Recently, Iris Zonneveldt (CEO Treams) was named the Young Management Entrepreneur of the Year 2019. She was invited by BNR Nieuwsradio in the program 'Ask me anything'. Jörgen Raymann asked her and Marcel Wintels, director of De Baak, the ins and outs of topics such as: 'good management', 'high salaries of top managers' and 'the role of HR'.Are you curious how Iris looks at this? Then read on.
What kind of manager are you?
"I personally make the distinction between a manager and a leader. In my view, a manager is someone who works ín the system and ín the company. A leader is someone who works án the system and án the company. I don't necessarily see myself as a good manager, because I am primarily an entrepreneur. But I do consider myself a good leader!"
When are you a good manager?
"In my view, a good manager is someone who is well in the 'now,' who has the organization's goals clear and is able to make a team work well. Someone who really focuses on the team, who dares to speak to people and who is clear about expectations. In my opinion, it is especially important that a manager can translate long-term goals into the present. At Treams , we have goals for 2030. We reduced these to goals for 2020 and goals for each quarter. That way every employee knows what we are working toward together and they can adjust their personal goals accordingly."
Is a manager responsible for an employee's happiness?
"An employee is responsible for his or her own happiness. Everyone gets happiness from something else. It is just very different per person whether you become intensely happy your work, it depends on your motives. If I translate this into job satisfaction , there is a task for managers. It is important that work takes place in a pleasant, fun and enjoyable way. A manager can create these conditions."
Does a team function even when a manager is not performing well?
"I definitely think a team can function well when a manager is not functioning well. What I find very cool is a manager who dares to make mistakes and be vulnerable despite his or her position. Making mistakes absolutely does not mean that you are not functioning well. You learn much more from mistakes than from a successful example. After all, a manager is only human. In addition, feedback to the manager from the team is also very important."
Is it true that millennials look for different qualities in a manager?
"Millennials are generally more looking for experience and meaning.In their upbringing, they were often told that they are special and special. In addition, they are much more likely to expect feedback on how they are doing and want continuous affirmation."
Do top managers perform better at high salaries?
"I can't imagine that if you earn five tons, a six-ton salary will make you run (even) harder. Personally, I'm not driven by money. I wouldn't work harder for a higher salary. The way I run my business is not focused on continuously making a profit, but on adding value for clients and the people around me. That's my way of making a world that makes me very happy."
Are high salaries for top executives justified?
"Sometimes it is justified that someone earns a lot, for example if you are an expert in a particular field or have unique qualities. Often I think very high salaries are not necessarily justifiable and I think it is actually a strength of a manager if money is not at the top of your list."
What is the job of HR within an organization?
"HR is responsible for translating business strategy to employees. The role of HR is changing more and more and is becoming more important in this day and age. With all the technology of today, how do we ensure that we also remain human? Put away the phone and really connect with each other. Engaging with each other."
Tooling supports dialogue!
"A tooling like Treams supports those conversations you have with each other in the workplace. You can have much better and more focused conversations with it, but also monitor much better what someone's development is or what you should be talking to each other about."
Should you wish to listen back to the full BNR News Radio broadcast, click here.