Kuhmoinen: a forward-looking municipality

Kuhmoinen is a lively municipality in Pirkanmaa, with 2200 residents and more than 4000 summer residents enjoying both the beautiful scenery and well-functioning municipal services.

The municipality is Kuhmoinen's largest employer, and at the forefront of its forward-looking local development. One of the municipality’s priorities is to take care of the wellbeing of its employees. The latest wellbeing at work survey showed that overall satisfaction in the small municipal organisation is good.

According to Mayor Valtteri Väyrynen, skilled municipal employees play an important role in the development of local services: “The world’s changing and we are changing with it. We want to serve both our year-round and our summer residents to the best of our ability, and that's why anticipating change, and ensuring the wellbeing of municipal staff, is of paramount importance to us.”

At the start of 2024, Kuhmoinen and Wellbeing Superstars kicked off a coaching programme for line managers, aiming to strengthen managers’ leadership skills and increase both their own and the work community's wellbeing.

Line managers are invited to three workshops on the challenges of modern working life:

• The change management workshop looks at how managers can promote motivation and innovation in the organisation, and adapt to change.
• The leadership skills workshop focuses on interaction and speaking up on challenging issues.
• The workshop on stress management and wellbeing explores ideas on how managers can maintain their own physical and mental wellbeing.

To further strengthen their leadership, managers will carry out a recovery risk analysis which helps them to identify and respond to recovery risk factors and disorders. Sleep doctor Janne Kanervisto's lecture will unpack the results of the risk analysis and identify concrete tips for better recovery.

Sanna Luukkanen, Director of Administration in Kuhmoinen, is delighted to have the opportunity to support the demanding work of line managers: “We want to investment in our managers’ work and skills, and increase our efforts to improve the quality of their work. When our managers are doing well, it has a positive impact on the efficiency of the municipality as a whole, on employee commitment, and on overall well-being at work. Good leadership sets the stage for a positive employee experience, which in turn contributes to the success of the municipality as a whole.”

Wellbeing Superstars' Head Coach Tiina Ven praises the collaboration unreservedly: “Kuhmoinen is a carbon-neutral municipality nestling by the Isojärvi National Park and Lake Päijänne. It’s a forward-looking, developing municipality that takes care of its employees, residents and summer residents alike. It's a pleasure to be coaching the municipality’s managers in such a great place!”