Human capital
at the heart of our projects
Editorial by the CEO

Testimony

Vincent Bedouin
Chief Executive Officer

• What place will people have in tomorrow’s industries?

  

  Vincent :

  The human stake within an organisation has undoubtedly never been as important as it is today.

   

  Driven by the development of new technologies and the digital world, businesses are evolving, new ones will emerge, others will disappear.

  We have an opportunity to increase the interest and added value of the content of each individual’s work. However, this requires investing in the transformation and supporting it so as not to endure it.

   

  The companies that will succeed best in their transformation will be those that have the ability to reinvent themselves by placing the Human being at the heart of their projects and who will succeed in mobilising their employees at the very core of this evolution. Because it is indeed the collective ability to implement and enhance new technologies that determines the speed of business development today.

• How does that work for the LACROIX?

  

  Vincent :

  The Group’s transformation is based on the desire to unify the team around the “connected technologies for a smarter world” mission, which gives meaning and requires a cultural shift in 3 fundamental and complementary areas:

  • Our innovation culture
  • Our digital culture
  • Our ability to collaborate and release energies

   

  LACROIX is changing and breaking down barriers, opening up to others, adopting new technologies and tools, and gradually changing the way it works,…

  We are vigilant that everyone can find their place and actively contribute to the transformation programme. Support and training challenges to access new technologies and the evolution of business lines are very important.
  Expectations also include the evolution of managerial practices.

   

  We need to find the right balance between an enhanced ability to attract new talent and the priority objective of supporting our existing teams to help them progress and enable them to prove themselves.

   

  To achieve our objectives, we will have to strengthen our Human Resources teams and our managerial culture to promote the development of our employees.

• What guidelines should teams be given in this transformation?

  

  Vincent :

  The scale and speed of these transformations can be a cause for concern. The best way to avoid this effectively is to face it together and allow everyone to be a part of the adventure and to participate in the transformation of their area of expertise.

   

  To this end, I believe it is important to build a common culture at Group level: this is the role of the AMBITION 2020 strategy and the core values that we will be consolidating.

   

  The AMBITION 2020 strategy sets the course through its 6 pillars. Through its implementation at all Group sites, it coordinates the participation of teams and the adaptation of priorities according to the needs of each activity and the local context. Everyone has a role to play in AMBITION 2020.

   

  Group values should be a benchmark that connects teams internally. This is part of the common framework that guides our behaviours, actions and decision-making. It is a reference system that we want to embody on a daily basis.

• Exactly, what are the LACROIX values?

  

  Vincent :

  The Group and its environment are changing and the values we uphold must be consistent and in tune with our history and future.

   

  Within the Executive Committee, we have identified five essential values to achieve the Group’s collective ambition: Audacity, Openness, Team Spirit, Commitment and Respect.

   

  These values are universal and quite classic, so it is easy to adhere to them. The important thing will be to put them into practice in the field on a daily basis, based on model behaviours.

   

  In the context of dedicated workshops, we wanted the group’s managers to take ownership of these values and challenge their deployment methods*. Together, they have contributed to the definition of a common management framework that will enable each individual to embody the values embraced by the Group and to respond to the need to develop managerial practices.

• And how do you measure the expectations of the Group’s 4,000 employees?

  

  Vincent :

  Aware of the human challenges linked to the LACROIX’s transformation, I wanted to get an idea of team sentiment from the outset using an internal satisfaction survey.
  We conducted our second LACROIX & You survey in early 2018, with a Group-wide participation rate of 84%. The results are substantial, they guide our actions and help us progress.

   

  I would like to mention some points on which the Group can focus, such as a love of the job and a love of a job well done, the sense of useful work, which helps to give meaning, the trust established with managers, team support, or even the recognition of the necessary evolution of the business lines to prepare for the future.
  Recognition and equity are also priority topics to be addressed.

   

  The survey also refers us to strongly expressed expectations about professional development and training and on the evolution of our managerial practices to leave more room for initiatives and unleash individual energies.

   

  The feedback from this survey shared with the teams will be expanded and integrated into the Human Capital pillar of our AMBITION 2020 strategy.

   

  I am aware that there is still a lot of work to be done, but I am very proud of the transformation already accomplished by the group and impressed by the power that emerges from our team.
  Our course is clear and its application is becoming apparent at all levels. Believe me, we have not yet reached our full potential: we are ordinary people, but together we will do extraordinary things!