Framery has approximately 400 employees worldwide but has roots in Finland, where its work culture is deeply rooted in promoting employee engagement and satisfaction.
After all, Finland is the happiest country in the world for the seventh year in a row, according to the latest World Happiness Report.
So it’s no surprise that open communication, teamwork and, perhaps most importantly, employee well-being are all high priorities for Framery, a manufacturing company based in In Tampere, Finland, the company builds soundproof cubicles for office spaces.
As the company’s head of people and culture, Anni Hallila works to ensure employees are happy and fulfilled at work.
She said she and her team use some common Finnish phrases to create an environment where employees thrive in the workplace:
1. The person asking the question will not deviate from the right path.
Finnish workplaces tend to have a flat hierarchy, with individual contributors feeling as empowered as the CEO and other senior leaders to express their ideas for the business.
This quote highlights this mindset and shows how a trusting environment where people can share their opinions freely can benefit the entire organization.
Khalila explains that people at all levels of the organization need to ask questions and find solutions: “If there’s an open line of communication where anyone can ask a question, whether it’s the CEO or anyone in the company, then it’s There will be a path forward.
Framery encourages employees to speak out about the issues they are working on and the company’s overall goals.
“I can ask any questions that need to be asked in order to be successful in my position or in the best interest of the company,” Harila said. “So even though it’s not my job and I see some issues that should be addressed, it’s my responsibility to raise issues so that we don’t deviate from the company’s path.”
2. A crazy person will do a lot of work; a smart person will do twice the result with half the effort.
In other words: work smarter, not harder.
Leaders are encouraged to help employees work with this mindset, Khalila said. Bosses should clarify their expectations and manage them This way their employees can focus on their most important business priorities.
“You can work, work, work,” she said, “but it’s questionable whether you actually achieve more.”
Many times, the end goal supports both meeting a business need and achieving that goal in a manageable way.
“It’s not about laziness,” Halila said. “It’s about being smart about what you care about and spending less in a way so you can achieve a healthy work-life balance.”
3. Put the cat on the table.
Hallila says the phrase can be used in a similar way to addressing the elephant in the room, i.e. solving the business problem at hand rather than letting it slip away.
“It’s about believing in a work culture where cats are an issue that needs to be on the table and where people can have trusting and open discussions about any issue,” she said.
Put more simply, “We believe things can be resolved through discussion,” she added.
4. Whatever you leave behind, you will find in front of you.
On the other hand, this quote shows that ignoring a problem will only become a problem later.
Harila said, “If you put your problems behind you, you will find them right in front of you.” “So the only way to deal with this is to actually address them when they get older.”
5. Walk toward the tree with your back facing forward.
Hallila says this quote vividly describes what happens when you don’t plan ahead or consider the consequences of certain business decisions.
“If you don’t plan what you’re doing, you’re going to end up back at the tree first and get hurt instead of planning ahead and being smart about what you want to achieve,” she said.
In Finnish workplaces, she adds, these conversations often involve people at all levels of the organization. The company’s strategic planning ensures that “people feel like they’re being heard, that they have a say in our strategy, or at least that they understand what our strategy is all about.”
“We appreciate smart planning [in a way] It’s also respectful of other people’s time,” she added.
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