Cultivating a Purpose-Driven Work Culture
Challenge
As a global manufacturer, grounded in a legacy culture, Michelin faced substantial challenges in recruiting and retaining younger talent as many older employees retired. Openfields was tasked with helping Michelin cultivate a new culture in which any employee was able to more clearly articulate their sense of purpose and connect it their role at work.
Solution
Collaborative, creative experiences inviting employees to actively advance Michelin's mission and values
1) Purpose Workshops
In partnership with Your Creative People, Openfields helped design the Michelin Purpose Workshop, a 2.5hr interactive experience that invited each employee to reflect on and articulate their own purpose, share it with others, then brainstorm about ways to exercise it in the context of day-to-day work and community engagement. Openfields trained the trainer who was responsible for rolling out the workshop to Michelin's 22,000+ employees over the next two years. Employee engagement scores in the first year of deployment were significantly increased among participants.
2) Purpose Ambassadors
Building on the Purpose Workshop, Openfields designed an internal learning cohort with the mission of creating on-demand, purpose-driven experiences for employees. This group was cultivated to listen and quickly respond to employee questions and insights related to the employee experience. The cohort included regular, team-generated newsletters featuring employee stories, best practices and case studies, and specific resources available across the enterprise. The effort also included regular team convening, and annual retreat, and a new Purpose Awards program.
