Entrepreneurship That Will Change the World

Leadership and

TELL THE BEES

Tell the bees. They require news of the house;they must know, lest they sickenfrom the gap between their ignorance and our grief.Speak in a whisper. Tie a black swatchto a stick and attach the stick to their hive.From the fortress of casseroles and dessertsbuilt in the kitchen these past few weeksas though hunger were the enemy, removea slice of cake and lay it where they canslowly draw it in, making a mournful sound.

And tell the fly that has knocked on the window all day.Tell the redbird that rammed the glass from outsideand stands too dazed to go. Tell the grass,though it’s already guessed, and the ground clenched in furrows;tell the water you spill on the ground,then all the water will know.And the last shrunken pearl of snow in its hiding place.

Tell the blighted elms, and the young oaks we plant instead.The water bug, while it scribblesa hundred lines that dissolve behind it.The lichen, while it etches deeperits single rune. The boulders, letting their fissures widen,the pebbles, which have no more to lose,the hills—they will be slightly smaller, as always,

when the bees fly out tomorrow to look for sweetnessand find their waybecause nothing else has changed.

Sarah LindsayFrom: Poetry, Vol. 193, No. 1, OctoberPublisher: Poetry, Chicago, 2008

Bees Cabinet at De Horst Estate, de Baak, Driebergen, Bee-keepers: Arthur van der Poel and Ronald van den Bergwww.debaak.nl/bees

4

5

Co

ntent

s

Leadership and Entrepreneurship

Project Director and Editor: Petra Baars, p.baars@debaak.nlCopy Editor: Pete JordanTranslation: avb.nlPhotography: Jan van Breda, Ivonne Zijp, Sanneke Fisser, Gert Bij, René de Gilde.Design: Lava.nl Art Director and selection poetry: Jan van der Veer, j.vanderveer@debaak.nlPublisher: de Baak bv, debaak.comPrinter: Tuijtel.com

(Photo left page)Project: 40 hotel rooms new building De Horst Estate, Driebergen, an initiative of De Baak. Room Playtime: Jacques Tati * cinema Title: still from “Playtime”© EYE Film Institute Netherlands

An Introduction: Entrepreneurship That Will Change the World

Creating is sharing, sharing is Creating: Najiba Abdellaoui, Communication Consultant at TNT Express

Mirrors and Bridges: Robert Metzke, Director EcoVision Program at Philips

how to Change Mind-sets?: The American Chamber of Commerce: Young Professionals event about changing mind-sets to Green

Challenging the status Quo: Han Hendriks, founder of “We Beat the Mountain”

Believers and non-Believers: Erik Lagerweij, Process Director of Corporate Responsibility at Schiphol Group

KnowMads Challenge all struCtures: John Moravec, writer and founder of Education Futures

Short Essays

DeBaak:AProfile

Images: Learning at De Baak

Contact and Summaries in Dutch

PoeMs

“Tell the Bees” (Sarah Lindsay)

“Wat zij wilde schilderen” (Judith Herzberg)

(Mehrdad Fallahl) ”اشاره“

6

7

The problems we face seem endless: a failing economy, climate change, the shortage of food and water, energy shortages, the lack of raw materials, the disintegration of social cohesion and the distrust of authorities and political organizations. Even when we would rather look the other way, the world is in crisis. On the positive side, new initiatives to tackle the complexity of issues are coming up left and right. Such initiatives include bringing people with “unlikely” back-grounds together to look at a problem from fresh per-spectives; approaches where people delve deeper inside to discover lasting solutions to seemingly unsolvable challenges or disputes. This involves not only new products, but also smart process changes, drastic review on raw material use and recycling, daring leadership, innovative cooperation, unexpected business models, new forms of organizations and ways to work, and a moreequitablesharingofprofitamongeveryoneinaproduction chain. This is our inspiration. At De Baak, we embrace these positive initiatives. We are a part of a larger movement looking at entrepreneur-ship as a means for solutions on a micro or a meso level. Discoveringwhichissuesareinourcircleofinfluence,what could be the “unlikely” contribution of each of us, feelingourcommitmentandfindingouthoweachofuscan actively support and facilitate change. Are you also a part of this movement?

Sustainable Road Forward is one example. Together with a number of large corporations, De Baak is exploring the next step in sustainable entrepreneurship. Un-sustaina-ble is no longer an option. Innovation is sustainability these days. Herman Wijffels calls this change in perspec-tive on business the turn to a circular economy. A new releaseofsocietyoccurs.Everybodyhasarolethatfitstheirspecifictalentsandthequalityofrelations–bothamong people, and between people and their environ-ment–isasimportantasaprofitablebusiness.Thisisthe exciting future that awaits us in the coming decades. Read more about people and companies who found a way to contribute to a sustainable world and economy. It’s not perfect yet, but those who don’t start, will never succeed. Perhaps they will serve as an inspiration to you.

Annelies Hoogcarspel (Special Projects Manager) and Henk Egging (Senior Program Director)

Entrepreneurship a

n intr

oduC

tio

n

8

Zij schildert wat zij niet kan etenniet kan bezitten niet beschrijven.Zij schildert wat niet stil blijftzitten niet gelijk blijft nietverandert. Zij schildert wat zijniet kan kweken niet kan vangenniet vergeten. Zij schildertwat zij niet kan raden pakkenof begrijpen. Wat ze nietomhelzen kan verwennenof verwijten. Verwaarlozen,laten verwilderen. Omhakken,verscheuren. Verbranden.Betreuren. Zij schildertwaar zij niet van slapen kanwat ze zich niet herinnert,niet in kleur. Wat zij niet zingenkan niet juichen.Het onomlijnde blijftonomlijnbaar lokken.

Judith HerzbergFrom: Wat zij wilde schilderen, Uitgeverij De Harmonie, Amsterdam, 2000Poetry: InternationalTranslation: Judith Herzberg

She paints what she cannot eatcannot own cannot name.She paints what does not keepstill does not change does not stay the same.She paints what shecannot grow cannot catchcan’t forget. She paintswhat she cannot guess understandor get. What she can’tembrace indulge or blame. Neglect,let go to seed. Chop down,tear up. Burn.Regret. She paintswhat keeps her from her sleepwhat she cannot recollect,not in colour. What she cannot sing,can’t enjoy.Theundefinedkeepsupitsindefinableallure.

Zij schildert wat zij niet kan etenniet kan bezitten niet beschrijven.Zij schildert wat niet stil blijftzitten niet gelijk blijft nietverandert. Zij schildert wat zijniet kan kweken niet kan vangenniet vergeten. Zij schildertwat zij niet kan raden pakkenof begrijpen. Wat ze nietomhelzen kan verwennenof verwijten. Verwaarlozen,laten verwilderen. Omhakken,verscheuren. Verbranden.Betreuren. Zij schildertwaar zij niet van slapen kanwat ze zich niet herinnert,niet in kleur. Wat zij niet zingenkan niet juichen.Het onomlijnde blijftonomlijnbaar lokken.

Judith HerzbergFrom: Wat zij wilde schilderen, Uitgeverij De Harmonie, Amsterdam, 2000Poetry: InternationalTranslation: Judith Herzberg

She paints what she cannot eatcannot own cannot name.She paints what does not keepstill does not change does not stay the same.She paints what shecannot grow cannot catchcan’t forget. She paintswhat she cannot guess understandor get. What she can’tembrace indulge or blame. Neglect,let go to seed. Chop down,tear up. Burn.Regret. She paintswhat keeps her from her sleepwhat she cannot recollect,not in colour. What she cannot sing,can’t enjoy.Theundefinedkeepsupitsindefinableallure.

9

1010

“Sustainability is about enrichingideas. Gathering people around you and letting go of the feeling that something is ‘yours’ alone. You see this movement happening online in crowdsourcing.”

Najiba Abdellaoui and Hasti van Vliet-Biglari

11

How do you go from inspiration to creation?“I believe that when you’re in a position to change something, that’s what you should do. That’s the way I was brought up. You don’t just live your life for yourself. When I’m able to help work on a good idea, I start working on it immediately. My motto is: ‘There is nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come.’ (Victor Hugo). My attitude to life brings me to different places, which is fun, but sometimes I think that one life is not enough for me. As a writer, I believe that ideas come to you. There is something almost spiritual about it. If you don’t do something with it, someone somewhere else will. Likewise, as a communication consultant, I am always busy telling stories, messages that others can spread in the organization. Language is a very strong tool. Language enables you to make reality tangible. I think this is the difference between people with lots of good ideas and people who can transform their ideas into something tangible by simply seizing the moment and doing it right away. Instead of thinking: ‘What do I have to offer? It’s probably been done a hundred times before.’ ”

What do sustainability and entrepreneurship mean to your generation?“Anideaisn’tsignificantuntilittouchesotherpeople.Sometimes the value of an idea is not in having it implemented, but in the fact that your idea inspires someone else to come up with an idea that is then implemented. You see this movement happening online in crowdsourcing: enriching and constantly adding. This leads to new projects that go beyond you as a person; it becomes sustainable. Our generation knows that ideas

are not yours alone. You gather bits and bytes together and look for people to go with them. You share your idea and, when the time is ripe, it’s going to happen. The emergingHubstructurefitsinwellwiththisconcept.Entrepreneurship goes both ways: top-down and bottom-up. Top-down encouragement takes place by providing tools and time. For example, Google gives its employees one day a week to generate new ideas. And bottom-up: if youreallybelieveinyouridea,you’llmakesure–evenafterworkinghours–thatitmaterializes.You’llhaveyourelevator pitch ready. Any excuse means that your idea wasn’t strong enough.”

Do you have any tips for the emerging generation and its organizations?“As a Young Professional you’re still given a little slack and are expected to be full of bright ideas and eager to learn. Often you enter a place where everything has been tried a hundred times before, so why would people take on your ideas? But if you think that you have a good idea, what happened in the past doesn’t matter. We live in a rapidly moving society in which reality is constantly changing. Evidently the time wasn’t right yet. Join in with the innovative spirits and remain open to feedback and co-creation. Organizations that struggle to captivate and hold on to new talent should disarm their fear of new things and innovation and let the younger generation help. Creative minds are very important to the business community. They question the established agreements we have made in this world.”

Hasti van Vliet-Biglari, Program Director (h.biglari@debaak.nl)

Najiba Abdellaoui - winner of the Dutch Poetry Slam Championship 2008 - was responsible for the communication concerning the new sustainable headquarters of TNT Express: the relocation and the new way of working.

Creating Is Sharing,

tnt

exPr

essna

jiB

a a

Bdel

la

oui, C

oM

MuniC

at

ion C

onsul

ta

nt

12

ro

Ber

t M

etzK

e, direC

to

r eC

ov

ision P

ro

gr

aM

Ph

iliP

s

What does Corporate Social Responsibility look like at Philips?“We are eager to take on global challenges and focus on the areas of health, energy and materials. We are applying our technology to improve the quality of health care and to lower costs. As well as medical inventions, we are also involved in prevention, at-home treatment and monitoring. We have also taken into account the energyefficiencyofourproductsandourprocessesformany years. In the Philips group’s EcoVision5 program we have set ourselves three goals for 2015: to provide care solutions to over 500 million people, to improve the averageenergyefficiencyofallofourproductsby50%,and to close material cycles by doubling recycling and usingrecycledmaterialsinproducts.Inaddition,50%ofour total income must be generated from green products, and we are investing two billion Euros in green innova-tions. This provides inspiration to our staff members as well as our customers. In order to gain ownership of a vision, the trick is to translate the vision into bite-size chunks, so that it becomes known and is seen as being relevant: ‘Where and how can you contribute?’ ”

Do employees get the opportunity to be enterprising in this respect?“Innovation is very important to us and affects every department within Philips. Since 1993, we have had an EcoDesign program for our product development, and our Research Department evaluates all research prod-ucts on their contribution to sustainable development. Innovation is not just the development of technology, but also requires a change in behavior from customers and demands new earning models. This creates scope for Philips employees to be entrepreneurs themselves. Good examples are offering Light as a service instead of selling lamps, or funding energy-saving light bulbs with CO2certificatesindevelopingcountries.Ontheproduc-tionworkflooraswell,everyonewhocontributesideastoimprove processes or quality in production is also

noticed. If it is a good proposal, it is implemented at plant levelfirst,thennationallyandtheninternationally.Forexample, employees in Roosendaal worked out a whole program to save energy by using compressed air efficiently.Wearealsoeagertocontributetosocialsustainability. One of our international employee pro-grams is ‘Simply Healthy at Schools,’ in which Philips employees visit schools to provide information on healthy living: getting enough exercise, good food and hygiene. And when school is out, the Philips employees provide energy-efficientlightingatPhilips’expense.Theseprojects can be found everywhere, from Amsterdam to Indonesia.”

What do you want to achieve?“Since becoming a parent myself, I have become even more conscious of the need for sustainability. One day there will be nine billion of us living on this planet, and the natural resources won’t be enough to support us all if we don’t do something about it now. My job is to make sure that Philips continues to innovate sustainably worldwide and to sharpen the company’s focus on the horizon. To point out what is relevant and what is not. I make sure that concrete steps are taken. I spend a lot of time communicating with all the different levels within Philips,facilitatingself-reflectionandbuildingbridges.We want to keep developing new insights in order to be able to apply them. It is great to work on sustainable innovations together with other companies. Sustainable Road Forward, in which Philips participates with other companies, provides this opportunity, and is a unique development environment for the people who take part in the process. Philips is number one in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index and is one of the most sustainable brands in the world. I’m really proud of that!”

Jolanda van der Veen, Program Director (j.vanderveen@debaak.nl)

With the EcoVision5 program, Philips has formulated highly ambitious objectives for its global group of companies. Raising sustainability higher and higher on the agenda requires a constant effort. Robert Metzke, responsible for this program, explains.

Mirrors

13

“Since becoming a parent myself, I have become even more conscious of the need for sustainability. One day there will be nine billion of us living on this planet. I spend a lot of time communicating with all the different levels within Philips and make sure that concrete steps are taken.”

Jolanda van der Veen and Robert Metzke

13

14

“We must start by accepting that we(human kind and the businesses that we have created) have been acting irresponsible.”

Young Professionals at the event: Changing mind-sets to Green

15

How did the speakers influence the group of over 100 young leaders and professionals?They started by showing passion and explaining a personal story in the midst of what can be an overwhelm-ing topic: sustainability and Corporate Social Responsi-bility. It starts with enforcing the individual’s responsibility, as well as, saying and acting like it makes complete business sense to work towards being more sustainable. It’s about sharing your hearts and using your brains. How? The role of creativity and innovation is key to creat-ing movement towards the changes which are needed in order to protect the planet and its inhabitants. Change of mind-set also means that we must start by accepting that we (both humans and the businesses we have created) have been acting irresponsibly.

Although we agree that innovation engines are the drivers which will create and guide the way forward for us, there is an urgency to not be lazy and to not rely on what already exists. DARE TO CREATE SOMETHING COMPLETELY NEW. Be proud of what you create and your customers will be proud,too.Strivetobeunique,positiveandthefirst.Gobeyond “what is less bad = is good” and using “guilt management” as drivers for change. Celebrate the human footprint, but be knowledgeable, innovative, passionate and committed towards our future, our planet and each other.

Andbesides,it’scuttingedgeandcanbeveryprofitable.

We collected commitment statements from the AmCham Young Professionals group: “How will you personally commit,withinyourreachofinfluence,tobeingandacting ‘Green’ as a young leader?”

“I personally commit to actively share insights to make people realize that acting green is not a trend or hype, but a necessity when it comes to managing resources economically in a peaceful and smart way in the world. And that it will affect our wealth and well-being now, not just in generations to come.” Marlon Huysmans, Sustainability Director, OVG Real Estate B.V.

“To continue to pay a premium for green products despite the economic turbulence.” James Cudin, Global Accounts Director, Ezswim B.V.

“To work towards the long-term and sustainable relationship with my clients. This is the future and back to the basics.” Sharoepa Janki , Relationship Banker, RBS Global Network Banking “Looking for cradle-to-cradle aspects in products we produce, and put more efforts into looking deeper into these products.” Timo Roels, E&I Lead Engineer, Dow Benelux B.V.

“Sustainable Transportation is MORE than just CO2 reduction, I will go on working on that.” Peter Siemensma, MSc, Consultant Environment & Transportation, DHV B.V.

“Transform the dominant organizing principles of company life, in order to become a sustainable enterprise.” Jorn Fokkens, Human Foundation

Kristin Jooss-Amadon, Program Director International (k.jooss@debaak.nl)

How to Yo

ung P

ro

fessiona

ls ev

ent a

Bo

ut C

ha

nging

Mind-set

s to

gr

eent

he a

Mer

iCa

n Ch

aM

Ber

o

f Co

MM

erC

e

Green: From just a color to the ultimate way to lead your company and change the mindset of future leaders. This was the title of the Young Professionals Event celebrating the 50th anniversary of the American Chamber of Commerce in the Netherlands.

16

ha

n hendr

iKs, ent

reP

reneur

we B

eat

th

e Mo

unta

in

The underlying philosophy is “design follows material” instead of the current status quo “material follows design;” using waste to make nice things that people want. I prepare for our conversation and, like any good journalist–asHanwouldlatersay–Itrytofindtheanglein his story. My thoughts are: “Sustainability: it must be a marketing trick to be able to earn money.” What a surprising conversation it turns out to be!

What drives you?“People should be ashamed of themselves, for all they leave behind.”“Two daughters and concerns about a world that is slowly fillingupwithwaste.Weneedafundamentalchange.”This anger and astonishment at what he sees encour-ageshimtoredefineexistingboundaries,hisgreatergoal is so strong. The more people shout that it won’t work, the more it spurs Han to make sure that it does work. Not being able to do something is doing it. This is what gives him pride; the kick to show that it can be done.

What is your strength?“Knowing precisely what you can’t do.”Han calls himself a simultaneous entrepreneur; the combination of intellect and action. He does what he believes in and helps others to believe as well. He shows that they can do it themselves too, and helps them take the next step, actually the essence of teaching people to stretch. “Making something out of nothing” and then bringing together fun and inspiring people who are better than he is. “This is the leadership of the future: open-ness, vulnerability, creating connections, and –aboveall–acceptingthatalotofpeoplearebetteratthings than you are. The next stretch moment will be how we introduce ‘we beat the mountain day’ to every continent.” He is still looking for people. His strength

makes him less manageable sometimes, because the goal has to be achieved. There is no room for distraction by grumblers.

What is the entrepreneurship of the future?“Entrepreneurs will become network orchestrators, a small group of people who set a whole social movement in motion, and become part of a larger movement. This requires the sincerity to want to achieve something (to turn a social problem into something positive) and to want to help each other to get things going. Business casesarecompletenonsensebecauseyoucaninflu-ence all assumptions yourself. It is about the emotion. Your desire is your strength.” The crux is to challenge the status quo, which is once again the basis for his next project: more entrepreneurship in health care.

In what society are we living?“The Dutch need to learn that taking a positive view can also be promising. We get carried away with that one exception, and then heavily criticize the whole thing. But nobody’s holier than the pope. The government responds to this by being pedantic; entrepreneurs emphasize what really is possible, the experience. Financial security is the fear that gets in the way for many people, but it may also be what people latch onto. In the end, the solution is a matter of going ahead and doing things, and surround-ing yourself with the right people and encouraging them to make the most of themselves.”

As we departed, Han got into his Jeep to drive away. He saw my surprised expression and shouted, “It runs on green gas! Challenging the status quo!”

Martijn Creemers, Program Director (m.creemers@debaak.nl)

Han Hendriks is an entrepreneur in the field of “Co-creating Social Enterprises” and the founder of We Beat the Mountain: beating the global mountain of waste by designing, producing and selling products made from recycled materials.

Challenging

17

“The solution is a matter of going ahead and doing things, andsurrounding yourself with the right people and encouraging them to make the mostof themselves.”

Martijn Creemers and Han Hendriks

17

18

“I hear a lot of people say: ‘I won’t get very far onmy own.’ My reply is: ‘Just start, and look forallies. That’s how you create energy.’ And then you see things start to bubble. It enriches the company, also in how it deals with its environment and stakeholders.”

Wassima Zkiek and Erik Lagerweij

19

What does this subject involve?“For us, Corporate Responsibility (CR) is about connect-ingpeople,planetandprofit.Itisthewayinwhichyoudesign processes. We do this together with the main stakeholders in our environment and with our staff. It also relates to our own processes and our objectives with regard to CO2reduction,energyefficiency,sustainablebuilding, the creation of a pleasant working environment, the use of electric cars and other company vehicles on the site, and increasingly cleaner taxis and buses.” What is Schiphol’s ambition?“As far as renewing is concerned, we pave the way in the world of the big airports. We do, after all, have quite a large airport for such a small country. Our ambition is to be–andcontinuetobe–Europe’spreferredairport.Asa hub airport with a strong hub carrier, Schiphol is the pioneer of the AirportCity formula. This is a highly successful and important part of our vision, in which the growth of the airport is combined with the development of the network of destinations and the competitive strength of the region. Corporate Responsibility is an integral part of our strategy. And sustainability is not something abstract. The visitor needs to be able to experience it. I would like to see us recycling everything: routing water fromthesanitaryfacilitiestoawaterpurificationplant,and separating waste for reuse. An airport has both a positive and a negative impact on the environment. Hopefully, we will become a source of inspiration with regard to innovation and sustainability.”

How does a process like that work?“The initial idea was to tackle Corporate Responsibility on a project basis: implementation in nine months and embedding in the control and planning cycle. However, this subject requires a change in culture, and that takes moretime.People,planetandprofitdon’talwayshavetobe in balance, but they do require constant considera-tion. Sometimes a business case that works out nega-tively is implemented anyway. It is a major challenge; not

justgettingaCRprojectoffthegroundinthefirstplace,but carrying on with it for years afterwards.”

Why are you doing this?“I want people to have more attention for each other and for the planet, because the way things are so often going now,withaunilateralfocusonprofit,ourworld’snevergoing to get any better. I’m not overly focused on the environment; for me, people are the most important factor! I have a vision, I’m a facilitator and I like to encourage change. It’s not always easy. I hear a lot of people say: ‘Yes, but I can’t do it alone,’ or ‘I won’t get very far on my own.’ My reply is: ‘Just start, and look for allies. That’s how you create energy.’ And then you see things start to bubble. It enriches the company, also in how it deals with its environment and stakeholders. I also encourage initiatives that draw attention to sustainability in a fun way, such as setting out fruit baskets all over the place or unplugging computers at night.” Do you have any tips for other organizations?“Don’t design your plan with external parties, but with your own people so that you create support from day one and embed it in your operating processes. Include the young staff members, too. And pay attention to your acceptance policy. Embed it in the measuring instru-ments. At Schiphol, CR has become an integral part of the reporting. And make sure that sustainability is also supported by the managers, as they always set an example. Don’t blow your own trumpet too much, don’t be overambitious, and don’t be afraid to say when things aren’t working. Keep your promises, otherwise you’ll lose people’s trust and with it the credibility of CR; there will always be believers and non-believers.”Schiphol takes part in Sustainable Road Forward (www.debaak.nl/SRF) in which different organizations gather round a neutral table to share each other’s learning experiences.

Wassima Zkiek, Program Director (w.zkiek@debaak.nl)

Believerser

iK l

ag

erw

eij, P

ro

Cess dir

eCt

or

Co

rP

ar

at

e resP

onsiB

ilit

Y, direC

to

r l

elYst

ad a

irP

or

tsC

hiP

ho

l g

ro

uP

What does Schiphol Group’s Process Director for Corporate Responsibility do? Erik Lagerweij, who is also Managing Director at Lelystad Airport, focuses on innovation and lasting results. “Create energy and be patient…”

20

jo

hn M

or

av

eC, ent

reP

reneur

and w

rit

ereduC

at

ion fut

ures

“The most successful managers in companies, are those whoacceptthatyoucan’tmanageknowledge–orwhat’sinside people’s heads. The next step is to go from a knowledge economy to what I call ‘Society 3.0.’ Some people are already in this paradigm; others are running away from it. This society is driven by accelerating technological change what also futures social change. We have continuing globalization, and technology helps to make that happen. Individual knowledge is very important but, what are you going to do with it? This is where innovation comes in. We see that people that lead us in society 3.0 are more likely to begin a start-up, networkandcreatenewsocialconfigurations.”

Are these people the knowmads?“Yes, nowadays people are becoming much more knowmadic. They are knowledge workers. They are mobile by choice or are being pushed into it. A typical example of a knowmad is that they work for a company, start a business two months later and after a while choose to go back to school. Knowmads sell themselves bytheirindividualexpertise,andcompaniesmustfindaway to leverage that. Knowmads check themselves by asking the question: If I were not in this organization, would anything change? If the answer is yes, then they’re not needed there. Knowmads really catch on to that idea. We, as a society, are going to challenge the structure of companies.”

What skills are needed in a society 3.0?“Because everybody is in it together, it is not bounded by aspecificgeneration.Nobodyhasdonethisbefore;thereare no role models. We all have to co-create this to-gether. Knowmads are highly engaged, creative, innova-

tive, collaborative and highly motivated. They adapt fast in new situations and contextualize ideas due to situa-tions.Soschoolsneedtofindouthowwecanlearnskillsin motivation, creative orientation, being friendly, and an on-going mind-set to always keep up with technologies. All of us have to learn to share without geographical limitation. We have to create global footprints, go beyond the small communities and learn how to engage people allovertheworldinopenandflatknowledgenetworks.Abig cultural mind shift is needed, we have to start thinking that learning is everywhere, always and naturally. It is quite normal that even the biggest leader says: ‘Can you help me learn that?’ The most successful entrepreneurs do it all the time: ‘I don’t know how to do this. I have this idea.Iwanttogetittothenextlevel.Canyouhelpfigurethis out?’ Innovation will not come from software and new technologies. It’s about mindware: our imagination and our creativity.”

How does sustainability come in?“We shouldn’t hide all the information and ideas. Open-ness and honesty are the key. Just send ideas out and look how they develop. So ideas grow bigger than the ‘I’ and ‘Me’ thinking. The 3.0 or knowmad society is all about expression of personal leadership and personal responsibility. All of us have to show leadership. Suc-cessful people are very talented and very skilled but they are also very thoughtful and they make things happen. There is an increasing importance for soft skills. Are you a friendly person? Can you work with costumers well? These are the important characteristics for people that organizations want to hire.”

Ralph Blom, Program Director (r.blom@debaak.nl)

Schools take iPhones away from the kids. “Why?” asks the American John Moravec, author of Invisible Learning and founder of Education Futures. “It competes with the teacher. But in business, we use this to get by. So, time for social change.”

Knowmads

21

“Nobody has done this before, we all have to co-create this together. A big culturalmind shift is needed, we have to startthinking that learning is everywhere, always and naturally. We have to create global footprints, to engage people all over the world in open and flat knowledge networks.”

Ralph Blom and John Moravec

21

22

Pr

ofessio

nal

s at

de Ba

aK

Without Your CEO Job Title, Who Is Going to Follow You?Ask yourself this “hard question” and you’ll get an impression of your ability to sustain relationships. It can also give a profound feeling on the qualities of your own leadership style. You may either be a leader in an institution or a streetwise entrepreneur but both need to reconcile a very basic tension in business: (short term) results vs. relations. On one side of the extreme, you couldbesacrificingtherelationshipfortheresultsyou’re after, while on the other side, you could be hangingontorelationshipswhicharedefinitelynotgood for your career or business.

These opposites are well-known to de Baak, which is dedicated to developing the human side of the enter-prise. In the post-crisis era, this relationship- and human side is even more obvious in the explosion of connections through social media and virtual workplace possibilities. So, you can also ask yourself: without your job title, how many “friends” would have recommended

you on LinkedIn, Google+ or Facebook? The answer can give even more insights into your ability to sustain relationships. Besides the limitation by the sheer quantity of connections, there is an interesting phenom-enon that effective virtual communication and collabora-tion is always preceded by good, physical face-to-face and often informal contact. Why is that?

Participants in our programs report that being able to “feel” and “sense” the other is essential. This is even more important in cross-cultural settings. It could be called socializing, but on a competence level, it is called empathy, which fundamentally is based on trust. So the answer to the question “Who would follow you?” is an indication of the levels of trust you generate and maintain in your relations. And in balancing your results and relationship orientation for this new interconnected world,youmightfindempathybeingacorecompetencefor both leaders and entrepreneurs.

Azwin Ressang, Trainer of the Emotional Intelligence Leadership Program

Imagine this: the people in your team enjoy going to work every day, they use their talents to the fullest, the results and the success of the organization increase, and you get a lot of personal satisfaction from your contribution to this entire process. Too good to be true? Not possible in times of recession? We think that it is fitting,desirableandpossible!Nowmorethanever!

Changeworkintoacollectiveflowexperience.Regu-larlyexperiencingflowhasapositiveeffectonproduc-tivity and personal vitality. Research has shown that quality of life is determined mainly by two factors: how you experience your job, and how you experience your professional and personal relationships with others.Weallnoticethatworkhasamajorinfluenceonourlives. Our experiences at work often make the differ-ence between whether we perceive our lives as exciting, nice and satisfying, or as boring, heavy and worrisome. When an organization goes through hard

timesorisinacrisis,thisofteninfluencesthewell-being of all its employees.Leadershavealotofinfluenceonthecreationofcollectiveflowinorganizations.Value-drivenleadership,inspiration, setting clear goals and organizing adequate feedback are examples of a number of essential conditions in this respect. This can lead to a working climate in which people want to give their best. We are of the opinion that one of the most important tasks of leaders is related to talent development and work perception: providing variety, challenges and opportuni-ties for development, and managing disruptions from outside and above, which employees are unable to influencethemselves.

By combining professional success with higher goals such as well-being and happiness, you also get more satisfaction from your work as a leader. It’s a good social contribution to sustainable happiness.

Erika Drentje, Program Director, Flow Trainer, Coach (e.drentje@debaak.nl)

Flow in Teams and Organizations

23

Pr

ofessio

nal

s at

de Ba

aK

“To think out of the box, you have to be out of the box.”Ali Hosseini - YouTube - on matching learning to the real world

The nomad takes his home with him. At the same time, he keeps looking for a new place to live. In contrast to the traveler who always returns home, the nomad simply brings his home with him. He can set up a new home anywhere, although he doesn’t know beforehand just where that will be. This way he transcends the difference between familiar and new.

I think that this nomadic perspective can be enriching for organizations: it incorporates change and stability. “Which reorganization do you work for?” becomes: “Which nomadic tribe do you belong to?” The nomad travels in a caravan. The strength of the caravan is in its collective nature. Caravans that meet each other along the way barter to exchange goods. Knowledge sharing and networking avant la lettre.

Learning always requires a combination of familiar and new. Stepping from the familiar onto new ground; that’s what it means to become a nomad. Creativity and courage are required in the unknown; looking at things differently, acting differently. Making a home, committing yourself to the realization that it’s temporary. It’s an attitude that can be very useful to leaders and profes-sionals. No longer an employee or employer, but a nomad, a member of a caravan.

Being nomadic means that you have experience in dealing with new situations. You can set up a home anywhere, connect to the situation, make it yours, make it your home. And at the same time, it remains open, due to the realization that it’s never “forever.” The nomadic perspective tackles the illusion that things will remain the way they are. Continuous change becomes normal. Nomadic competence development: welcome home and enjoy the journey.

An Kramer, Program Director and Trainer (a.kramer@debaak.nl)

Byron Katie, known from “The Work”, talks about business and leadership: “Businesses are interested in moreprofit.Buttheydon’tseethatmoreprofitiseasierto get out of the enlightened mind, the fearless mind, out of the mind that can see clearly what works and whatdoesn’twork.Actuallyitisfearthatblocksprofitfrom coming in and going back out. I experience my business as a place where none of the money belongs to my company or me. It comes in from others and goes back out that way. And if people really took a look at that, they would better understand their own busi-nesses.

Competition is so unnecessary. It is that stranglehold that we hold like an old-fashioned value. It’s deadly and antiquated. It implies that there are no people in corporations, just hired employees, to be sure that the profitisfor‘us.’Thereisnoheartthereuntileachperson takes his or her responsibility seriously, or at least one person does. Someone who knows that he or she is not dependent on other people to be content and fearless, and it works.

So ask yourself: How can I give people the best possible product (for example: a computer) that I can possibly make considering my employees? What am I capable of as a company, as an individual? And I put it out there and people buy it or they don’t. But I am giving my best and I am not competing with anyone but my own self, my own talents and the talents of the people who work for me. There’s nothing like an open, free, creative mind.

Competition is about protecting what we have, and that is a fear of not getting what we want. This creates the wall between us. We are feeling guilty and frightened. Then we do these strange things. We cost other people their right to life, to equality and prosperity. The answer istofindthebeliefsthatarerunningourlives,questionthem and free ourselves. When we are free, we create a better world.”

Nomadic learning in organizations

Competition Is Unnecessary

Abstract from article published in Ode Magazine for Intelligent Optimists. See www.odemagazine.com. De Baak is co-initiator of The International Business and Leadership Workshop with Byron Katie, De Rode Hoed, Amsterdam,Wednesday8February–Saturday11February,2012.Register at www.theworkinbusiness.info

24

Leadership and Entrepreneurship.At the center of these abstractions is the individual. Stripawaythetermsandwefindapersonseekingtocultivate abilities and gain lucid insights. This process of “becoming” is a decidedly personal endeavor. Its essence is unquestionably human.

And so De Baak is dedicated to the human side of enterprise. Our commitment is to the individual. To helping people become their most effective selves. To partnering with people in meeting their potential. To exploring with them—and helping to reveal—the depth and richness of their talents. This produces effective, stronger and more resilient organizations that also might contribute to forming healthy societies.

To survive in today’s ever-changing world, leaders and individuals are required to keep abreast of worldwide trends and translate these to their organization or profession.Againandagain,wefindthatinordertobesuccessful in this challenging environment, it is becoming increasingly important to know how to connect leadership with entrepreneurship together with constant learning.

Learning at De BaakPersonal Development, Management Development, Global Leadership, Entrepreneurship, Business Development, Change, Coaching and Teambuilding are the subjects of our training institute. We support leaders, managers, professionals and entrepreneurs. We empower people to set learning goals for themselves that changes minds and behaviors. We invite our clients to invest in themselves, and to show willingness to step outside their comfort zones. That is what De Baak achieves: we embed the ability to learn within organizations.

What De Baak OffersFor international individuals and companies, De Baak offers both “open” and tailor-made programs all focused on the development and effectiveness of the individual within the organization and society. Individuals can participate in a broad selection of international programs,

events and one-on-one coaching. For organizations, we provide customized programs, from large manage-ment development projects to short one-day workshops. And, for the society at large, we foster dialogue through De Baak events such as “Meet the World” which address issues ranging from social responsibility and diversity to globalization and sustainability.

Roots in the Business WorldDe Baak, as an institution, evolved from the largest employer’s organization in the Netherlands (the VNO-NCW — the “voice” of Dutch business). Given our history and our continuous development, De Baak is acknow-ledged as a leading training institute in the Netherlands. With a staff of more than three hundred professionals, a substantial network of over four hundred specialists with positions at universities, business schools, innova-tion centers and knowledge institutes around the world, De Baak has created and mastered various methods of learning that appeal to the intellect and the imagination, to the pragmatic and creative sides of human nature.

De Baak is located in Amsterdam, Antwerp (Belgium), Driebergen, The Hague, Noordwijk and Shanghai (China). These locations play an essential role in the learning context. Meet usTo talk about training options for your organization, please contact out Tailor-made desk: phone +31 71 369 0400, or visit at www.debaak.com/tailormade.

To arrange a free exploratory consultation aboutprograms for individuals or coaching, please contact De Baak’s Training Advice Bureau: phone +31 343 556 369, or go to www.debaak.com/opencourses.

For training facilities and accommodations, please contact Baak Hospitality at: phone +31 343 556 179, or see www.baakhospitality.nl.

a P

ro

file De Baak:

2525

26

lea

rning

at

de Ba

aK

27

2828

suMM

ar

ies in dutC

h

Creëren is delen, delen is creërenNiets heeft meer kracht dan een idee wiens tijd gekomen is. Najiba Abdellaoui, Communicatie Consultant bij TNT Express, deed de communicatie rond het nieuwe duurzame hoofdkantoor: de verhuizing, het nieuwe werken en ook duurzaam handelen. “Ik vertel verhalen, boodschappen die anderen kunnen doorgeven in de organisatie. Het is de kunst een idee in het moment te pakken en het meteen te doen. Duurzaamheid gaat in mijn ogen om de verrijking van ideeën. Mensen om je heen verzamelen en loslaten dat iets van jouw is. Online zie je dezelfde beweging in crowdsourcing, steeds worden dingen toegevoegd. Onze generatie is er goed in, bits en bites verzamelen en dan gaat het ge-beuren.”

Spiegels en bruggenPhilips heeft in het EcoVision5 programma zeer ambitieuze doelstellingen geformuleerd voor het wereldwijde concern. Het kost constante inspanning om duurzaamheid steeds hoger op de agenda te krijgen in alle regionen. Robert Metzke, verantwoordelijke voor dit project, is trots dat Philips op de Dow Jones Sustainability Index op nummer één staat en dus behoort tot de duurzaamste merken wereldwijd. Daar moet je wel wat voor doen. Denk aan je eigen matriaal recyclenengerecycledmateriaalgebruikenvoorjeproducten,energie-efficiëntevanalleproductenverbeterenmet50%,2miljardinvestereningroeneinnova-ties, sociale projecten en gezondheidszorg beschikbaar maken. Hoe verander je een mentaliteit? Hoe kunnen we de planeet en de mensen die er leven beschermen? Door onze harten te delen en onze hersenen te gebruiken. Stap 1 is accepteren dat de mensheid en de economie die ze creëert onverantwoordelijk is. Daarna mag je het lef tonen niet lui te zijn door enkel te optimaliseren van wat er al is: durf iets compleet nieuws te creëren! Als jij er trots op bent zijn je klanten het ook. The American Chamber of Commerce organiseerde dit event voor Young Profession-als: Changing Mindsets of Young Leaders to Green…De aanwezigen waren bereid zich te committeren aan o.a.: het managen van resources, meer moeite doen om je producten duurzaam te maken, strenge organisatieprincipes om-toveren naar een duurzamere onderneming.

De Status Quo uitdagenIn Nederland laten mensen zich snel ontmoedigen door slechts 1 uitzondering die dan alle aandacht krijgt. Han Hendriks, oprichter van ‘We Beat the Mountain’, noemt zichzelf een simultaan ondernemer: de combi van intellect en actie. Hij doet waar hij in gelooft en helpt anderen dit ook te doen. Hij maakt graag ‘iets uit niets’, en haalt er dan mensen bij die het beter kunnen dan hem. Strategische plannen zijn totale onzin omdat je alle veronderstellingen zelf beïnvloed. Een van zijn projecten, het bedrijf ‘We Beat the Mountain’ behelst het designen van productenuitgerecycledmateriaal.Defilosofieerachteris:‘designvolgtmateri-aal’ in plaats van de gevestigde status quo ‘materiaal volgt design’.

Volgers en ongelovigen Een vliegveld heeft positieve en negatieve effecten op de omgeving. “Qua duurzame vernieuwingen is Schiphol toonaangevend in de wereld en dat willen we graag blijven.” Erik Lagerweij, Proces Directeur Corparate Responsibility bij Schiphol Group: CR is een integraal onderdeel van de strategie. “Naast CO2-reductie,energie-efficiënte,duurzaambouwen,prettigewerkomgeving,elek-trische bedrijfsvoertuigen, e.a. wil ik graag dat we alles recyclen. Sanitair water zelf zuiveren en afval scheiden voor hergebruik. Het is een kwestie van gewoon beginnen en medestanders zoeken. Zo creëer je energie. Je ziet dan sprankeling ontstaan, het verrijkt het bedrijf, ook in het omgaan met de omgeving en stake-holders.

Knowmads dagen alle structuren uitScholen pakken de iPhones van kinderen af! Waarom, vraagt de Amerikaan John Moravec, schrijver en oprichter van Education Futures, zich af. In de zakenwereld gebruik je dit juist om te overleven. Tijd voor sociale verandering! En dit gaat gebeuren want Society 3.0 komt er aan, bevolkt door knowmads; mobile ken-niswerkers die zeer snel schakelen en altijd vertrekken als ze teveel zijn. Ken-merken van deze pioniers zijn: geëngageerd, creatief, innovatief, veel samen-werken en zeer gemotiveerd. Ze gebruiken de nieuwste technologieën en delen hun kennis en bevindingen wereldwijd. Zo ontstaan e r steeds meer platte kennis-netwerken. Niemand heeft dit ooit eerder gedaan, dus er zijn geen rolmodellen. We gaan het samen creëren.

29

Co

nta

Ct

Driebergen, the Netherlands P.O. Box 88, 3970 AB Driebergen De Horst 1, 3971 KR Driebergen, the Netherlands

Noordwijk, the NetherlandsP.O. Box 69, 2200 AB Noordwijk Koningin Astridboulevard 23 2202 BJ Noordwijk, the Netherlands

The Hague, the NetherlandsOfficeatMalietorenBezuidenhoutseweg 122509 AA The Hague, the Netherlands

Antwerp, Belgium Beukenlaan 12 2020 Antwerp, Belgium

De Baak has a presence in:

associated with the VNO-NCW

phone +31 343 556 369info@debaak.com

www.debaak.com www.debaak.nl www.debaak.be

The Room-Suitcase-Artist project at De Horst Estate, an initiative of De BaakIn May 2011, two hotel buildings were opened at De Horst Estate in Driebergen. The Amsterdam architectural firmOTHdesignedfourbuildings:anoffice/educationalbuilding (2010), two hotel buildings and a theater (Janu-ary 2012). For the two 20-room hotel buildings, the Room-Suitcase-Artist project was created by Jan van der Veer, artist and curator at De Baak. Instead of a room number, on the door of each room there is a title of a work of an artist from a discipline of the arts and humani-ties:architecture,philosophy,poetry,fashion,music,finearts,film,literature,design,theater,danceandphotogra-phy.Eachroomcontainsasuitcasefilledwithcatalogs,CDs and DVDs from a museum, institute, publisher, etc. The interior contains a photo, a quotation, a monograph and/or a partial or entire oeuvre. In this magazine, two rooms are represented. With this project, De Baak wishes to entice participants to relate to a wide range of cultural disciplines in order to learn, to share and to connect. Within our educational philosophy, the learning environment is an important aspect, this is fed by aspects of art, culture and nature. www.landgoeddehorst.nl/kamer-koffer-kunstenaar-project

Selection of PoetryThe poetry in this magazine has been selected from three countries where three of the De Baak interviewers have their roots: The Netherlands, Iran and the United States.

Project: 40 hotel rooms new building De Horst Estate, Driebergen, an initiative of de BaakRoom In This World: Michael Winterbottom * cinemaTitle: still from “In This World”© EYE Film Institute Netherlands

ALLUSION

Sometimes the window too can play the role of a curtain behind these colours are hidden other colours Behind the ear of this quiet you don’t know how music hassetoffbeautifulfireworks I pull the apple aside to show you the apple

Mehrdad FallahPublisher: Poetry International, 2011Translation: Abol Froushan

www.debaak.com / www.debaak.be / www.debaak.nl

Project: 40 hotel rooms new building De Horst Estate, Driebergen, an initiative of de Baak Room Odyssey: BeppieBlankert*choreografieTitle: still from “Odyssey”Composition: Louis AndriessenPhoto: Marco Borggreve

carbon neutralnatureOffice.com | NL-001-644270

print production