Currently, we are at the midpoint of our spring semester group project at Laurea University of Applied Sciences. Our team consists of 11 students, including Erasmus participants from the Czech Republic, Taiwan, and France. We are collaborating with Skipa Kiinteistöpalvelut Oy, a Finnish company offering cleaning, property maintenance, and property management services, to assess how well their quality-driven strategy has been adopted by employees.
The core of our project involves conducting interviews with Skipa employees to gather insights into their experiences, perspectives, and understanding of the company’s strategic goals. By analyzing these interviews, we aim to provide Skipa with valuable feedback that can help refine their approach and improve employee engagement with the strategy.
As part of our deliverables, we will compile a comprehensive report and presentation detailing our findings. This includes:
- Insights from conducted interviews
- Creation of employee personas based on the collected data
- Delivering ideas for implementing the demanded quality
This project offers a unique opportunity for us to work in a diverse, international team and gain real-world experience in business analysis, strategy evaluation, and stakeholder communication.
Challenges in Communication: Creating Employee Personas
A major challenge we faced during the project was the language barrier in our interviews. While we initially planned to conduct around 10 interviews, many of them were unsuccessful due to communication difficulties. As a result, we were able to rely on the three interviews in which we could at least partially understand each other. From these, we created three employee personas that represent key profiles within Skipa’s workforce. This allowed us to still gain valuable insights despite the communication barriers.
Through this experience, we learned how critical it is to adapt and be flexible when facing communication challenges. It also emphasized the importance of making the best use of available resources and finding creative solutions, such as personas, when direct communication is difficult. This approach not only helped us move forward but also gave us a deeper appreciation for the role of effective communication in gathering reliable data.
The Importance of a Shared Language in the Workplace
One key insight we’ve gathered is how crucial it is to have a shared language within the workplace. Without a common way to communicate, misunderstandings can arise, and teamwork can suffer. When this isn’t feasible due to language barriers, alternative communication methods become vital. Intuitive visual materials, such as diagrams or picture-based content, can bridge this gap and enhance understanding. This realization has been eye-opening, and we believe it’s an essential aspect of fostering smooth collaboration in any organization.
We are excited to finalize our findings and present them to Skipa as a valuable resource for their continuous improvement efforts.
Suurin osa Showcasen blogeista on toteutettu osana Laurean opintojaksoja. Koko koulutustarjontaamme voi tutustua nettisivuillamme. Tarjoamme kymmenien tutkintoon johtavien koulutuksien lisäksi myös paljon täydennys- ja erikoistumiskoulutuksia sekä yksittäisiä opintojaksoja avoimen AMK:n kautta!