The grass is greener
where you water it
Blog by
Ellen Soepenberg
Career advisors Marieke and Ellen talk to each other about growth and giving attention to everyone. A beautiful word for this is also amplitie. Chances are, you’re already implementing amplitie within your organization without even realizing it. Forget the word amplitie quickly. But be sure to read what Ellen and Marieke think about increasing and expanding positive aspects, and which tips they have for your organization!
Letting people do what they are good at
Marieke, question: do you water all your houseplants? Of course I do, why? They all need to grow, right? Absolutely—and when I think about it; do we also let all people grow within organizations? I feel that, in practice, most attention is paid to a smaller group of people, for example due to absenteeism or to prevent high work pressure. And I find that quite odd. What happens to the rest of the people? We all know: as an organization, it’s important to let every person do what they’re good at, what they enjoy, and where they can further develop their talents.
Room for opportunities, talents, development, and more individuality
So why don’t we do that, as people, as organizations? Often arguments like time, money, and results come up. While really, it’s nothing more or less than focusing on a different mindset: growth. By focusing on the positive aspects of growth, you create space for opportunities, talents, development, and more individuality. The amplitude expert training, which we recently completed, helped us to get back to the core purpose.
Ask. Ask. Ask.
So, what was our purpose when we started as career advisors, Ellen? For me, it was helping people strengthen their career development. And I want to do this in a way that aligns with my own values and those of our organization. Because then I can maintain and increase my job satisfaction. And how about you, Marieke? For me, my work as a career advisor means that I can focus on people in organizations. Discovering talents, job satisfaction, and increasing these even more. This is why we also tell managers: give attention. Ask, ask, ask. Ask your employees: What do you like in your current position, and what would you like more of? What are your favorite tasks and how can you get even more satisfaction from them? Let yourself be surprised by your employees.
Growth through an inclusive approach for everyone
What can and does an employee want to do regarding development? Make development a habit. How does an employee continue to use their strengths and how can they increase them? And that goes for all employees. Because, going back to those houseplants. You, if all goes well, also give all ofthemwater. So that they keep growing, right? By focusing more on the positive aspects of work, you help your employees remain vital, competent, and motivated in the long term. With this inclusive approach (for everyone!) growth becomes tangible for both employees and organizations.
Let’s give a few examples
- Working with talent profiles
- Onboarding programs
- Offering courses, trainings, seminars
- Internal internships
- Peer supervision groups
- Connecting, flourishing, and boosting energy by creating an engagement plan
Tips for organizations
- Support your employees in discovering their talents and strengths
- Brainstorm together about ideas for a desirable future
- Work bottom up!
- All ideas get a fair chance: consider pros and cons
PS: everything mentioned above relates to amplitie 🙂 Feel free to contact us if you’re interested in increasing and expanding.
Also read the article by colleague Bart Monster: ‘in slaap gesust’ (‘lulled to sleep’)
Marieke Vennik
Career Advisor
I truly believe that everyone can enjoy working. When I speak to people, I’m curious about their story: Who are they, what do they love, and do they see that reflected in their work?
