Culture can never be static. The enemy of every good Corporate Culture is: "We have always done it this way". Culture must continue to evolve. Because the needs of our customers change, because our business and society change, because we change. Culture is continuously changing. And we all shape it.
We are Deutsche Telekom - but who are we exactly?
Our identity is unmistakable. It says that we are proud of who we are, understand what connects us, we are aware of our main differentiators and we know who we want to become. During our Living Culture activities, more than 5,000 colleagues discussed and shared their thoughts on why we do what we do, what is our motivation to get up for work in the morning, and essentially, why do we as Deutsche Telekom exist? What is our purpose?
We are more than 200,000 colleagues worldwide, working together to make the life of millions of customers and thousands of corporations better. We want to make an impact on the society. And therefore, WE WILL NOT STOP UNTIL EVERYONE IS CONNECTED. This is our purpose that should reflect in every step we take and in every interaction we make. With such a noble purpose in hand, who wouldn’t like to take part? It’s up to our passion and dedication, but more importantly, it’s up to all of us!
Feel the Purpose - Then live it
And we start now, not tomorrow. We're not waiting for someone to tell us how to make this idea work. And we won’t stop. No matter our background, our location or our job role: our identity connects us.
And we are living in a highly demanding era, where success is granted only by exceeding customer needs and serving the society, so that no one is left behind. That’s right, no one. Our ambition is to open up the digital possibilities of now and tomorrow to society. Not only by sharing our experiences and ideas via our best network, i.e. connecting people with people, but also by connecting people with machines and machines with each other.
We stand for a human society, where people live in freedom, exchange opinions, feelings and knowledge by taking part in everything, from Wikipedia to TV, from gaming to blockchain scooters. We stand for a society where technology advances prosperity and sustainability, because it is a human need and a human right to be connected. It’s meaningful and inspiring. Feel it. We are not just another company, we can touch the lives of others and make a lasting difference. Now, live it.
Our Purpose in action
Every culture is based on common values. We have defined Guidelines for ourselves from these values. But they are not chiseled in for all eternity. In other words, culture is always developing. People shape and change culture. It was therefore a logical step to adapt or renew our previous guiding principles.
It’s very important that we are one team, one Deutsche Telekom. There is no one up there, down there. That is why we have completely deleted the six leadership principles. Now, there is only one set of values: for all of us, whether employees or managers. This is a big step toward ONE identity and ONE culture.
No past, no future
What is good and proven will remain. The core values are still with us, part of our DNA and our Magenta blood. What had to be changed is adapted. In this way, we maintain the value "I am Deutsche Telekom - you can count on me" as an expression of our reliability and trustworthiness. As a symbol of openness and the willingness to develop the company and oneself personally, we are adding the guideline "Stay curious and grow". We embrace change. It is not a threat, but an opportunity. Everyone is also developing personally, working on their knowledge and skills, expanding their competencies. In the spirit of our new principle “Get things done”: we are entrepreneurial and solution-oriented – this is how we stay ahead of our competition.
Our Living Culture is beyond vital for success. And we have an ambition that is bigger than any of us. Not egomania, but team spirit is the key to a strong culture. What we are doing really matters. When culture is strong, we can trust everyone to do the right thing. It’s simple - we link our day-to-day work to a larger, shared purpose.
