Education, culture and science are deeply woven into society. The Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science already had a mission, vision and objectives, but corporate research showed they were not always sufficiently familiar to colleagues and external stakeholders.
The ingredients were there, but they did not yet feel like a shared story. The ministry needed language and imagery that did not only describe what it does, but gave direction to why that work matters.
The ministry works on broad societal themes in the middle of a political and administrative reality. Education, culture and science touch opportunity, development, freedom, creativity, knowledge, identity and the future of the Netherlands.
At the same time, a ministry contains many policy areas, directorates, dossiers and interests. That is why shared meaning can become fragmented. People know what their own work involves, but do not always see how it contributes to the bigger picture.
The real question became: how do you make the ministry’s story not only clear, but truly owned by the people who work on it every day?
The breakthrough was to look for the shared meaning behind all the policy areas. Not starting from separate domains or organisational units. But from the ministry’s contribution to the Netherlands.
The central idea became:
Together for a smart, skilled and creative Netherlands.
That thought connects education, culture and science into one larger story: a country where people can develop, express themselves, participate and let their talents flourish.
In this way, the corporate story became not a summary of tasks but a guiding story about the ministry’s role in society.
Truman developed the corporate story together with representatives from across the ministry and the Secretary-General. Using the True Story Canvas®, we brought heritage, raison d’être, values, mission, vision, promise and proof together in one guiding narrative.
The movement came by shifting from mission, vision and objectives as separate building blocks to a corporate story that provides direction.
From: knowing what the ministry is about.
To: feeling what the ministry stands for.
For employees, the story made visible how their work contributes to something larger. For the organisation, it brought greater coherence to communication and behaviour.
Truman developed, among others:
