'Technical issues are easily solvable; it's the human side where things often go wrong.'
Marc Groothedde is an industrial designer and technician by background. In his career, he became intrigued by the human side of high tech. His job? Talking. All day long, with everyone at all levels and disciplines. Marc says, 'The quality of communication is decreasing. We no longer take the time to truly understand each other. Only when we systematically share our knowledge and ambition can we succeed in moving together from A to B.'
Prevention is better than cure.
Marc lives in Oirschot, near Eindhoven. He finds (project) management a 'cool profession' because it involves all aspects of business operations, allowing for broad work. From sales, finance, technology to HR: projects touch everything. Two years ago, through Ghysels, he was connected with VECO in Eerbeek, where he has been fulfilling various roles ad interim since then. Currently, he is helping the manufacturer of microprecision metals meet quality, health, safety, and environmental requirements as Manager Quality, Health, Safety, and Environment a.i.
VECO serves a wide range of industries, from medical, automotive to food and beverage to aerospace. Marc says, 'Raising the quality and safety in a company to an even higher and more professional level means becoming aware of behavior and collectively agreeing to approach it differently. For example, when something goes wrong, we tend to fix it immediately. If you do this and don't think about how to prevent the problem next time, the quality will never improve. Stop with the quick fixes. Think together consciously about potential problems, their causes, and the necessary measures to prevent them in the future. You can patch up the tire of your bike every 10 meters. But if you're cycling on a street full of shards, you'll be busy forever.'
What on earth have we gotten ourselves into?
In his career, Marc has seen many things go wrong and has drawn valuable lessons from them. Marc says, 'In recent years, I've often looked at my colleagues and said, what on earth have we gotten ourselves into. What are we doing here? When you work hard together on a job, a huge challenge, or a change, you often encounter things that don't work. You can bury your head in the sand, but you can also speak it out loud to each other. Laugh about the situation together. That's relaxing, after which you can discuss how to make it work. Believe me, with a big dose of humor, you get the most done.'
According to Marc, helping teams get from A to B is also a matter of really thinking long term more often. Marc says, 'We often look only 2 steps ahead and forget about the long term. If you and I plan a trip to Paris, we can worry about the first train. That's micromanagement; you dive into the content too quickly. Make a good plan instead. Explain this in an understandable way and communicate it to all levels in the organization.'
A good manager has their feet up on the table
Anyone scrolling through Marc's CV can see that he has a lot of experience managing projects in various industries, including the high-tech sector. The more challenging the task, the more enthusiastic he becomes. For example, he once helped set up a factory and renovated a submarine. Marc says, 'As a techie, I have a sense of the content and find it interesting. But as a (project) manager, you have to be careful not to come up with substantive solutions yourself. A good manager has their feet up on the table. And ensures that something happens, that the group goes in a certain direction. You arrange things, don't pick them up yourself, and don't come up with the solution yourself. You are the one who creates the conditions so that the specialists can do their work. I'm the one, so to speak, who arranges pizzas for the engineers or coffee for the mechanics. A good manager is constantly in conversation, with everyone. At all levels and with all blood types. Knowing how everyone is in the game, what they're going for. Only then do you find out exactly where your organization stands and what it takes to reach the next goal. With technology, you can make anything.
Technical problems are often so easily solvable. It's often the human side that is forgotten, and that's where it goes wrong. The reason? We've forgotten how to really listen to each other. Often, we have no understanding for the person working next to you and what drives them. Despite having more ways than ever to communicate with each other, the quality of communication is decreasing. Dropping a quick email or message and thinking someone understood it is rarely effective. It leads to wrong assumptions, requiring another 20 emails to be sent. Simple things are more likely to go wrong because of this. If you want to collaborate successfully, don't hide behind email or apps. Physically meet or set up a video call. Look each other in the eyes and truly listen to each other.'
Dare to ask and make yourself vulnerable
Within VECO, Marc is often called the 'Swiss Army knife.' This is because Marc is multifunctional and has walked through so many companies and industries. He sees his role as an integrator of different disciplines, each with its own challenges.
Marc: 'In technical education, the doctrine is often: you have to solve it all yourself. In practice, it works differently because there are so many different links. Everyone knows a little about everything; no one is the general knowledge holder. So, you have to ask each other questions. That means making yourself vulnerable. Because as a techie, you are expected to know everything, which can be difficult. It can make you insecure. Naming those emotions often lies far outside the comfort zone. Especially for technical people, and within a professional setting, it's even scarier. At VECO, I helped a young manager, a techie who had taken on a leadership role, to get the doubled department on track. I was allowed to teach him the art of management. He has mastered it now and runs the department alone. Managing technical teams is a beautiful profession. Just make sure you stand next to the people. Only then can you take them to the next level.'
