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Philips
We spoke with Sander Willems, General Manager of Business Center Europe, about his experience working with InContext and how it helped unify his team and boost productivity.
Sander Willems, General Manager Business Center Europe: Two years later we had centralised all the countries and had laid a solid foundation for harmonisation for the next few years. Despite the fact that we had achieved a lot in a short time, we realised that in order to develop to the next stage quickly and effectively we would have to do things differently.
Working hours were getting longer and longer and it was incredibly hard to get people to be enthusiastic about our planned improvements. At the same time we were irritated with each other and there were irritations between us and our stakeholders. As individuals in the Management Team we were good at working our own patch, but internally we were not an effective team with one voice.
Discussions Were Often Endless
“Every step forward was a struggle, and as General Manager, it was costing me a lot of energy. As an organisation, we also had to move quickly to the next stage. Initially, I was sceptical when my HR manager advised me to work with a consultant. What could someone like that really contribute to the direction we, as an organisation, needed to take?
Nevertheless, the consultant from InContext gained my trust: he understood the situation, and we soon developed a strong and trusting working relationship. The combination of personal coaching and team development was very powerful and produced visible results almost immediately. The team noticed my progress, and I saw the team move forward. Both were strengthened. We shared our goals and ambitions, and as a result, our collaboration became smoother and more effective. Our team now had a foundation to strengthen the entire organisation: one voice, more strength.”
Recommendation
“I see many leaders grappling with changing environments and facing significant challenges for their organisations. A programme like this is far more than just a team-building exercise or leadership training. You witness the results unfolding right before your eyes. The challenges don’t diminish, but you enhance your ability to tackle them: you ride the wave that might otherwise have overwhelmed you.
Throughout my career, I’ve seen many consultants come and go, but none with the calibre of Thomas Benedict. The way this project was conducted has repaid our investment many times over. I found the consultant to be a trusted partner; someone who truly helped us ride the storm and stood by our side to steer the organisation in the right direction.”
Results
“The Management Team is currently focused on reconnecting the entire organisation, and we are consistently achieving improved results. We’re receiving increasingly positive feedback about the changes we’re making, both from within and outside the organisation. Everything feels much calmer, and at the same time, productivity is on the rise.
How have we achieved this? We now address the difficult issues head-on, get to the heart of the problem, and have stopped avoiding one another. Together, we’ve created a platform that enables us to get things done quickly and effectively. We come up with creative solutions to our challenges, and this helps us improve at a faster pace. Personally, I feel calmer and more balanced, while achieving twice as much with half the effort. The project is repaying itself many times over.”