Antti Vasara, CEO of VTT: “A good reputation comes from doing a good job”
Antti Vasara, CEO of VTT, believes it is important to listen carefully to all key stakeholders.
“Reputation is built every day, every moment. It may sound a bit cliché, but you could say that a reputation is built over the years, and then it can be lost in the blink of an eye,” says Antti Vasara, CEO of VTT. According to Vasara, a key aspect anseende is ensuring that the organization earns the trust of its stakeholders.
To build trust, an organization must deliver on its customer promises every day.
“For example, VTT is a consulting firm. We have to prove that we really are experts, that we can deliver on our promises—and even go a little further. It’s also incredibly important to be ready to fix the things that damage our reputation.”
Vasara emphasizes that a company’s reputation cannot be forced—and certainly not in isolation from its other activities. “A social media influencer-like focus on one’s own reputation comes across as insincere. The focus must be on core operations; reputation follows from good performance.”
The COVID-19 Crisis as a Test of an Organization's Readiness
During the COVID-19 crisis, the impact of operational quality on reputation has become more pronounced for many companies, including VTT. Right at the start of the crisis, VTT set three goals: to safeguard the health of its employees and prevent the spread of the virus; to continue its work and honor its commitments to customers; and to keep moving forward—emerging from the crisis as a stronger and better organization.
“VTT employees have done a great job of taking responsibility for both their health and the continuity of their work. We’ve received praise from our clients for how well we’ve kept our commitments. I think it’s a sign of a healthy organization that we’re able to be flexible when things get tough.”
Reputation is on every employee's agenda
The COVID-19 crisis has also highlighted just how important a stakeholder a company’s own staff is.
When managing reputation, it is important to communicate the issue to the entire staff. Every employee must understand what is meant when we talk about the organization’s reputation.
“We have made an effort to share the results of the reputation survey very openly with everyone. I think it’s incredibly important that we’re transparent and share how we’re perceived, because that gives us the opportunity to keep improving.”
“Of course, anseende be on the agenda of top management and the board, but in exactly the same way, it is up to every single VTT employee to consider how they can positively influence that reputation.”
Vasara also points out that even though all members of the organization work every day anseende , not every day is a bed of roses.
“Even the best organizations make mistakes sometimes. When that happens, it’s important to immediately raise your hand to acknowledge the mistake, take steps to fix it, and, of course, openly explain how you plan to fix it. It’s always nice to bask in a good reputation, but it’s during these tough moments—and the recovery from them—that your reputation is truly put to the test.”
Reputation must be monitored among all key stakeholders
As a state-owned company, VTT has extensive, multi-stakeholder relationships with society that it must maintain due to its role. Support from the general public and the media, as well as from decision-makers and businesses, is all important. To gain the support of the general public, VTT must be able to communicate what it does, and this requires the support of the media.
“We have many factors to keep track of, and all of them are important. We have to manage them all.”
On the other hand, it is also important to monitor companies’ trust in VTT. “We help companies and the business community succeed through research and, in turn, innovate. We listen very carefully to how companies perceive us.”
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Text: Anu Räsänen
Video production: Vesa Koivunen, Harri Leinikka, Tuuli Pohjola, and Riku Ruokolahti.
