The request for advice
In which a partner from De Bestuurskamer talks about a specific assignment and the chosen approach.
Dries van der Vossen: “The starting phase of a management position has my special attention. If you are appointed to such a position, you run a number of avoidable risks, the first being the inability to recognize in time that such a new top position entails its own requests for help. After all, you were asked because of your knowledge and insight, right? Even if you come from a completely different industry, with different success criteria and rules. “I'll work my way into it,” is the common idea. 'I've been successful, so I'm going to be successful because I choose to be successful. ' But that's not how it works. In the literature, that misconception is called 'success delusion'.”
“After all, there are some bumps between start and success. Sometimes the briefing appears to be unclear and you have not asked enough questions. “Help us make the company successful”: of course. But what's behind the problems you're supposed to solve? Financial corpses in the closet, a bad working atmosphere, frivolity around important themes such as ESG goals?”
“My advice is to 'tighten' the briefing in the very first phase by diving into the capillaries of your new job as much as possible and looking for the real story you'll help write. Questions to ask yourself in that phase: when will you finally have been really successful? What is really going on with the company? What quality of me is really being addressed? Where does my knowledge fall short?”
“After all, it's not just you who determine the dynamic, you do that together with your team members. How do they look at each other?”
“A second risk is the pitfall of the 'hundred day plan'. As a new chef, you have a comprehensive plan ready at that time. A hundred-day approach is far too directive for me. After all, true leadership is reciprocal to your team. Admittedly, you yourself distill the relevant facts from the business context that help guide you, and you live up to the desired behavior. But that really takes time to get to know your people. To find out who from your team “will go with you”. Who is 'in the bus', to quote Jim Collins from his bestseller 'Good To Great'. After all, it's not just you who determine the dynamic, you do that together with your team members. How do they look at each other? How do they describe the top priorities themselves and where do they differ from your briefing by the Supervisory Board?”
“I consistently recommend that you forget those hundred days and take all the time you need to look for your allies — but also the 'derailers', the team members who throw sand in the machine. Examine your 'stock', the people around you. And wait with team building until you know who will form that team.”
Three relevant questions
In which a partner from De Bestuurskamer answers three questions about current trends in the business labor market. This time:
How do you motivate the employee to have a real conversation with the manager?
Jan Berent Heukensfeldt Jansen: “We sometimes encounter situations where people tell us why they are no longer happy at the company. Then we're going to ask questions. Is it due to the product? “No.” The responsibility? “No,” we hear, “I can do super interesting things for the company.” But what is bothering you then? 'I can't respect my boss anymore. It gives me no inspiration, checks at a level of detail, actually just sends stress signals. All the emails from the manager only gave me more work. ' How long have you had that feeling? “At least three years”. What did you do with it? Not much, I've just become more frustrated, but I have no idea how to go about it. ' But if I were to speak to your boss, would he say: I understand? “Mwah. I focused on my task, which was ultimately what I thought was the most important.”
What is really going on here?
“Employees have trouble putting themselves in the shoes of their supervisor. What they don't realize is that, in order to get an idea of the employee, leaders don't talk to them, but about them — with others. So the driver gets different signals. In every hierarchical relationship, the following applies: in case of problems, 'the father' cannot solve it on his own with 'his son', and therefore the boss cannot solve it with his employee.”
How do you tackle that potential minefield in a sustainable way?
“The initiative for such a solution-oriented conversation should, and many people see this as a surprise, come from the employee — it usually leads to the real conversation. The first advice, of course, is to get ahead of the dissatisfaction outlined. Employee, schedule a weekly meeting with your boss: discuss five items, three of which you already know how to tackle. But you still discuss them because you take his leadership seriously. And make yourself vulnerable. The boss gets more comfort, knows better what you're doing. Adds to the three things you already knew and enthusiastically helps you with the other two.”
“Our goal is: to motivate the employee for such a conversation, to prevent unnecessary quitting and, on the contrary, to cause growth. Don't resign yourself to your boss saying he doesn't understand you. Take the lead, take control of the conversation and thus the working relationship.”
Sources of inspiration
In which a partner of De Bestuurskamer shares sources of knowledge that inspire him or her.
Pamela Boumeester: “A classic is Joseph Jaworski's book, Synchronicity. A wonderful book about what I call the magic of life: the essentially comforting thought that things coincide no matter what, that everything comes together and leads to a fulfilling life. It also helped me to let go of a certain cramp: not having to eat too much, trust and accept more. Some things can't be done and that's a good thing.”
“'Everything you pay attention grows', by Cora Smit, is a mini book, an ideal pocket bible for managers, about how the psychological contract between people works. A guide to dealing with each other. Also in work relationships, in relationships of authority. The crux: clearly state what you want with the other person, so that the other person can decide to “step in” and “enter into the contract”. If that doesn't happen, a misconception about what you actually have in common can lead to profound conflicts. Also important: “You do have to walk a mile in someone else's shoes.” What is wrong with the other person, where does they come from, what is behind their problems? You'll need to discover the other person's PIN first. What does it refer to, what is its primary response? What do you do with that then? Are you counting to ten or are you going full? Many people pay particular attention to all kinds of negativity and their own beliefs. Fine, but don't get stuck in it — you'll help that negativity grow, instead of helping it turn into something positive, something workable. Compliments make people work harder than criticism.”
“The crux: clearly state what you want with the other person, so that the other person can decide to 'step in' and 'enter into the contract'. If that doesn't happen, a misconception about what you actually have in common can lead to profound conflicts.”
“When people are able to develop new behaviors, they discover that the world is a lot bigger than what they knew. Guts are an important ingredient in moving outside your comfort zone. If you can further develop that guts, you can watch your world grow and ultimately win over yourself. Overcoming the fear of change is my biggest motivation.”
The world outside
In which a partner from De Bestuurskamer provides some personal suggestions that help make life even more beautiful.
Hélène Vletter-van Dort: “If I may make one suggestion: go outside. Take a walk in nature without your phone. It helps extra if you can focus on something that isn't related to work along the way. Literally change your mind — by running, cycling, fishing or bird-watching, as far as I'm concerned. I myself am a huge runner; I still walk a long way twice a week. Along the way, I invariably manage to organize my thoughts in an unforced way. As a professor, I write quite often — I think I came up with all the titles of my publications while running through the dunes. Such an effort makes you more creative and focused through relaxation. And that is essential for hard workers, with a lot on their mind. When I come in after such a round, I often have to write down such a clear thought first, only then can I drink a glass of water, haha.”
