In the art of talent tour, people are key

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During a three-day art for talent tour in Copenhagen with a group of CHRO/People professionals from various industries, the challenges and topics of people came to light. We invited ourselves to various companies in Denmark. Denmark is known for its progressive approach to work-life balance and the art of talent.

As participants, we have shaped our art for talent tour in five areas:

  1. The “war for talent,” which we see will intensify and will take place internationally between countries.
  2. Productivity and well-being in a hybrid world; COVID has a lasting impact on working from home, with all its consequences, including mental well-being.
  3. “Upskilling” and continuing education. Learning “on the job,” using the famous 70-20-10 rule, will be more difficult to organize. This will mean losing a group of people from the workforce.
  4. Purpose, culture, and values; we must be wary of “polishing” and “greenwashing” in a world where young people entering the labor market are more skeptical than ever.
  5. Diversity, inclusion, and belonging; here, we see that talent is evenly distributed across the globe, but the opportunities to capitalize on it are certainly not!

The introduction to Maersk immediately highlights the impact of both a cyberattack and COVID-19 on the conflict between finding a technological solution and/or utilizing global best practices. The transport giant recognizes that technology will continue to evolve, and that people will remain key to decision-making! Recruitment is based more on skills than on embracing the company’s purpose or values.

In a panel discussion with a Goodtalks partner and VP of ProWoc on Diversity and Inclusion (D&I), the concept of “relative to opportunity” was explored. This means that when applying for a job, you should consider the applicant’s starting point for the vacancy. Furthermore, the panelists clearly emphasized the importance of actively engaging in the D&I discussion to raise awareness and generate curiosity, taking into account the culture in which this discussion takes place.

With a visit to Oersted (Green Energy), we believe that wherever you work for this company in the world, you’ll always find a “safe haven” for D&I matters. It was particularly striking that issues within the Polish branch that sparked discussion emerged.

After a tour and an introduction to the company’s history, Novo Nordisk highlighted the importance of transparency and equality as anchors in its culture. In the world of insulin, zero tolerance for product errors is crucial. This is fully articulated through Psychological Safety. We learned in detail how this concept can be organized through understanding, measuring, and improving. Psychological safety is like vulnerability rewarded.

The Art of Talent tour reflects the current societal challenges in the Western world. The importance of technology and data, with an increasingly courageous role for humans as the key. May we remain aware of this and continue to work on it!

Fallow Earth and best wishes for 2026

Fallow Earth

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The fallow period has begun. Farmers have celebrated their harvests with traditional festivals like Thanksgiving Day or other customs to honor nature for its bounty. Many people are still pushing themselves to the limit, not only at work but also at home. December demands a lot of attention to being a good person.

The most common ailment among young professionals is (moral) stress and its associated symptoms. This study clarifies what that means. Vitality assessment and consuming energy to recover well are principles that nature has long taught us.

The year 2025 is over. We’ve welcomed back the four seasons, which will return in 2026. We’ve had a year of pursuing goals, some of which we may or may not have achieved. We’ve plowed and reaped. With blood, sweat, and tears, we’ve worked to make something of it. To do what’s possible, and sometimes even more.

In our “high-tech-connected” world, we can be active 24/7. We know that knowledge is everywhere, that the future lies in skills like empathy and adaptability. We are connected to at least 3.4 “devices” and accept 5G speeds at a minimum. We boast about Artificial Intelligence and the joy we (think we can or will) experience with it.

And then we discover that the Earth rotates at its own speed, and therefore we need to adjust the atomic clock by one hundredth of a second. We learn that fruit from the local farmer or vegetables from our own garden is appealing. It also has its limitations; it’s not always available. We discover that water (even in the Netherlands) is becoming scarcer. We learn to become aware of the vulnerability of our existence through government-supported campaigns.

We know that winter is a time when we need to let the earth rest for a while. The fallow period can also apply to us.

Give yourself a moment of rest and recharge by doing things you truly enjoy. Discover what’s important to you and in this way, nourish your batteries with new energy.
A new season is coming, when the fallow earth can be cultivated and leads to harvests.

 

Blessings in the new year!

The Art of Consensus

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Lastly I spoke to my former boss.  He is a French man. In the time we worked together he was Managing Director of the Netherlands. In our conversation we talked about cultural sensitivity. In a multicultural environment you have to adapt to the different cultures, especially the French because this culture was clearly dominant within the company we both worked for.

Three key learnings which he welcomed from his experiences working in the Netherlands;

  1. The art of consensus: we talk with all people involved and find solutions. The solution is something which anyone embraces and at the end is accepted by everyone at the table
  2. Transparancy: in directness a certain efficiency is included. You know when a project starts or when it ends. Clarity from begin to end.
  3. Balanced work/private life: we work hard, but evenso find time to relax within our private time.

Of course these generalisations will not apply to every Dutch person. But in general I recognise the constructive critical behaviour of the Dutch in business. We are not reluctant to raise our voice, not because we are over confident, but more related in an urge to contribute.

Consensus has had a bad connotation in terms of “Hollanditis”. In my opinion this attitude still exists. Another attitude is after we found consensus we don’t stop talking or discussing and sometimes fail to act.

In the end there is nothing wrong with finding the better solutions by listening to all stakeholders at the table. Angela Merkel puts it in her own words.

The art of consensus brings us closer to an agreement in which all parties are heard. In that respect this is a gain.
Pleasure to do business with you as a Dutchman.