Elmery is a Finnish startup specializing in innovative metal refining solutions. With Elmery’s technology, metal refineries can selectively extract desired metals, such as copper, platinum, or iridium, from solutions. Thanks to this innovation, these critical and valuable metals can be recovered and reused. Elmery has been recognized, for example, in Biocluster Finland’s Green Transition Business Competition.

Elmery’s ambition is to become the world’s leading provider of intelligent electrorefining technology. CEO Mika Paalanne, one of the company’s three founders, has a strong background in change leadership and organizational development. It is therefore quite natural that, from the very beginning, Mika has invested in Elmery’s work community, teamwork, and group dynamics.

“We are developing our team toward global market leadership. The foundation of our organizational culture is being built on values with a long-term perspective,” Mika explains.

“Even though we are a technology company, our core value is people first. We want this to be visible both within our work community and in our customer relationships.”

Originally founded by three people, Elmery now employs nearly 20 professionals. The Finland-based team represents multiple nationalities. Diversity is further enhanced by the fact that employees may be at different stages of their careers or come from outside the corporate world, such as from universities. The company operates in international markets, with customers on six continents.

Sustainable partnership supporting growth

The idea of collaboration with Lifted emerged when Mika met Lifted’s CEO Taneli in another context. From that meeting, a model for a long-term partnership was developed to systematically support and coach the growing and evolving organization.

So far, three team workshops led by Lifted have been held, with themes and content tailored to support Elmery’s growth journey. As the organization expands, it’s essential to acknowledge that new team members affect team dynamics. These dynamics and developmental stages are monitored and evaluated in the workshops.

“We’ve identified areas for development and agreed on concrete actions. Continuity is ensured by jointly reviewing results and planning the next steps. New team members also get up to speed with what’s been done so far.”

Actions are initiated immediately after each workshop, while preliminary planning for the next one begins simultaneously.

Self-awareness and understanding human differences as a foundation

The workshops have utilized Workplace Big Five personality assessments to enhance both self-awareness and mutual understanding within the team, as well as to strengthen group dynamics. Mika describes the benefits:

“For many in our team, this was the first time they had taken such an assessment. Sharing and discussing the results together brought valuable insights into different personalities, thinking patterns, and behavioral styles.”

In addition to team workshops, personal coaching has been provided for members of the leadership team. Coaching offers the opportunity to explore one’s leadership identity in depth and to gain insights into key aspects of personal growth.

Joint reflection and planning at the core of collaboration

Mika set the bar high for the partnership from the very beginning and according to him, expectations have been fully met. He has been particularly satisfied with the joint reflection and co-planning of workshop content and priorities:

“Before each workshop, we have reviewed Elmery’s current situation with Lifted and discussed which topics are most relevant for supporting Elmery’s growth at that point. Continuity has been well maintained, supported by regular communication between workshops.”

The workshops have balanced theoretical frameworks and practical implementation effectively.

“Lifted’s coach has created a safe and open atmosphere for discussion and has skillfully engaged people in different ways. The chosen methods have worked very well,” Mika adds.

“Lifted’s approach has been an excellent fit for a startup like ours, supporting growth and development. I can warmly recommend Lifted to other organizations in similar situations. I also believe that Lifted’s coaching models are well-suited for larger and more established workplaces,” Mika concludes.

Image Sources: Elmery

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