Category: Talent Development
Match: GGzE and Banning Lawyers
What: Develop community partnerships
I MISSED MEANING
"In the beginning, we did take some time to figure out how to make use of each other's expertise. How we could best flesh out this collaboration." Speaking is Reginald Snijder, Communications Advisor at Geestelijke Gezondheidszorg Eindhoven en de Kempen (GGzE). He participated on behalf of the GGzE last year in the Community Coaches program of Samen voor Eindhoven. This involves business professionals giving Pro Bono advice to social organizations for a year. The issue Reginald brought in was about cooperation in the broadest sense of the word. He was looking for someone who could help him think about it. During the first meeting he was matched with Esra van der Wolk, Lawyer at BANNING.
Passion and drive
"It was indeed a bit of a test in the beginning," agrees Esra. "I have a legal background, so Reginald's issue did not fit directly with my expertise. However, we immediately clicked during our first introductory meeting. We talked about meaning and its interpretation. I work in a commercial organization and enjoy the content of my work, but sometimes I miss a sense of purpose. That's why I took part in the Community Coaches program. I also see the power in the connection between social organizations on the one hand and business on the other. I think that's also why I had such a click with Reginald. In talking to him, I clearly felt the passion and drive with which the GGzE is committed to its clients."
Broad collaboration
"After that initial introduction, Esra soon joined us," Reginald relates. "We immersed her in our organization and introduced her to some of our activities. This gave her an impression of what we all do and what could be possible in terms of cooperation. Of course, this is possible in many different areas. For example, together with various parties we organize a number of major events on our grounds. Like the Beekloop, Big Beekpop and Woofstock, a festival for dogs and their owners. There are also several self-organizing teams within our organization. How can we encourage collaboration there? After all, we want to be a community for mental strength. An environment where people develop and grow, where we make connections and where we use strengths and talents. We therefore want to draw the outside world in and introduce them to the world called GGzE. We also want to go out into society ourselves. We do that with community partnerships; social partnerships in the neighborhood. However, we are a very large organization. So we soon found out that our question was much too broad. We needed to formulate it more concisely, succinctly and concretely."
A different pair of glasses
"I did have some trouble finding my role at first," Esra adds. "I wondered what I could contribute. That also had to do with that broad questioning. I was uncertain about that. So at times I wondered if I was the right person for this issue and even doubted whether it wouldn't be better to quit. However, by talking to each other and asking questions, I noticed that I was of added value. If only because you look at things through a different lens. It was nice to experience that I could do that. I see the GGzE as my first own client. I work at a fairly large firm, so in the beginning you usually go with a senior to see clients. This project with the GGzE was my first time doing it all by myself. That was quite exciting. And also a lot of fun. It's great when, after a year of searching together for the right approach, you have a clear and concrete plan of action. With everyone's input, we turned a very broad question into something very concrete. That really does give me meaning and satisfaction."
New insights
"Esra's contribution really helped us further in shaping our plans so that we can work on them. Our collaboration was very enjoyable. It also brought me new insights. We are naturally very focused on healthcare. Esra, with her expertise, looks at things differently. Our discussions with Esra made us more aware of the importance of risk management. Especially when it comes to the big events that take place here. We organize them with a lot of passion and enthusiasm. However, we do not always think about the risks that might occur. Thanks to Esra, we are now aware of this. She opened our eyes to a number of things. We are therefore very happy with the plan we drew up and with the time and energy Esra gave us."
Attention to CSR
"I am also very happy with the outcome of the whole program," Esra adds. "Especially since during busy periods it was sometimes quite a challenge to combine office work with my work for the GGzE. In the end, when you see the growth we have experienced together, it has definitely been worth it. To give my colleagues an idea of what we were doing and the results we achieved, Reginald and I gave a presentation to the MT of BANNING, among others. Everyone was very enthusiastic! It even resulted in Corporate Social Responsibility getting even more attention at our office."
Learning from each other
"And it doesn't stop there," says Reginald. "The Community Coaches Program was completed in September 2016, but we're not done yet. We still need to fine-tune the plan and we need to implement it. Then questions will undoubtedly arise. We may continue to use Esra's knowledge in the process. And vice versa I can, for example, help with any questions in the field of communication. Also, Esra and her colleagues come to meet once at the GGzE site."
Thanks to our Pro Bono volunteer Annick Zegers of AZ Communications for writing this article.