Huddle!
Huddle. I had absolutely no clue what that word means and was a bit worried that I need to cuddle with my new colleagues. As my Amsterdam co-workers know, I’m not a huge fan of cuddling at all….
Luckily enough it’s nothing like that, but just a short get together to discuss a few things in a “huddle” a.k.a. a meeting room that cannot be booked and works with a first come first serve system. During this huddle meetings I learned a lot more about the way of working here. I will not fill you in with all the ideas and differences, but I will highlight the topics that strike me the most.
From a culture perspective there are two things that are significantly different compared to what my assumption was. First thing, I always assumed that Dutch people are known for directness, which can sometimes even be experienced as blunt. That might still be the case, but I must say that in the meetings that I attended here, the communication was very clear and direct as well. While we Dutchies tend to beat a bit around the bush about giving one another feedback, in New York they just say it directly how it is. Definitely an efficient way of working!
Second thing is the greeting, or actually the lack of greeting. Do not get me wrong, everybody is extremely friendly and collaborative, but greeting just seems to be something they do not do if you do not directly know the other person. Not in the hallway, not in the elevator, just simply not.
Concerning work related learnings; I think the most remarkable topics to mention are the interview training for hiring managers, full of useful tips to create a better candidate journey with a better outcome and the R.A.K. cards. The letters on these cards stand for “Random Acts of Kindness”. So, whenever you notice someone in the office doing something kind, you can fill in a card and drop it in the R.A.K. box. Every month HR picks out these cards and will praise the employees for it. Super simple and motivational initiative.
Speaking of motivational, I am going to wrap this up for now because happy hour is almost starting. This Friday (June 15th) I will share some live updates through the Havas Instagram account as I am going to be responsible for the “takeover” this day.
