Meet MEPD
Impact Maker Kim
In this series, you’ll get to know the impact makers at MEPD. Each MEPD colleague answers three questions. Enjoy!
Meet Kim de Groot; our positive, tough, and motivating career advisor. She not only inspires her participants in programs and training sessions but also encourages her colleagues to step out of their comfort zone and show courage.
Who are you and what do you do at MEPD?
I started in 2019 as a career advisor with the South team. By now I’m working for the Central team because I moved to the other side of the country. I coach participants in various programs, such as development, outplacement, and reintegration. I also give trainings such as feedback, effective communication, and team development. I enjoy motivating participants to take steps that they find exciting or challenging. I want them to know you always have a choice to do things differently. A quote that fits me well is: ‘If you do what you always did, you’ll get what you always got.’
What has stuck with you most since you started working at MEPD and why?
Before I started working at MEPD, I worked at more commercial companies. There, I dealt with strict frameworks: how to conduct your conversations, how often you should have them, how frequently you call, and when you invoice. At MEPD, it’s about the people. Here, I have the freedom to do things my way. If I want to schedule an extra meeting with a participant because it’s better for him or her, I can. Quality is more important than quantity. I’m here for the people, no matter how angry or sad they are. AT MEPD, we take the time to guide people and get them to the right place. And that made—and still makes—a big impression on me.
MEPD colleagues are impact makers;
in what way are you one?
I have guts and courage. I’m open to changes and new things. I just do it. And sometimes you fall flat on your face, but most of the time, I always learn from it. In recent years at MEPD, we’ve been giving more trainings. In the beginning, I found it quite exciting to lead a training, but by doing it, that’s when you really find out if it’s for you. Now I regularly give training courses, which I really enjoy—something I wouldn’t have expected beforehand.
I’m also good at motivating participants and colleagues (and just as much my friends) to try new things, make choices, and go for it. Changes are fun and educational, and that’s something I really want to pass on to people, no matter how exciting or scary it might be. With a flexible mindset, you can do so much more than you think.
‘If you do what you always did, you'll get what you always got.’
