Author Archives: Peter Henssen

From Craftsman to Puppet: When Managers Stop Managing

I once met a man—let’s call him Johan—who was the best technical specialist in his department. The kind of person who could solve problems others didn’t even see coming. Quiet, reliable, smart. His work was spotless. So, naturally, the company did what many do: they promoted him. “Congratulations, Johan. You’re now the new team manager.” […]

SLOW DOWN

Slow down There are plenty of arguments to take it easy, to slow down. I find that, since living here in Botswana, ‘slowingdown’ comes naturally and it brings me a lot. If I compare my schedule now with the one of five years ago when I was living in the Netherlands, the difference becomes immediately […]

To connect or not to connect?

When I speak to the younger generation, I hear the word “connection” a lot. They do not mean the connection through social media but the real connection with family, friends, colleagues, etc. I think that this maybe is one of the positives outcomes of the pandemic. The lockdowns did not allow them to go out and a life with no real social contacts showed them how important that ‘real’ connection is. I also think that […]