Three cornerstones of making collaboration work around the world

Valmet is a global company and, wherever we work with customers, our aim is always to deliver the best service possible. And, whether it’s for a one-time project or as part of a continuous agreement, one of the biggest factors in a successful outcome is good collaboration.

Take time to understand people

At Valmet, we work in many different countries and regions, and we take the time to understand the different customers we work with, and respect their needs, cultures and practices. The operating culture can be different in different markets, even within the same company. And, similarly, the organizational and decision-making culture may vary between different companies, even in the same market. I have found that taking a little extra effort to understand these differences helps collaborations go well and helps me serve my customers better.

We have a systematic way of operating that makes us easy to work with."

Work on your communication 

We aim to make cooperation as easy as possible with all our customers, so good communications are essential. By actively listening and seeking to understand—not just what is said, but also what is meant—we’re better able to uncover their actual needs, even when those needs aren’t stated directly. This is especially important in multi-national teams where there may be different cultural nuances and perspectives. And, of course, we also work to communicate as clearly as possible ourselves. When everyone is on the same page, collaborations definitely go better.

Use common practices when you work together

To me, one of the most important things is to be easy to work with, wherever we are. At Valmet, we have a systematic way of operating, which helps to facilitate this. Being systematic lets us establish a common way of working and makes us a predictable, reliable partner. We want our customers to feel that we will be available when they need us. And that, on the personal level, we’re not only delivering technology and knowhow, but that we’re there to help them reach their targets. At Valmet, our customer’s goals are our goals.