Our Workshop-Weekend
This time we went to the idyllic Hotel Dirsch in Emsing. We arrived on Friday lunchtime with sunshine in our luggage. Curiosity and anticipation for the coming hours were already palpable.
After we had defined our mission, vision and guiding principles in the first two parts of the workshop, it was now time to focus on our corporate values. Our corporate philosophy is not dictated from above, but is shaped by the team itself. Because at HSM® the focus is on people, i.e. the individual personality, and this is also lived.
HSM® isn’t that the steel trader?
Not so easy, but incredibly valuable – the HSM® elevator pitch. Nobody wants to voluntarily stand up and explain who HSM® is and what we do. Because it really isn’t that simple and requires a lot of explanation. When someone asks me what HSM® actually does, I always answer:
HSM® is not a classic steel trader, but a system service provider. We take care of the entire supply chain and are effectively the extended purchasing arm of our customer. We supply high-performance materials and also take care of storage, financing, certificates, etc. – everything the customer needs.
Teamwork across departmental boundaries: a variety of perspectives
The workshops at HSM® thrive on interaction, so in this case it was also a mix of presentation, group work and personal development. First, there was a review of the last two workshops so that everyone was brought together and on the same page.
Our values at HSM® arise from our daily work and the services we offer. In order to develop these values, we first laid the foundation: We sat down together in mixed teams and thought about what our customers really need and what problems they have. In the next step, we worked together to create solutions to the problems. The special thing about this was that colleagues from different departments – from administration and quality management, for example – worked together. This enabled us to ensure that different perspectives were incorporated.
How can we really get the other departments on their toes?
In a humorous part of our workshop, we took a hypothetical look at the little annoyances in the office that make everyday working life “exciting”. From large orders with countless items to coffee machines with an empty water tank to unclear tasks with tight deadlines – these situations often cause both annoyance and laughter. Of course, none of this is meant seriously, but a little humor in everyday working life never hurts.
During the group work, the teams spread out around the hotel: some sat in the garden, others in the lobby or on the roof terrace. A super pleasant atmosphere and a nice place to work creatively.
What makes us special?
We claim to be real problem solvers. We find a solution for almost everything, even if this sometimes means that we have to face major challenges. Of course, there are also situations in which our hands are tied. For example, in the event of hacker attacks or political events. But it is precisely at times like these that the value of our employees’ different ways of thinking becomes apparent – each department brings its own experience and solutions to the table, which makes us strong together. As a result, we have not only developed solutions for our customers, but also gained a better understanding of what defines us as a team and how we want to work together.
Curious doers
Then it was time for the individual tasks: Our superheroes were asked to define their personal values from the three pillars of “Being a pioneer”, “Strong together” and “Curious doers”, which we defined in the last workshop. It was about which values each person finds important for themselves and how they put them into practice in their day-to-day work. It was really inspiring to see how our colleagues approached this. The focus here was clearly on the individual personality.
In addition to the actual workshop, there was an exciting detour into the world of artificial intelligence. Our Managing Director, Mr. Hofmann, is really deep into the subject and is already a real pioneer in this field. He took us all along with him and explained the topic in a very understandable way. Things then became interactive: we were able to try out and test various AI tools ourselves. If you’re curious about our path to AI, you can find more information here.
Digital work and physical exchange
In our workshop, we used Mentimeter for quick coordination and Miro as a digital whiteboard – both tools that make collaboration uncomplicated. We then shared the results directly via Microsoft Teams and viewed them together on a large screen.
There was enough time between the sessions for a relaxed exchange of ideas. Colleagues were able to relax and chat with each other in the various areas of the hotel while enjoying delicious food. This really strengthened the team spirit and ensured that we got to know each other better on a more personal level.
The workshop then ended with a real highlight: the “resource shower”. The superheroes were split up again and one of the group always stood at the front. The others then told him what they appreciated about him, what he did particularly well or why they admired him. It was a really nice end to an intensive but really successful workshop.
Conclusion: The 2024 workshop weekend was a complete success. We not only defined our corporate values, but also strengthened our team spirit and laid the foundations for future success. Together, we are ready to take on the challenges of our customers and achieve our corporate goals. We are excited to see what awaits us in the next workshop. Until then, let’s stay curious, strong and pioneering
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