Vakwerk helps organizations to become better, more sustainable and more fun. We advise, coach and guide organizations in their development. If you go off the beaten track, Vakwerk offers a compass for change. Whether it concerns long-term complex changes, or a short workshop with high impact.
Together with clients and partners, we develop inspired organizations that lead change purposefully tomorrow.
vision
Vakwerk helps organizations with their development in a sustainable manner. Because customers expect something different in the future. Because people seek meaning and pleasure in their work. And because there is no planet B.
Because every organization, collaboration, change and context are different, we tailer-make all of our services. However, we do work from a set of five principles:
We start from the perspective of the professional
We start from the perspective of people in the core business, who form the heart of the organization. The question for everyone around them is: how can we help them do their job well, or even better?
Change is already present
There are always places in your organization where things are (already) going well. Where the desired change is actually taking shape. So a crucial question is always: where are those germs, and how can we uncover and connect them?
Everyone is in the picture
Dictating change does not work. Meaningful change requires commitment from all those involved.
We connect and stretch
Profound change requires both connecting with the status quo and stretching it. That means that sometimes you might feel inspired and understood by us, and sometimes you might feel uncomfortable or confused. That's part of profound change.
Change requires care
Change can be a disruptive act; especially when you intervene in ways of working and culture. All the more reason to do so carefully. We are happy to help bring precision to interventions.
Learn more about our vision
work
We work on complex change and organizational issues in all sectors, both profit and non-profit. We do this in the role of advisor, coach or interim manager. We work methodically to produce a good analysis and change plan or intervention. Both for a long process and a short workshop.
We are committed to your challenge. Clearly and professionally.
Expertise
Culture and change
“Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” A powerful and empowering culture is an important route to success, as Peter Drucker points out. Culture is often cited as the reason why a desired change does not come about. The challenge is to better understand what underlying patterns are; why things are the way they are. This requires first exposing the patterns, and then changing them. Something we do with great precision and compassion.
Professionalization
Organizational change often requires new knowledge and skills from people in all kinds of areas. That is why professionalization is frequently an essential part of our work. We work on themes as leadership, consulting skills, change management . Both online and offline. 1 on 1, in (online) learning groups or in large-scale events.
Organisational design
A healthy organization is based on a roles with a clear purpose, accountabilities, governance and structure. So that a clear playing field and rules of the game are created that support the goals set. We often see that due to a lack of clarity, cooperation between teams or stakeholders becomes tangled.
Leadership
Leaders have a crucial role in change. As a leader you are part of the system. At the same time, you are also a driver of change, and support for the people around you. We always develop leaders in direct connection with their work. We pay attention to the head (new insights and awareness), heart (desire, meaningful work) and hands (action and experimenting).
Action research
'From A to B, according to the rules of B' is often the credo. But what do you do if 'B' isn't quite clear yet, let alone how to get there? That requires alternating thinking and acting. An inquisitive mind, experimenting. Then learning and scaling up. That is exactly what we do with action research, and what appeals to participants’ own curiosity and desire for change.
Gaming and simulations
Experiencing it yourself often works better than ‘more talking about change’. Game simulations are a proven method of delivering a powerful experience and thus accelerating change. We often use it as a way to test a new organizational design and raise awareness about the behavior that gets in the way of this new setup.
Program management
The desired change outcomes are only reached when the process is managed in a coherent way, from an integral view. Based on our expertise in project- and program management, we help our clients to work towards their goals and desires in a structured way.
Learn more about our work
people
Vakwerk is the consulting firm of Petra and Jelger. We have shared our love for developing organizations for more than ten years. Enjoying our work is important to us. The journey we make with clients, their team or organization is often exciting. Therefore it is important to form a good team.
We work together with a team of professionals that we have known for years and who deliver proven quality. In addition to better advisory teams, these colleagues also provide inspiration because of the differences.
Petra Kerstens
Petra started at Unilever in 2004 after her studies in administrative and organizational sciences. After four years she switched to consultancy at Twynstra Gudde, in the role of senior consultant and assignment leader. She has been an independent organizational coach and consultant since 2016, focusing on organizational development, leadership and change management in the business sector (consumer goods, e-commerce, energy sector) and non-profit (government and education). Petra teaches change management at Sioo.
Hard and soft go hand in hand with Petra. In assignments she stands for creativity, a sharp intuition and gets quickly to the heart of the matter.
In her private life, Petra enjoys boxing and can be found in nature with her family.
Jelger Spijkerboer
Jelger grew up in a family of teachers. At home at the kitchen table, conversations were always about learning, development and education. This development perspective is still important in his work. Jelger studied administrative and organizational sciences and learned the change and consultancy profession at Twynstra Gudde. After that, he contributed to the growth of consultancy firm Goudvisie, before starting Vakwerk together with Petra.
Jelger prefers to work with motivated professionals who put their profession first. Perhaps because he is such a stubborn professional himself.
Jelger published the book 'Veranderkompas, practical guide for change agents', and regularly teaches about change. At Sioo, and many other business schools.
At home he enjoys eating pancakes with his family, surfing or playing tennis.
Team
Mieke Moor
Mieke is an organizational philosopher. Despite a common background at Twynstra Gudde, Mieke looks at organizations from a completely different perspective. Mieke knows like no one else how to ask poignant questions, to make you think.
Theo Hermsen
Theo is a change expert and has a lot of experience in stakeholder management and politics. He understands the dynamics between people and between organizations, both above and below the water.
Marc de Roos
With Marc we share a passion for gaming and simulations. With great sensitivity and strong analyses, Marc always gets to the essence quickly. In addition, Marc is very experienced when it comes to leadership development.
Anne Marth Kuilder
Anne Marth has a creative mind, with experience in participative interventions and social design. She designs new frames together with those involved, that provide insight into other directions or solutions.
Yuri Veerman
Yuri Veerman is an artist, designer and performer. Through posters, books, videos, websites, campaigns or performances, Yuri tells seemingly simple stories about changes that are increasingly complex.
Sioo, academic center for leadership, organization and change
Sioo is the academic training and knowledge center in the field of change, organization and leadership. Jelger and Petra are both teachers at Sioo. Vakwerk regularly works for assignments with teachers from the Sioo network.
contact
Interested to get in touch or learn more about Vakwerk? We are happy to drink a cup of coffee and talk about your challenge. With a bit of luck, that conversation itself is already a helping intervention.