FEATURE INTERCONNECTION Freedom of style


• Exploration: Promote everyone's progress by having the right to make mistakes After defining ARIANE, a group decided


to work on what they called “The DNA of Nicomaticians” which means that all Nicomaticians have something in common regardless of their professional training or background. This DNA is


defined in the following statements: • "I see change as an opportunity" • "I am free to act within my scope and be responsible for results"


• "I have the courage to suggest and to initiate"


• "I prefer simple, common sense actions"


• "I act in the interest of Nicomatic, in line with its strategy"


French connector manufacturer Nicomatic explains how it introduced Liberated Leadership, a collaborative style of company management to encourage employee ownership engagement


N


icomatic is enjoying the results of its own style of collaborative


management, with double-digit growth and employees reporting record levels of workplace contentment. How has it succeeded in implementing this model in industry? And how does this management style affect its employees or collaborative colleagues, as they prefer to be called, as they go about their work? Nicomatic designs and manufactures


interconnection solutions for harsh- environment applications, mainly in aerospace, space and defence markets. There are more than 50 million design combinations in its connector portfolio. Highly customer-responsive, Nicomatic also boasts the capability of delivering its products worldwide within seven days. Production at Nicomatic’s French


facility is 100% integrated: all the different stages of product manufacturing – plastics, machining, bar turning, cutting, assembly, logistics, research and development, support services – are done in house. 30% of Nicomatic’s turnover comes from its ability to find innovative solutions to customer problems. For the past ten years, there has been double-digit growth, an annual turnover of 45 million Euros. Nicomatic has two company presidents,


10 APRIL 2021 | ELECTRONICS


Julien and Olivier Nicollin, who alternate running the company every three years. In 2012, Julien went to India to set up a production facility. He became aware that his company was too focussed on its French plant, that it tended to look at its own procedures and key performance indicators to the extent of being in danger of losing sight of its customers. So, change was needed. A decision was


taken to invest in its people instead. At first, “liberated” was perceived by


some employees as “I do what I want”. Today, the objective is to take responsibility. Nicomatic uses a model it calls ARIANE, created by a group of 30 employees who followed a MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) on the empowering company. The ARIANE model they created allows all employees to act, provided their actions deliver in terms of the company and the customer.


It stands for: • Agility: Adapt to changing external factors


• Responsibility: Empower employees by


promoting decision-making and trust • Initiative: Allow initiative by limiting intervention


• Action: Freedom to act • Nicomatic: Use the concept of being an


empowering company to respond to strategy


• "I step out of my comfort zone and try new things"


• "I treat my colleagues like friends"


NICOMATIC’S THREE CIRCLES The last part of embracing its empowering philosophy happened just last December, when Nicomatic created three organisational circles: The Performance Circle ensures


profitability through customer retention and repeat orders, generating profitability. The Design Circle looks at new product


development, new ideas and new market sectors. The Experience Circle looks at how


companies interact with Nicomatic, including through customer experience, social media, digital platforms, finance, ordering.


SUCCESS! 95% of Nicomaticians recommend the company to others, a performance indicator checked through quarterly surveys. Employee retention is high and Nicomatic attracts many potential employees through its reputation as an excellent place to work because of its philosophy rather than what it does. This is different from attracting potential employees through being a big brand name. Nicomatic attracts potential Nicomaticians through being a unique and liberated leadership organisation. Happy staff create for happy customers.


Nicomatic www.nicomatic.com/home


/ ELECTRONICS


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