SVA Change Communication: From Agency to Service Provider
SVA Aargau
Change processes are complex conversations – between leadership and employees, between past and future, between heart and mind. SVA Aargau launched a transformation journey and brought standing ovation on board to lead their change communication. There are three key takeaways from this success story.
Lesson 1: Change Requires Dialogue
SVA Aargau set its sights on becoming a dynamic, customer-focused, and cost-efficient organization. With around 400 employees, it’s working to become a leading service provider among Swiss social insurance agencies. To make this happen, they initiated not only a cultural shift but also a culture of ongoing change.
Facing Big Challenges
Swiss social insurance agencies face major challenges in the coming years. Efficiency, digital transformation, and financial sustainability will be crucial for meeting their mission. The future of these agencies lies in becoming true service providers focused on customer needs.
«It's about each individual employee.»
SVA Aargau kicked off its transformation from a government agency to a service provider with real momentum. «The change process is complex and happens on multiple levels», explains Thomas Volprecht, Head of Strategy at standing ovation. «It involves digital systems, process restructuring, and rethinking the work environment – but most importantly, it’s about every individual employee. Each person experiences and interprets this cultural shift differently». That’s why SVA Aargau enlisted standing ovation as experts to guide this shared dialogue.
-
Image
-
Image
-
Image
-
Image
-
Image
Lesson 2: Action Requires Expertise
This collaboration was a new experience for SVA Aargau. The organization itself was to be the driving force behind the change, with standing ovation providing creative direction, acting as a peer, and offering coaching. The SVA staff remained at the forefront as the implementers and doers. «This setup was key to getting the transformation off to a strong start», says Thomas Volprecht.
standing ovation began by looking at the change process from a high-level perspective, identifying both challenges and opportunities for employee engagement. «The project was divided into three phases», explains Thomas Volprecht. «First, we developed the key elements of the shared change story through the perspective of the employees. Next came the co-creation phase, where we mapped out the roadmap and communication strategies. Finally, the third phase was all about the employee event, where everyone could actively experience and help shape the culture of change.»
«Effective change connects both mind and heart.»
For Thomas Volprecht, combining experience and change management is a natural fit. «We act as translators. As experts in brand experiences, we have a unique sense of the emotional aspects of conversations and processes. With that intuition, we crafted a holistic change experience.»
Lesson 3: The Future is Built Together
On October 16, 2018, more than 350 SVA employees gathered at the Aarau Culture and Congress Center to kick off the transformation and embrace a culture of change. The unconventional opening set the tone: The SVA CEO made only a brief appearance via video call, sending a clear message that this event belonged to the employees – they would take responsibility for shaping the day.
This strategic move, designed by the SVA organizing committee, worked. It created the perfect setting for the employee event to unfold as a festival of interaction, inspiration, and dialogue. «Working with standing ovation allowed us to make change real, embedding it in the way our employees think and act», says the SVA team. What stood out for Thomas Volprecht: «We delivered a huge impact with a compact budget.»
