“Beforehand, I didn’t really know what to expect,” says Nellienja van Baarle. “I thought it might be a bit vague at times, but it turned out to be very concrete and practical. The first day focused on self-awareness: what shaped you, what are your values, talents, and pitfalls? What gives you energy, and what drains you? We wrote it all down on a large sheet of paper that gradually filled up with insights.”

Her colleague Nienke adds: “Then we focused on giving and receiving feedback. How do you do that in a respectful and constructive way? And how do you handle feedback from others? I won’t forget the OEPS model: Observation, Effect, Pause, Suggestion.”

Practicing assumptions “On the second day, we focused on different communication styles,” Nienke explains. “How do you connect with someone who communicates differently from you? We learned practical skills and practiced them with actors.” “That was really interesting,” says Nellienja. “We acted out challenging workplace situations. It was incredibly educational. What really stood out to me was how quickly you make assumptions. We had to describe an actor’s behavior as precisely as possible, but most of us wrote things like: she’s late, in a hurry, and grumpy. While the assignment was to describe only what we actually saw.”

A ‘bright yellow’ colleague Nienke describes the training as a valuable experience. “It gave me more self-awareness and made me a better colleague. I learned that it’s often better to speak up rather than avoid things for the sake of harmony, and that it actually strengthens relationships if you communicate well.” Nellienja agrees. “The DISC personality test, which uses colors to describe personality types, helped me a lot. I’m now much more aware in how I communicate. I can think: wait, you’re probably very ‘yellow’, so I’ll adjust how I deliver this message.” Nienke is already looking forward to the follow-up training. “There’s a next step for mid-career employees focused on authentic leadership. It sounds really interesting, so I’m excited about that already.”

Published on 21-05-2025