6 myths about teambuilding

Do you recognize this feeling: I have heard about this idea rather often, therefore it must contain certain elements of truth. This is how quite some myths have established themselves in the management world. For instance, ‘who says that self-managing teams are that effective in the Dutch context?

Here some of the most well-known myths about teams and effectiveness.

Leading as a Coach 1: Winning the talent

Peter is sitting in a lobby of a renowned bank in the Netherlands. He is only 22, but he is a definite high potential, and he is invited for an interview with one of the directors of the bank. Annoyingly though the director is 35 minutes late, and when he arrives he invites Peter in with a big smile. The director doesn’t bother to give any excuses and arrogantly sits down behind his big desk. Upon which Peter asks him why he is late and why he had to sit in the lobby for over half an hour without being given any information. The director answers him: ‘well youngman, I am a director of a big bank, these things happen.’ Big smile. Peter briefly assesses the situation, gets up and politely takes leave with the following words: ‘Well, many thanks for your kind invitation, but I am quite sure that I won’t fit in well in your organization.’ 5 minutes later, 3500 young professionals in the Netherlands have read what Peter has just experienced at a bank that prides itself for being an innovative and top-notch company…

Leading as a coach, and how to get and to keep talent!

The NRC-Next published on the 13th of March 2013 the following article: ‘How to get and keep engineers’.

- 1.200.000 = engineers/technicians in NL

-    102.000 = new vacancies that will be realized in 2013 for engineers/technicians in NL

-    150.000 = shortage of well-educated engineers/technicians in NL for 2011-2016

At the same time the Dutch ministry for Health, Wellbeing and Sport published the following numbers in 2010 concerning the developments within healthcare:

- 1.400.000 = people working in NL in healthcare

- the prognoses for between 2011 and 2020 is that this number will decline with 450.000

Even though we are living amidst an ongoing economic crisis, there is an increasing demand for well-educated professionals and specialists, not only within the engineering-sector, but also throughout the entire society (including healthcare). After making this observation, NRC-Next addresses the following question and ideas: how can you assure to get and keep professionals and specialist?

The Negev desert

Things can really get to you. Sometimes that happens a lot easier than normal. Last week I traveled, together with a group of entrepreneurs through the Negev-desert. You get simply overwhelmed by the rough and beautiful nature. Especially under the full moon and the crystal clear stars, which light up the entire desert.

Because the desert is a place where you are secluded from the usual context of daily life, it is a place where you can easily be affected by things from within yourself. Surrounded by very little stimulus, your soul starts to stir, your heart speaks clearly, and you cannot just ignore it, you have to face it. A revelation...

Leadership in permanent crisis

This is one of the leading titles of Harvard Business review Onpoint this summer 2012. We are used to think about leadership in periods of crises. You just have to endure, stay straight, bend a little, lead your team, and then land safely on the other side of the wild stream of crises. But we always thought that ‘on the other side’ there would be a more save country, a more relaxed phase and time. And that was so, for many decades.

Since 2010 we entered in a decade where both complexity of society, politics, media and global movements increase, as well as turbulence and crisis’s increase to a more permanent level.

This could worry us, but can also challenge us to grow in our leadership-competence and leadership character.

When all seems to be out of control:  - you have to give direction-

The ideal leader: a man or a woman?

Leaderships-training for women!

Module 1: ‘bezielend leiderschap’ starts November 1. 2012 van

Registration via www.xpand.eu

Over the last couple of years there has been increasingly more attention for female leadership. Governments have created programs and funds in order to develop diversity in the top segments, to help female talents to have more of a fair chance to rise to the top functions in business, politics, health-care etc, and to create more economic growth due to more participation of women on the job-market. Now, how do employees actually perceive female leaders, and are they generally better leaders than men? Some argue they are! Women are often better socially capable, are stronger in communication skills, and are more emphatic. Their EQ, in general, is higher, and exactly these competences often make them better managers, they argue. Others on the other hand believe that men are more capable in giving direction, that they make decisions a lot faster, and that they dare to take risks. In her research regarding gender and leadership Prof. Jana Stoker eventually came with an interesting conclusion. Various managers could be categorized into 4 groups...

Stress between work & family: preventing & tackling the problem

How great is it to be on a holiday! No alarm in the morning. Nonetheless, this morning I was standing on the schoolyard, and the schools have all started again. Excitement all around! What a pity, I thought… the definite goodbye to freedom, time and peace. The clock is back in charge. Are days are packed, and stress enters back into our lives. Deadlines! Before we are really aware of it, we find ourselves wanting too much. Or perhaps not necessarily wanting it all, but doing it anyway! Feeling rushed, exhausted. Thinking, can’t I arrange things differently?!

Focus on stress-management

Employees that are too stressed are less able to focus well on their work, sure. But, at the same time they also are less able to work on a healthy relationship with their children. Stress evokes irritation, emotional outbursts towards the partner, children, friends or colleagues. It brings forth a certain lack of concentration and eventually time-consuming errors. So, how can I reduce all the stress in my life, and therefore prevent emotional exhaustion? Or in these words: how can I combine work and parenthood with more joy and ease?