Marcel Kuhlmann: The tension between usefulness and dignity
By:
Hanneke Queens
Hanneke Queens
Koen Weber works as an advisor for Kessels & Smit since september. Marcel likes to lighten up the (inter) human aspects, especially there, where it is snowed under in key performance indicators, spreadsheets and organizational targets. "Change projects in organizations often ignore the small, vulnerable, uneasy and the fragile. Attention often escapes into the there and later, while there is so much to discover and to learn in the here and now."
"In organizations, there seems to be a growing need for dignity, humanity and social decency. You can see this in words like beautiful, inspiring, radiant, connectedness, fun. Inspired people really go for their job and perform better. I can only agree on this provided that they can truly work and learn deriving from their own wishes, will and needs. You cant enforce having fun. For than it becomes a new hip parameter, added to unilateral usefulness thinking and the monomaniacal focus on economic targets. The new performing is often covered in blueprints, output thinking in disguise. The organization has to be lean but only with happy people. What interests are actually at stake here? Usefulness and output still win over dignity; also in self-supporting teams. Professionals are better suited there but the ultimate criterion is still usefulness: the way of work provides a better output."