From silence to dialog: How Erema revolutionized the working atmosphere in production with teamecho
In an industry characterized by high demands and a shortage of skilled workers, Erema, a pioneer in plastics recycling, faced a crucial challenge: how to promote an open communication and feedback culture, especially in the often pragmatic production environment? teamecho was the answer – and changed the working atmosphere for good.
The silent crisis in production
When Georg Weigerstorfer introduced teamecho as a pilot project in his department in 2017, he had no idea that it would become a company-wide movement. “I simply wanted a tool that would enable honest feedback,” he recalls.
“I’m no longer interested in the fact that people are constantly talking about each other and the shit the other is building – but not talking to each other.” At the time, he managed a team of around 50 employees. “A colleague came back from a trade fair and said: ‘I’ve got something for you’. I didn’t even know there was such a tool – but it was exactly what I was looking for.”
The motivation for Georg came from two sides:
On the one hand, the learning and feedback culture in the company was very weak.
There was also the desire to hear positive feedback – and to feel encouraged by it.
What began as an experiment soon became routine. In the beginning, it was also important to be accompanied by a
Today, almost the entire production workforce at the Ansfelden and St. Marien sites uses teamecho – with one exception: “A few managers still say today: ‘I don’t need it, people will come to me if anything happens,‘” says Georg with a grin.
“But where the department heads get involved, where they look in and say: ‘ Something’s coming back, let’s take care of it’ – satisfaction is much better there. Being listened to is a huge thing.”
Where the head of department gets involved, where he looks things up himself and then goes to his group leaders and says, hey, there are reports coming back that don’t say, please take care of it – satisfaction is much better there. Being listened to is a huge thing.
The turning point: a meeting that changed everything
While things went very well at one location, there were a few stumbling blocks with the response to the surveys at the second location. Georg Weigerstorfer recognized the critical point and presented the team with a choice: end the teamecho experiment or face the problems together. The team opted for dialog. The desire to raise the mood and communicate differently and better with each other was deep-rooted.
In a three-hour, moderated meeting, Georg created a safe space for honest exchange. Together with the managers, he trained the team in non-violent communication and ensured that there was no “fake harmony”. This courageous step paid off immediately.
Measurable success: figures that speak for themselves
The effects were impressive and directly visible in teamecho. “Just the one meeting where we exchanged ideas with each other, where we finally felt heard, that changed the world,” said one employee, summarizing the success.
The figures back up this feeling:
- The response rate rose from under 50 % to over 60 %.
- Satisfaction with the question "Am I consulted on decisions/have an influence?" jumped by +23%.
- Managers who were initially skeptical proactively asked for further appointments of this kind.
- The "EREMA Production System 2.0" project will be the showcase model for a new basic approach - lean management including learning culture and cultural aspects. This is what teamecho has made visible.
What makes production special
At production sites in particular, employees from many different countries often work together. The issue of equality quickly arises, even in teamecho.
But even more than that, the solution to problems was based purely on the factual level and professional expertise – the relationship level is quickly lost. This quickly leads to conflicts between management and employees.
Georg’s exchanges with individual managers show the range of ways in which conflicts can be dealt with. He supports them without exerting pressure. “There are managers who talk to me to make sure they know how to address a specific issue in their team. Others refrain from exchanging ideas along the lines of ‘I’ve got everything under control’ or ‘I haven’t had time yet but I’ll look into it’.”
Georg’s accompanying leadership training courses, which also focus a lot on non-violent communication, are appreciated by everyone. Georg always uses teamecho to prepare the training sessions. “Even in groups where everything is going very well, I find little hooks to train and improve tricky situations.”
5 lessons learned from the Erema story
The success at Erema provides valuable insights for any company that wants to establish a sustainable feedback culture – especially in production. These are Georg’s tips for anyone who wants to use teamecho:
- Responding to feedback is everything: a tool is only as good as the willingness to follow up results with action. Without action, commitment dies.
- Communication is a skill, not a coincidence: targeted training, e.g. in non-violent communication, is extremely valuable in the production environment and is gratefully accepted. A beer after work is no substitute for this and is not enough.
- Managers must be role models: Commitment at management level is the decisive factor. If managers actively use and demand feedback, the teams will follow suit.
- Take fears seriously and create security: Trust is created when anonymity is guaranteed and employees see that their honest feedback leads to positive changes.
- An internal champion is worth its weight in gold: a person like Georg Weigerstorfer, who drives the issue forward, builds bridges and moderates, can be the key to greater success.
Erema’s story impressively shows that a strong feedback culture is not a sure-fire success, but with the right tools and bold steps, it can become a real competitive advantage even in the most demanding environments. teamecho provides the crucial data to identify problems, initiate dialogues and make successes visible.
Would you also like to create a culture in your company where everyone feels heard? Let’s talk about it!
