From helicopter pilot to project manager
In 1975, I wanted to become a helicopter pilot, but I was rejected because I'm colorblind. On my father's advice, I applied for a job in automation. My father was an electrician in shipbuilding, but he predicted that computers would become increasingly important to society.
I had no idea what a computer was or what it could do. Still, I applied and was hired. In 1984, I joined Cap Gemini. They wanted to focus more on software systems development. Computer scientists were scarce. They hired people with university degrees in fields like geology or veterinary medicine. I was the one who supervised these people. That's how I became a project manager, primarily responsible for a project with limited knowledge and experience.
IPMA is competency-based and therefore independent of any method or technique you use.
IPMA here to stay
I first heard about IPMA in 2002. Initially, I was skeptical. I already had so many methods under my belt that I wondered: what could IPMA add? An accountant I worked with frequently told me that IPMA was method-independent. That piqued my interest.
Then I started delving into it, got my certifications, and knew: yes, this is a keeper. IPMA is competency-based and therefore independent of any method or technique you use. I was already giving a lot of project management training at the time, but after that, I focused entirely on IPMA.
IPMA: the mirror for project managers
What I love about IPMA is that it holds up a mirror to people: where are you currently in your development as a project manager? Why do you do what you do? Many people operate on autopilot. A training course like IPMA stops you in your tracks and makes you aware of your growth as a project professional. It focuses on things that are already going well, and on the other, on where you can make progress.
IPMA-C and IPMA-B also include a practical component. One of the assignments is to write a report on your projects as a project manager, describing how you handled leadership, teamwork, negotiation, and conflict management. Give some examples. This requires them to really check in with themselves: how am I actually doing?
Sometimes people have an image of themselves that doesn't really hold up in practice. Someone once told me they were a servant leader. I then ask: Okay, so what does it mean to be a servant leader? And when someone on your team is being a pain, are you still a servant leader? Or are you a different type of leader? I want to hear about that situation, I want to read about it. Because that's where the real insights emerge.
“A training like IPMA makes you pause and aware of your growth as a project professional.”
Providing training: the entertrainer for the group
“The best thing about giving training is that you can completely involve people in your story. I think that first and foremost entertrainer You're the one who brings the material to life. By telling anecdotes, providing real-world examples, and doing interactive exercises. I also enjoy challenging people. To give them the experience of, "Wow, I'd never looked at it that way!"
That's also what makes my training day a success. When someone comes up to me afterward and says, "Wow, this insight has given me so much!" But also when someone changes jobs thanks to the training. For example, I once trained a woman who became the manager of all the projects afterward. I remember being incredibly proud of her.
Because in the end, that's what you do it for: making people better project managers!
Project management in practice
I'm very goal-oriented and results-oriented. You could say project management is in my DNA. I use this drive in my work, but also in my personal life. My youngest daughter really wanted a spinning school. She was already teaching in Amsterdam, Heiloo, and Hoorn. I believed in her, so we explored various locations together.
Finally, we found a suitable location. The spinning studio had to be finished within two months. The entire studio had to be gutted. It also had to be completely soundproofed with special acoustic materials from China. And then there were the lockers, the changing rooms, the entire interior, the air conditioning, the exhaust system… everything had to be done within those two months.
I worked from 7:30 to 4:30 for 60 days straight. My neighbor, my brother, and my brother-in-law also helped. We achieved it exactly, to the day, within those two months. My daughter has now been open for four months and is generating four times the revenue we anticipated. Every class is full with 30 participants. She even has a waiting list of 20 people who currently have no room. It's been an incredible success!
But the road to getting there also had its setbacks, such as bicycles that weren't delivered. Only after a formal notice of default and the threat of a debt collection agency did the bicycles show up on the doorstep. But now the matching shoes hadn't been delivered yet! So, again: calling, calling, and more calling.
My vision for project management? Go for it. You have a clear goal in mind. What do you need to do to get there? What do you need to put in place? There are people who throw in the towel when things get tough. The well-known yeah sorry, I can't do anything about it either.
This is precisely the moment when you, as a project manager, can truly step up. IPMA supports you in this, teaching you a different way of thinking and approaching things. That's what makes IPMA so special."
"Project management means anticipating what's coming. And therefore also taking action when you can."
Important: don't wait
“What advice would I give you? Don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today. This seems obvious, but I often see people around me waiting until the very last moment something can be done. And well, if something unexpected happens, you get the 'yes sorry, I can't do anything about it either'.
Managing projects means anticipating what's coming. And therefore also taking action when you can. For example, a project manager recently told me about a supplier who was supposed to deliver items on a specific date, but didn't. The project manager contacted the director, and a new date was agreed upon. But on that new date? Again, nothing happened.
The project manager more or less expected me to give him advice on what to say to the supplier. But instead, I asked, "What did you do?" He looked at me with a slightly surprised expression. I continued, "How do you approach employees? Do you wait until the deadline and then ask, 'Do you have the supplies?' Or do you have weekly progress reviews?" Then the project manager understood.
That's the insight I try to instill in people. The moment you see: hey, I can do that now, you do it immediately. As a project manager, it's your job to effectively anticipate what might happen, the risks. I think that's a very important skill for a project manager: don't wait.
Leven
“My motto, don't put off until tomorrow what you can do todayThat's also how I live. So, making plans for 10 years from now is pointless. If I want to do something, I do it and I go for it completely. Life isn't a dress rehearsal; I live in the moment. I enjoy cycling with my wife. We cycle to Berlin, Barcelona, Austria, Sweden, and Denmark. We really enjoy the sense of freedom that comes with it.
I also believe it's important to contribute to society. I teach judo to children and young people with disabilities. I've been doing so for years. I'm also a judo referee. And during the summer months, I give cycling lessons for the municipality of Hoorn. It's all about helping people stay mobile for as long as possible. They often have fears of all sorts of things, like posts or oncoming traffic. I help them overcome those fears.
What makes your IPMA training different?
I've been a project manager for over 15 years and have made plenty of mistakes. You learn the most from making mistakes, so I'm always saucy about them. After sharing my story, I ask other participants: what would you have done in my situation? I enjoy it most when someone says, "I can't believe you did that!" These anecdotes make training more engaging, and the knowledge is much more memorable.
And as I just said, you're not a trainer just to pass on theory. You have to entertain people. Cramming through a 125-slide show in a day doesn't stick. You have to make it lively and interactive. If you focus on competencies and let people practice and reflect, then they really learn something.
“You need to make training lively and interactive, then knowledge is retained much better.”
