We are a result-driven organization, which means we focus on the output delivered by the team members. We co-create a game plan that visualizes our ambition for the year to agree on the results and create real impact. This team exercise results in a breakdown of milestones and quarterly goals.
The quarterly goals are specified with in-depth activities. Each goal is ‘owned’ by someone who takes up the responsibility to achieve the goal. We keep precise track of the steps by using the online collaboration tool Miro, which helps our Global Hybrid team to have an overview of all that has been done or needs to be done in a specific timeframe. It’s the perfect way to register our way of working and everything that is needed to align with everyone’s needs. It ensures we keep track of the original game plan, allowing us to make adjustments or important decisions in time.
With freedom comes the responsibility of taking ownership. Each goal is assigned to an owner (to be decided upon together). Being the owner of a goal doesn’t mean you have to reach the goal on your own, but it does mean that you are responsible for the progress and finalization of that specific task or project. It also means that it is your responsibility to keep the team updated on the progress in the designated cards, and to discuss possible delays or obstacles in the earliest stage possible. Seek out your colleagues, ask for help and use the talent of the team members in the best possible way. Our weekly team meetings are for discussing the different goals and the progress (see ‘team meeting’).
We use retrospectives regularly to look at what worked and what can be changed to step up our game. Retrospectives consist of:
1️⃣
Notice and celebrate what was good.
2️⃣
Acknowledge what was bad.
3️⃣
Establish what needs to change.
We evaluate our projects and programs and define successes and learning points to ensure we are improving wherever possible. This way, we can keep track of the processes, content, and personal development points of all team members.
We take our responsibilities seriously and work hard to reach our goals, but this doesn’t mean we don’t make time for some fun! When we achieve our goals, we take time to celebrate. Put your achievement on Slack, Miro, and let the 🎉 come your way.
From failure comes learning. When we experiment with new programs/formats/systems, we take calculated risks and know there is a chance we might fail. We try to stay positive even through negative outcomes and discuss the learning points to better ourselves.
It is each person’s responsibility to be completely familiar with all systems — how they work and how to use them properly. We have Slack, Miro and Sharepoint collaboration guidelines to support this. This training is part of our onboarding program. We have specific channels on Slack to discuss matters. Any questions about Slack? Ask Christiaan or Daphne, who are always ready to help you out!