“The change
starts right away,
during the course.”

Helena Eriksson is Chief Financial Officer of the Swedish Electricians’ Union, and is responsible for the union’s administration and finances. In an interview, she talks about the training initiative that was conducted with Effektiv Nu.

“It started when our Vice President got in contact with Effektiv Nu or heard about you. He suggested that we should attend the basic course. Two years ago, we started training our employees in Personal Efficiency. Since then, all our employees and our elected ‘business managers’ across the country in all our offices have attended the training. We also opted to build on the training, and have received assistance with our Internal Traffic Regulations. A tailored course for a group in workshop format.”

What challenges were you facing before you attended the course?

“We had previously been working in Lotus Notes, but abandoned this to work in Outlook instead. From the outset, we wanted to provide everyone with a good introduction to the new tool and the opportunity to really learn it. We were so satisfied with the outcome, as well as with the way we were treated, that we decided to continue the collaboration with Effektiv Nu.”

What did you think of the course?

“Very positive, I can tell you! It’s the only course for which we have received consistently positive feedback from our employees. The way the knowledge has been used following the course obviously varies, but on the whole we have all been satisfied, including with the support that we have received after the course. We have been given help and support, no matter how many days, weeks or months have passed. The fact that this support is included in the cost of the training initiative is incredibly generous.

“The course leaders also maintained a very high level. They all spoke extremely well, regardless of who was the course leader. The fact that you not only show us what to do, but also that we have the opportunity to practise during the training sessions, has been valuable. If we hadn’t got it done then, it wouldn’t have happened otherwise! It can be difficult to prioritise when you feel that you have so much else to deal with, so it has been crucial for achieving such a high degree of applicability.”

What effects have you seen?

“The best thing about Effektiv Nu’s course is that the change starts right away, during the course itself. Alternating theory and practice in the course is a good arrangement, in my opinion. The course maintained an effective pace, yet everyone was still able to keep up. It was also good to have time in between the sessions, so we had a chance to let things to sink in and so we had time to practise in our Studybuddies.

“The people who have really embraced this way of working say that they now have more structure and less stress. It has worked extremely well in this regard! Those who have not embraced the new working method to the same extent have nevertheless been satisfied and may apply certain aspects. There has been greater use of OneNote between administrative staff and ombudsmen and between administrative staff and elected representatives, in order to collaborate and maintain control of the administration between the groups.

“Unfortunately, we have performed a restructuring operation during the autumn in which we have laid off 8 administrators, so things have been a bit turbulent. We have therefore had to wait before implementing Internal Traffic Regulations. We are very satisfied with the work relating to Internal Traffic Regulations, but, due to the circumstances, we have decided to wait for the right opportunity.”

How are you moving forward after the course?

“Because of the above situation, it’s possible that we will need further training in OneNote. In addition, we will also be sending new employees to attend the basic course, so that they can also enjoy the same conditions. For those who were unable to attend the regular sessions, for example due to illness or parental leave, we have offered repeat opportunities.”

When Helena is asked if she would recommend Effektiv Nu’s course to other companies, she replies:

“Absolutely, I already have! It has been so good to work with the structure and have the opportunity to maintain control and have an overview of my tasks, so I can highly recommend Effektiv Nu’s course to others.”