We have entered 2024 with our updated DOUGLAS Group purpose: Make Life More Beautiful. In this interview, CHRO Mareike Mende-Ratnam gives an insight into the process and explains what’s behind our purpose and values.
Just recently, our updated DOUGLAS Group purpose “Make Life More Beautiful” was announced under the leadership of Mareike Mende-Ratnam and her team. Mareike has been Chief Human Resources Officer for the DOUGLAS Group since May 2022. Prior to this, she was Managing Director Human Resources for DOUGLAS Germany since October 2020.
Mareike, why is it important for a company to have a purpose?
MAREIKE MENDE-RATNAM: A company’s purpose and respective values play a crucial role for every organization. They clearly define why we as a company exist and what we stand for. And it is also vital for our employees to align their values with those promoted by the company. Ultimately, the purpose and values serve as the foundation for our organizational culture, providing a common foundation for everyone.
What impact does it have on the employees at the DOUGLAS Group?
MAREIKE MENDE-RATNAM: Our purpose encourages continual self-reflection of our behavior and our three values: passion, appreciation and ownership. Given the swift pace of our daily operations, the defined values act as anchor points for self-evaluation. This enables a continuous effort to improve and reflect, and to uphold the established culture. Additionally, the clarity provided by the purpose makes giving feedback more straightforward, fostering opportunities for refinement and cultural enhancement.
How did you, your team and other departments at the DOUGLAS Group develop the new purpose and what was especially important while working on it?
MAREIKE MENDE-RATNAM: Our objective was to give a clear and relevant core message while using concise and comprehensible language. We worked in several workshops with different teams and departments together as a team. Our common goal was to create a purpose that is easy to grasp but also applicable for everyone in everyday work scenarios. The result was “Make life more beautiful”. We wanted to focus on the implications for our people and different organizational segments and make sure the purpose reflects our identity.
How do you personally incorporate our DOUGLAS Group purpose and values into your daily work?
MAREIKE MENDE-RATNAM: Expressing gratitude is really important to me. So, I try to do this – showing appreciation, as often as I can. I appreciate what life has gifted me and most importantly appreciate the people around me. I appreciate them for who they are and for their unique combination of strengths. I value different contributions into our common goal to make DOUGLAS grow. I also aim to actively support passion, thriving on people's enthusiasm and promoting a sense of ownership. Encouraging my colleagues to step beyond their designated roles is a change I seek. I know that I can always do better at fulfilling this, but I think that’s why it’s so great we have defined values. I really do believe, together with our purpose, they will spark fresh conversations about our meaning and our shared goal: to Make Life More Beautiful.
