subject. It has a playful quality that brings lightness.
SmoothTeam has been an easy tool for us to open up discussions on difficult issues. It's not light in the sense of dealing with things in a light-hearted way - but light in the sense of opening up conversations in a light and effortless way.
SmoothTeam works as well live as on Teams, and it works really well. Remote implementation makes the teams' everyday life easier, as team members are often physically located in different parts of South-East Finland. We work through coaching management, and SmoothTeam's simulations fit this. They enable the team to learn together.
Simulations are an efficient use of time
As we exist for our clients, simulations have also been an effective way to develop teamwork - we have had effective discussions in close cooperation.
We're efficient anyway, and even in simulations we get results and get things right, usually within an hour or so. Of course, the progress of each discussion depends on the team and the people: sometimes you have to search for more answers and sometimes you have lively discussions.
Team building and getting to know each other - but also more challenging topics
In addition to familiarisation and rules of the game, our coaches have also used simulations to deal with heavier topics such as stress factors. Similarly, for example, motivational factors have been the subject of really good discussions.
Main benefit for teams and frontline staff and also HR gets topics for organisational development
The main benefit of simulations is for teams and frontline staff. Teamwork improves, teammates are better known, and chaperones get a wide range of input into their work from the simulations. Often the chaperone gets concrete ideas on what I should do with the team as a next step. The simulations have been very popular, especially with the chaperones. In addition, as HR myself, the simulations occasionally provide me with topics for other organisational development.
I can recommend SmoothTeam for team structure changes and challenging situations
SmoothTeam works very well when there is a big organisational change, where team structures change and there is a need to get to know each other. Also, if there are challenging situations, this is one tool to deal with them. It's one tool for chewing on different things, which makes people really think about things from their own point of view. For example, we are stressed by different things; one person is stressed by repetitive Teams messages and other interruptions and another person is stressed by something else entirely. Simulations are used to learn how to use one set of instructions over the other, for this type of issue as well as many others.
The best thing about SmoothTeam is that it allows participants to address relevant and important issues in a relaxed way. In a simulation, an external trainer does not come in and tell you how things are or what you should do, such as "here are the stress factors" or "let's get to know each other". Simulations are able to deal with factual and important issues in a light-hearted way.
Cooperation with SmoothTeam has been smooth and easy, I can recommend it!
Riikka Mankki
Human Resources Manager
OP South-Eastern Finland
