The whole of the Netherlands makes the switch
Eneco’s mission is solid as a rock: sustainable energy for everyone. Eneco is a leader in the energy transition and has a strong market position. With some 3,000 employees, Eneco serves 5.3 million customer contracts, helping millions of businesses and households make the switch to more sustainably generated and smart energy.
New CEO Ruud Sondag wants to continue the sustainable course that Eneco has set for itself. At the same time, he has formulated clear objectives relating to customer focus, collaboration and execution power. In line with its mission, Eneco launched its new brand promise on 18 December 2018: ‘Heel Nederland schakelt om’ (‘The whole of the Netherlands makes the switch’). This promise guides Eneco in its efforts to make sustainable energy accessible to everyone. Eneco proactively helps and guides customers in making this energy switch.
Eneco makes the switch
Simultaneous to its new external positioning, Eneco initiated its internal change trajectory. After all, the external promise is delivered on internally. Switching the whole country to sustainable energy requires more customer focus, collaboration across the chain and execution power. It asks something of how Eneco organises itself as a company and how colleagues interact. It asks for thinking and action based on the perspective of the customer, and therefore an internal shift to becoming a company that is even more customer-oriented. Eneco asked PROOF to engage employees in this in an inspiring and effective manner, and to ensure that they can make a contribution to delivering on the external promise. Together with Eneco, PROOF developed the concept ‘Heel Eneco schakelt om’ (‘The whole of Eneco makes the switch’).
How is Eneco making the switch?
In collaboration with Eneco, PROOF wrote the change story as the starting point and basis for all internal communications relating to the internal switch. The story describes its ambition, how Eneco will realise it and what actions Eneco is taking to accomplish that.
To make the change story more concrete, PROOF developed an integral communications approach in which HR and Internal Communications work closely together to make the change happen and continuously involve employees. And to constantly make the connection between the ‘what’ and the ‘how’ of the strategy on an individual level. The approach consists of two communications streams: Eneco-wide communications and line communications. Eneco-wide communications focus on the higher goal: ‘we are making it easy for everyone to take part in this energy transition and enable people to switch over to smarter and more sustainable energy’. Line communications focus on guiding behaviour and ways of working, i.e., on closing the gap between strategy and execution.
Eneco colleagues make their voice heard
Eneco has many enthusiastic employees who are eager to help their colleagues to make the switch themselves. They go out into the organisation in search of inspiring stories of their colleagues making the switch. PROOF developed various blog and video content formats for employees and for Internal Communications colleagues to give meaning to ‘Heel Eneco schakelt om’. In the formats ‘Wij zijn om!’ (‘We made the switch!’) and ‘Omschakelen volgens’ (‘Switching according to…’), colleagues and top management share what switching means for them personally, how they are making the switch themselves and what they find inspiring examples in the organisation. Each format makes clear that switching is a continuous process, a shift that the organisation makes collectively.
