CBS united
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National
International
SOUND-BITES
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SOUND-BITES
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E R N A T
Staff communication magazine for the RaböbX:
O a£fl| N
Robbert - payments info service
Dienke - payments info service
John - internal control
Cees - bond administration
MKSÈMm
Neda - credit department
Hans - financial markets
Astrid - Antwerp office
Pamela - London office
Eszter - Budapest office
Massimo - Milan office
Chris - Sydney office
Ahuva - Sao Paulo
You'll never
work alone
^>'*S
OUP
ISSUE 34/17QCTOBER 1994
'The message was loud and
clear...'
'It was a great start, but there'11
have to be serious follow-up. We
have to keep up the momentum
- that's been lacking up till
now...'
Tm really pleased we've fïnally
defined our mission. I think
more could have been said about
that. Signing the statement was a
really good idea because these
elements have to be incorporated
into our culture. That'11 certain-
ly take time...'
'We really needed this. If we
don't work together, then we'11
never have a solid product to
offer clients...'
Success through partnership was the slogan, and for many
people, the kick-off meeting organized simultaneously in Utrecht
and around the world was the first time everyone had been
together as Central Banking Sector.
ris IC. fe f
'It was wonderful. There's too
little communication, especially
between staff and management.
It's not that management is bad
at it, they just need to do it
more often...'
'I've just heard my job has been
cut, so I'm feeling a bit stressed.
The timing wasn't great, but
something like this was certainly
necessary...'
There was a real sense of expec-
tancy as almost 800 CBS person-
nel filed into the oppulent Jaar
beurs auditorium a few minutes
walk from the bank. Every staff
member had been photographed
and they had been asked to bring
their pictures along. These were
collected and spirited away -
without further explanation.
The lights dimmed and the buzz
of conversation died as television
personality Astrid Joosten sud-
denly emerged from the back of
the hall and began asking people
what they did. Her role was to
host panel discussions on stage
on the aims of the bank's quality
drive, cliënt focus and position
in the market while bringing in
staff input. First up were Kim Eg-
ger and Willem Lageweg. Their
job was to explain positioning
and the switch from a logo that
focusses on the bank to a symbol
which puts people first.
Filmed interviews with clients
told staff what they wanted from
the bank, a message subsequent-
ly hit home by Rik van Slinge-
landt, Henk Gentis and Wouter
Kolff. 'People are what it's all
about,' said Van Slingelandt. 'If
we are to become a top wholesale
bank, then we have to anticipate
clients' needs - and I don't just
mean external clients, but also
your co-workers throughout the
bank-they're clients, too.' Gen
tis believes a satisfïed customer
comes back: 'We're all clients
sometimes, so we have to put
ourselves in our customers shoes
and give them the kind of quali
ty service you expect yourself. We
have to get fanatic about quality.'
People and partnership, quality
and efficiency - these were the
key-words behind the whole
event. And the bank put its
money where its mouth is - liter-
ally. Again the hall dimmed and
a single spot light up the photo
graphed faces of the complete
staff. The innovative classical
group Flairck then accompanied
popular singer Margriet Eshuis's
rendition of You'ïï never walk
alone as the whole Holland-
based CBS streamed into the ad-
joining restaurant to sign the
mission statement and enjoy a
top quality dinner-dance to the
sounds of hot salsa band Combe
- all together for the first time,
but not for the last.
'I don't think we kicked much off
here - everything that was men-
tioned seemed so self-evident.
What we really need is an exten-
sive presentation on the new
house-style...'
'It was very, very slick...'
'If all the offices and all the staff
in Utrecht follow the targets,
then we'11 be a great bank...'
'I really like the new logo and I
think it will be very effective. It
was necessary to give both clients
and staff a clear idea of where we
are and where we want to go...'
'A balanced focus on clients,
professionalism, integrity and
people...'
'Our kick-off was informal -
partly because the video only ar-
rived on the day itself, so we
didn't have a chance to organize
a lot. But eveiybody is really en-
thusiastic about the new logo
and stationery...'
This special issue of
Raboband International
marks the kick-off
meetings to CBS' quality
drive around the world.
It replaces the regular
international staff
bulletin for one time only.
The next edition of
Raboband International
appears in November.
