The importance of a good team
22 May In all honesty, running a successful business on your own is impossible. You need a good team. It is important that complex processes are performed in the correct way, every single day. For Kwekerij de Zuidplas, this means focusing on both efficiency and customer satisfaction. In practice, these turn out to be two different things. Juriaan explains how he approaches this challenge.
Both feet on the ground
One of Juriaan's qualities is that he likes to help out on the work floor. ‘I think it's important to be present within the business. I get involved in the work and cycle around the greenhouse doing my rounds and chatting with colleagues. Especially on Mondays, when I ask how the weekend was. Coffee breaks are also important times to maintain contact with each other. I am interested in other people and often ask colleagues for their suggestions. The results never fail to surprise me, and I do mean in a positive way.’
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Development and investment
If work is going well, there is room for development, in Juriaan's experience. ‘And if the work is running smoothly, that gives me time to do research and invest in people or machines, if needed. The importance of development also applies to the people in our team; so-called team development. I think it is important that employees are able to develop themselves within Kwekerij de Zuidplas, because I want them to enjoy their time here.’
‘I think it is important that employees are able to develop themselves within Kwekerij de Zuidplas, because I want them to enjoy their time here.’
Long-lasting working relationships
In general, employees that are part of the Kwekerij de Zuidplas team tend to work here for a long time. Some as long as 27 years! ‘Recently, we celebrated two work anniversaries of colleagues who have been here for 12.5 years. There is a great sense of belonging within the business.’ To this end, the grower has obtained various certificates that add up to a social qualification for the business. For those interested, this qualification has the abbreviation MPS-SQ. It's about upholding the characteristics of a good employer, such as proper conduct, a decent wage and reasonable working hours. But it's also about more general matters, such as the availability of a canteen. And the qualification extends beyond the boundaries of the greenhouse: even the impact on the surrounding community is assessed.
