Nearly 40 years ago, while studying Management and Organization at the university, I read “Process consultation” by Edgar Schein (MIT). For the first time in my life I found a “like-minded” and extremely inspiring teacher. Since then he has always remained my personal hero. His scientific research on coercion and marginal persons in organizations have deeply influenced my behavior and  my career. My focus has therefore always been on how autonomous and authentic interaction can be achieved between people in order to accomplish top class results, instead of the other way around. The what in the end always resonates with the quality of the how and the awareness on why we do things.

I therefore today still like to support citizens, politicians and professionals while they lead a complex action- or interaction oriented process. For example when private and public stakeholders join forces or when organizing a network of participants with divers interests or during the start-up of a complex change process.

Most (70%) transitions fail ! Guidance to behavioral change still is a mystery to most leaders. Process consultation and the innovation of process management is essential.

Successful process leaders are actually rather lazy. They don’t set goals or action plans for the future. They know how to read the actual common cause for action in the hearts of the most committed parties involved. Because of this they are masters in driving a generative process and planning creative interventions.

Successful interventions resonate most of all with beliefs, mindsets and interests of parties involved (users, stakeholders,etc). Secondly the underlying commitment for change and finally the professional experience, trustworthyness and leadership skills of the responsible leader.

But in everyday reality interventions derive from the individual comfort zone of the responsible actor. Most managers choose an intervention strategy that matches well to the common accepted approach and to their own personal qualities. Most policies and strategies actually are a repetition of what in the end seemed to be successful in the past, without closer examination of what really is the heart of the matter now.

“YOU CAN’T SOLVE A PROBLEM WITH THE SAME THINKING THAT CREATED  IT (Einstein)”

My experience and knowlegde:

– Mentoring inner leaderships skills (procesregie)
– Designing and implementing (creative) interventions and creative (project) evaluation
– Mentoring local citizens and bridging cultural differences between citizens and public servants.
– Facilitating network development
– (co-)Owner concept “Project oriented Creation” (Projectmatig creëren)