Global Shapers and the GBL-E collaboration
Gotten freshly of the Global Shapers workshops I of course thought I would be CEO in the upcoming 5 years. Well…. maybe a bit longer, but still the experience you get during the event is not one you soon tend to forget and gets you motivated to really run the extra mile for Arcadis.
For some reason I was so lucky to be selected as guest for the Global Business Line Environment (GBL-E) meeting in Rotterdam, following the Arcadis Global Leadership Forum (AGLF). This was not the first time this happened, since Mark Fenner and his team have invited Global Shapers before to their GBL-E face-to-face meetings. During the meeting you could notice that the team members valued my inputs and often tried to clarify things to me, in order to make me fully aware of the things that were presented. The meeting really helped me place goals and developments within the department in perspective. In the evening we thanked Zack Smith for all his work done for Arcadis in the past years with a great dinner, full of speeches (even one of myself, which hopefully wasn’t to embarrassing…).
After the GBL-E meeting in Rotterdam, the GBL kept me in the loop, because they wanted to improve the collaboration with Global Shapers across the coming years. We came to the conclusion that the younger generation often is not aware what is happening at a higher level of management and creating more transparency would increase their understanding of managerial decisions and strategic paths chosen. Global Shapers inclusion in the GBL-E quarterly calls was born! For the last two GBL-E calls I was asked to invite fellow Global Shapers of the Environment department to sort of “peak behind the screens” and discuss a pre-defined topic with the team. This even resulted in a Your Voice response group where Global Shapers from all regions across the World are implemented in teams to find solutions for topics that needed attention according to the results.
The other effort that is currently a work in progress is helping/mentoring Global Shapers with their Personal Development Plans (PDP’s). If appreciated by the Global Shapers, the GBL-E team members all mentor or arrange mentors in a relevant field of expertise to support (until now) Global Shapers of the 2015 generation in their personal development. As said, this is still a work in progress, but if it proves to be valued and successful, maybe a broader plan can be implemented.
I have no doubt that Mark Fenner and his team are dedicated to further increase collaboration with Global Shapers and the younger generation Arcadians in the future and will find ways to stay connected to us all. Until now already a great effort and I would like to recommend other business lines to follow their lead!
Matthijs Engelbert van Bevervoorde
Global Shaper of the 2015 Generation