Last week, KAEFER brought together foremen from our two largest onshore projects for an inspiring meeting. The aim was clear: to get even better at day-to-day planning and to create a common understanding of how we can work better and more effectively together as a team.
A culture of transparency
“Our main goal in the Onshore unit for 2024 and until 2026 is to build a culture of transparency,” says Marlén Hillestad, Operations Manager for Onshore Projects. She emphasises that this requires effort and commitment from everyone, every day.
Marlén opened the meeting by focusing on the crucial role of the foremen. They are the ones who have the daily dialogue with the operators and are important role models to motivate improvement, prevent a culture of fear, challenge established truths and strengthen team spirit and inclusion. She also emphasised how important it is for foremen to see how their work on the project contributes to the bigger picture, and how this in turn affects delivery to our customers. Marlén emphasised that good planning not only makes it easier to identify and reduce waste, but also increases productivity and gives operators more “hands on tools”. Even in a hectic day, we must remember that a culture of openness not only creates a better working environment, but also ensures that we deliver on HSE, schedule, cost and quality – something our customers value highly. This is what I mean by seeing the big picture; that KAEFER becomes the most reliable supplier in the market and that our clients choose use us again and again…
Good communication brings good plans to life
The main theme of the session was effective day-to-day planning, which was illustrated through both theory and practical exercises. Communication also played an important role and Gro Valsvik, Communications Responsible at KAEFER, showed how foremen can use different methods to improve dialogue with operators. Good communication creates commitment and team spirit, which in turn is crucial to achieving our daily planning goals. It was emphasised that even the best plans are ineffective if they are not communicated in a clear and effective way.
Learning through games and play
On the second day, Lean Manager Camilla Ree put the foremen in different roles and situations to illustrate how cooperation and clear goals lead to results. Through puzzle exercises, the participants experienced the importance of clear direction and predictability – essential for successful plans in the field.
Working together for success
Marlén says that the feedback from the foremen has been nothing but positive, and that it has provided both inspiration and ideas for concrete tools that we can use to strengthen planning and collaboration on our projects. Through such initiatives we build strong teams and a culture of openness that makes us a supplier our customers want to work with. Several of the foremen told me that such meetings add value and motivation to their day-to-day work. One foreman described the meeting as a real wake-up call, reminding him of the importance of quality, safety and looking after people. It was also pointed out how educational it is to gain a better insight into other projects and to share experiences across the board – giving a better understanding of the work as a whole. Such a gathering provides new energy and inspiration, breaks the routine and makes the work more exciting. It was also mentioned that another ‘highlight’ was the evening together, where there was plenty of time to chat with colleagues from other projects. These evenings together really add an extra dimension to the experience!
The red thread
Marlén Hillestad also wants to highlight the efforts of the event committee, consisting of Ann Torunn Stålesen, Camilla Ree, Gro Valsvik and herself. – The good cooperation in the committee has been crucial in creating a focused and relevant programme for the chairpersons, says Marlén.
She emphasises that there was room for discussion and constructive input in the planning itself, which helped them to maintain a clear thread throughout the meeting. – We have worked hard to ensure that the content reaches our target audience, and it is incredibly rewarding to see how the Chairs have engaged along the way,” she concludes.
