How do you continue to perform optimally in a change process?

How do you ensure that employees and teams within your organization perform optimally, even when changes occur? At full-service communication agency Emotion, the owner took a step back, and now three employees form the management team. Sylvia van Lokven, Director of Finance & HR, says, "When you embark on such a journey together and want to continue developing, external guidance adds so much value."

Being less of a manager and more focused on content, creativity, and having more freedom. Marc Ankersmid concluded in 2018 that this would truly make him happy. But how do you make the choice to take that step when your company feels like your baby? Ankersmid founded Emotion in 2004, and the company grew significantly thereafter. In the last nine years, it went from fifteen to thirty employees. Naturally, you have to manage. Despite the difficulty of letting go, Ankersmid decided to prioritize his happiness. He asked employees Sylvia van Lokven and Thijs van Duijn to form the management team, along with Franklin Tuin.

Having the courage to grant freedom
"When we decided to initiate the process of change, we opted for external guidance," explains Van Lokven. "Internally, we use the tools of the TMA Method, and I am also certified to conduct talent analyses. But we consciously involved the TMA Professionals from Kat-Haros for an outside perspective. External guidance adds so much value when you embark on such a journey together." Tineke Kamerling from Kat-Haros examined the roles of the new management team and that of owner Ankersmid: how could he trustingly lean back? "He is the sole shareholder and also wanted to remain involved, but at the same time, he had to have the courage to give us the freedom to make decisions. That requires clear agreements," says Van Lokven.

Stepping out of the comfort zone
The TMA Talent Analyses formed the basis for the process. "My profile is quite different from the other two," explains Van Lokven. "Thijs and Franklin's talent word for dominance is 'directive,' whereas mine is 'cooperative.' And for persistence, Thijs and Franklin's talent word is 'shifting priorities,' while mine is 'perseverance.' This made us think about what it means for our collaboration. It also became apparent that we weren't always giving feedback effectively. So, we focused on how to solicit input without imposing our own opinions."

“It was precisely those exercises that made us even more aware of our own role.”

The guidance involved more than just having conversations. "Tineke naturally brings her substantive knowledge about management, but we did much more than talk," says Van Lokven. "She devised various exercises for us. For example, a kind of family constellation, where we could position ourselves and share how it felt and where we wanted to go. You can ask someone how they envision it, but by doing it physically, it becomes much clearer. In our case, it revealed certain things, which we then discussed."

"We are more professional and better organized because it's clear who does what."

They did exercises where they sometimes had to step completely out of their comfort zone, Van Lokven explains. "At times, we thought: what are we doing? But afterwards, we could conclude that those exercises made us even more aware of our roles. Tineke took us out of the rational to feel what was happening. That's what we needed."

Well-oiled machine
The entire process has resulted in a "much smoother machine," says Van Lokven. "We are more professional and better organized because it's clear who does what. We allocate time for our tasks, take them very seriously, and have a good focus. I think it's also because we feel calmer and more confident about how we fulfil our roles. We know what we can expect from each other and therefore what we can delegate to each other." And what about owner Marc? "It has also been a process for him. His trust is growing, and it's becoming easier for all of us to chart a new course. We have made good agreements about when to involve him and when not. He no longer needs to manage, so he has gained more freedom. And the space to only do the things he enjoys, like creative tasks and guiding us. So, Marc is very happy."

Quarterly check-up
That the "machine" runs smoothly is precisely why Emotion continues to work on maintenance. "Our entire meeting structure was established during this period because meetings were something that often came last," says Van Lokven. "Tineke said, 'If you want to do it well, you have to make time for it.' And she was right because, thanks to that meeting structure, we got to know each other even better."

"The 'check-up' is a great opportunity to look ahead in small steps."

The management team meets weekly, and once a month, the trio meets with Marc. "Additionally, every quarter, we spend half a day with Tineke to see where we are now and what challenges we face. We also want to increasingly work in an agile manner, so it's a great opportunity to look ahead in small steps and adjust as needed. We call it the 'check-up' because we also want our organization to keep developing.

The benefits of TMA:

Provides tools for a targeted conversation.
Teams discuss each other's talents and how they can complement each other.
It quickly becomes apparent to teams what they are and aren't talented in.
TMA is recognizable for employees. It creates a common language that recurs in conversations.

Business case: Kat-Haros applies the TMA Method at full-service communications agency Emotion

How do you continue to perform optimally in a change process?

“It was precisely those exercises that made us even more aware of our own role.”

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