Reflectie gaat voor ons over: wat kan er de volgende keer anders, beter, meer of minder? Maar ook over: wat viel ons op in het werken met de professionals van onze klant, wat waren onze observaties?
En reflectie is voor ons ook de basis van een omgeving die in het teken staat van continu leren en ontwikkelen.
Ons eigen veranderproces
Binnen G&C willen we in 2015 ook geregeld aandacht geven aan onze zelfreflectie. Waar staan we als bureau, tegen welke groeipijntjes lopen we aan en welke lessen kunnen we halen uit onze reflectie? In 2015 geven we in een serie blogs een kijkje in de keuken.
Vandaag het voorgerecht van onze ‘stagiair’ Uli Mathies: ‘The thing that struck me the most…’ En met de titel stagiair doe ik Uli Mathies geen recht. Uli is voor mij een levend voorbeeld van een leven lang leren! Naast de studies die ze heeft afgerond, PhD in kunstgeschiedenis en 2 Masters in HRM en Business Administration, zit de drive om continu te leren en te ontwikkelen ook in wie ze is en in haar dagelijks werk.
Bij G&C hadden wij het voorrecht om Uli te verwelkomen voor een 10-daags internship. Hierna volgt de reflectie van Uli op haar avontuur bij ons.
Behind the scene’s at….Goudsteen & Company
As a recent university graduate with Masters in HRM and Business Administration and a senior lecturer in International Business and Management Studies I had the pleasure to take a look behind the scenes at Goudsteen & Company. An 80-hour internship with one of the top up-and-coming consultancies in the Netherlands, this is the material where theory meets practice, where illusions are measured against reality, and – so my reasoning – where it all should come together.
What, you will ask, is therefore my conclusion after ten long days away from my residence in the north of the country? For sure lots and lots of prime time travelling; a new insight into Dutch topography; visits to places I barely knew how to pronounce correctly.
On the more serious side I would settle for the following items:
- The human side of consulting (content)
- The humans behind Goudsteen & Company (people)
- Being human myself (fun)
The human side of consulting
The thing that struck me the most when comparing theory with practice was the degree of “humanness” in Goudsteen & Company’s consulting work. I experienced an integrated, downright holistic approach that comprises all three levels of development in any system: personal development and leadership, team development, and organizational development. While recent research results are always welcomed and may play a role in the choice of tools, all academic distance is blissfully absent. Instead, the individual, in relation to the overall strategic goals of the organization, takes the center stage. This way Goudsteen & Company manages to cover all kinds of interventions in an organization ranging from preventive measures to assistance with higher-impact initiatives to major remedial projects.
The humans behind Goudsteen & Company
I met a fascinating group of highly motivated people, all either directly employed by Goudsteen & Company or affiliated in the company’s network; everyone bringing in their own specific experience and expertise, everyone adding to the overall mosaic of the company’s public face. This already brings me to the last point, which is the fun factor.
Being human myself
I just plainly had a great time in this internship. I was allowed access to a large variety of events and training sessions; I participated as active member in brainstorm sessions and was (semi-) invisible listener in more strategic meetings. I not only gained invaluable insights and knowledge, but also the self-confidence that I can make a veritable contribution to this field in the future. And yes, I had tons of fun!