If you want to serve global markets, you need to reflect that diversity internally as well.
Oct 24, 2024
How Barco fosters innovation through a culture of diversity & inclusion
3 min read
Barco has a strong set of cultural values. But how do we ensure that they remain relevant and authentic? To leverage our strength as a global and diverse organization, we must continue building a culture of diversity and inclusivity. Alexis Capili, Global HR business partner, and Lien Meuleman, Global HR director talent, leadership and organizational development explain what that means.
To start with: what constitutes a company culture? For Alexis and Lien, this goes beyond a winning corporate strategy: a corporate culture is shaped by everyday interactions and decisions. “For example, can you just walk into the CEO’s office and say ‘hi An, I have a suggestion?’” Lien explains. “It’s these little things that have a big impact.”
Achieving a cohesive culture also requires collective effort. “It’s as important as strategy, but maybe even more difficult to control, as you cannot impose a culture. Of course, real success happens when strategy and culture are aligned and move in the same direction.”
Always evolving and rejuvenating
For Barco, maintaining the authenticity and relevance of cultural values is vital. “We want to keep evolving along with the world around us,” says Alexis. “To do so, it’s important that we continuously look in the mirror and keep ourselves in check.” In that spirit, Barco initiated a culture rejuvenation project in 2022. “We really wanted to simplify and clarify Barco’s values and behaviors. To do this, we have to balance top-down and bottom-up approaches, and engage colleagues from all Barco regions, cultures, and seniority levels to ensure we have a common story.”
Diversity and inclusion to foster innovation
When we talk about remaining relevant, you automatically end up talking about diversity and inclusion. Being a diverse and inclusive company has always been important for Barco, but today even more so. And that has everything to do with our renewed focus on innovation.
Lien: “You need an open mind and different perspectives to ensure innovation. Embracing diverse horizons enhances decision-making. In 2022, we moved to a new organizational setup, with end-to-end business units. Suddenly, we became even more globally connected.
Management enablement
But how do you strengthen diversity and inclusivity in an organization like Barco? One thing is certain: it doesn’t happen overnight. “In 2023, we initiated a three-year plan that includes a series of well-defined initiatives to inject diverse and inclusive thinking,” explains Lien. “In addition, we defined two very important enablers: growing awareness and ‘management enablement’.”
To foster the latter, our HR team sets up inclusive leadership training sessions around topics like unconscious bias and microaggressions. “It helps managers and other colleagues to practice what they preach. We plan to cascade these trainings throughout the full organization in the future.”
It’s the little things!
Alexis and Lien acknowledge that small initiatives are often the most impactful: they resonate most with employees. “That means recognizing and rewarding behaviors that are in line with where we want to go as a company, plus, at the same time, enabling each other to speak up when we witness behaviors that are wrong.”
“We’re committed to ensuring that every Barco employee experiences an inclusive environment where they can speak up and have impact. That’s why we continue to collect human stories within the organization and showcase them for others to nurture learning and change,” Alexis concludes. “There’s still a way to go, but we’ll get there together, step by step.”
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