European Spinning Group (short: ESG), a third-generation family business specializing in spinning sustainable yarns, has already made significant strides in sustainability. However, CEO Julie Lietaer found it valuable to sit down with her team and take the time to participate in a sustainability workshop, guided by the Ellie team.
Just before the workshop began, the participants felt a healthy mix of curiosity and some hesitation, likely due to the ‘unknown’ nature of the workshop. The Ellie team quickly put everyone at ease, allowing the rest of the workshop to proceed in an open, relaxed atmosphere of great willingness and genuine enthusiasm.
During the first exercise—establishing a general company vision—the participants were first allowed to note down ESG’s core values individually. These answers were then combined, leading to an engaging and animated discussion. The Ellie team was crucial in guiding this process, steering the conversation, asking the right questions, and ensuring that all voices were heard. As a result, a collective company vision was formulated that everyone supported.
The second exercise invited participants to reflect on what sustainability means to them, both in their specific roles and for ESG as a company. Once again, each participant was asked to think about this individually. The answers were then consolidated. Thanks to Ellie’s methodical approach, the key areas for improvement in terms of sustainability became very clear—forming the ideal foundation for creating a concrete action plan, which was the ultimate goal of the workshop.
Finally, under the guidance of the Ellie team, a structured sustainability plan was developed, with clear priorities set and responsibilities distributed evenly.
Ellen Gevaert, Marketing & Design at ESG, shares: “I frequently revisit the summary of the brainstorm to reflect on how we can turn the discussed points into reality in our daily work. The document provides a solid reference to hold a meeting after some time and evaluate where we stand.”
Why the workshop, guided by the Ellie Team, is a success:
- Trust and Willingness: although there was initial scepticism, the Ellie team quickly turned this into an atmosphere of trust and willingness.
- Rich discussion and clear action plan: the diversity within the group, both in terms of function and maturity, led to a rich discussion and a well-supported action plan, thanks to Ellie’s structured approach.
- Sustained engagement: at Ellie’s suggestion, follow-up plans were concretized, ensuring that the planned sustainability actions remain alive within ESG and that the team’s engagement is maintained.
