Have you ever noticed that conversations about change often are about “they” and “there” and “then”? And how much time is spent on things that don’t go too well? For me, it is a challenge to give these conversations a different turn. To help focus on what happens here and now and to create space for the “I-story”.
Organizations consist of a lot of different truths, perceptions and perspectives. The dominating truth is not always the truth as people experience it. My role is to examine all these truths and perspectives and to reflect on them. This sheds a new light on the issues and changes that are happening, a new conversation arises. I like to facilitate that.
I have studied Industrial engineering as well as philosophy and profit from that combination every single day. It is enriching to be able to interpret the different points of view from different angles. In organizations, as well as in the whole society, a change is tangible from modernism to postmodernism. In the modernism, individuality, feasibility, and a universal truth rules; the idea that there is a blueprint for everything, which can be steered and controlled. The postmodernism breaks with the feasibility thought. Here the connection of people and perspectives, interaction, different truths and multiple focuses are important. There has been a focus on autonomy and authenticity - coming from the idea that an individual is free to think, make choices and act- for a long time. It is true, we are unique but we are not stand-alones. Everything we do, think and are, is context bound.
A theme that fascinates me is “power”. My thinking on this has been inspired a great deal by Foucault. He claims that power is not in the possession of some (like managers), with exclusion of others. Power is in the veins of the organization, plays a role in every interaction. So I run in to it every time and everywhere.
To be able to work on an even higher level of feeling and intuition, I attend the training of Professional Communication at Phoenix. When I can embrace my past and leave my obstructing thoughts behind me, I can continue to grow and flourish in my life and my work. I will have even more impact in the projects I like to do best: team development and development of personal leadership.
Curious to learn more about Kessels & Smit?
Get in touch with Harold Marsman