Teamwork beats the clock in Weert

When we ask Richard Janssen of Nering Bögel in Weert to look back on 2021, he says without hesitation, "Despite all the turbulence in society, it was once again a year by people, for people." Janssen explains that the solutions in water management we encounter from Nering Bögel every day go far beyond the applied cast iron and concrete. "Those products are designed, manufactured, transported and installed by people. Our people are involved with our products until we 'wave them off' when they go with the freight truck. Every time I see a load driving off the premises, I think: they did that well again. Yes, I am proud of our employees, just as they are proud of our company."

Being considerate of each other

"You see by the persistent coronagraphs that people tend to let go of the reins. Taking account of each other then becomes difficult for many people, while deep down everyone knows that we are facing a common task. This requires adaptation and perseverance. This is where I see the congruence with business in general and our company in particular. In whatever situation the company finds itself, you can't get anything done on your own. Working together, valuing and respecting each other is the motto. "

It was a matter of adjustment at Nering Bögel, too, with working from home, video calls, mouth guards and a meter-and-a-half regulation. "And so the work got done on time every time. We have quite a special company in terms of hierarchy. Even though I myself am the owner and Toin Bongers is the director, we just run 100% in the company and don't have to call the shots. You won't find a vertical business column with us, we are horizontally programmed. Our colleagues know what is expected of them and do their work without extra prompting. The two of us achieved a great result, despite the obstacles that corona presented." So where is that success?

Janssen: "We (Toin and I) deliberately take the risk of letting our colleagues decide for themselves how they set up and perform their jobs. We make clear what is expected of them and leave them free in how they achieve that goal. Of course we have guidelines, but within that framework they are allowed to decide for themselves. We can afford this because there are only 22 of us. The goldcrests are the commercial employees, they have the daily contact with the relations. But... the employees of the logistics department are the boss, funny huh? You can promise anything as a salesperson, but it has to be neatly put together and loaded. And everyone's commitment comes into good focus when someone from the office has made a mistake. Then we see a man in suit on the forklift loading his "mistake" himself after 5 p.m. Of course, that is also a consequence of the freedom the employees enjoy. At least this way you learn to communicate well with each other; if you ask for something, you get all the cooperation for the best solution. Do you like to be opinionated? Then that's not wise at Nering Bögel. You only do that once. Secretly I enjoy this and note that, given that no one here leaves of their own accord, our way of working and interacting with each other makes for a relaxed working environment. We highlighted someone with 50 years of service in your magazine, but the line runs by 5 years!"

Hand in hand

This was also the year of (energy) positivity, reading back through the editions of this magazine. Janssen nods and says, "Yes, as a company you have to dare to put your hand in your pocket. If you have the means to contribute something to a cleaner world, I see it as a moral obligation to do so. Our solar panels produce more power than we need and we pass it back to the energy provider. We are also continuously working on circularity in our production and we are also achieving great things in that area. As indicated recently in GWW magazine: doing nothing is not an option. There are a lot of complaints that "it's too late. But what is the alternative? To sit by and wait for everything to (accelerate) go to shit. I don't think so."

To inspire others and speak clear language (or lead by example), Lau was created. A cartoon of a manhole cover that has all sorts of adventures and provides clear explanations here and there. "We made up a mascot to publish a little more in the third person. For example, Lau made the comment, 'The best ideas are simple.' That's our credo at Nering Bögel. We like to unravel complex issues, "knock problems flat," and constantly ask ourselves if something could be simpler. After all, most of the time it is, we know from experience."

We close by looking at 2022 and ask Janssen how he views the next year. "We'll just continue on the same footing, we can't do anything else. It's pie in the sky when it comes to corona, but there are plenty of factors to draw hope from. What you get energy from. Collaboration, as mentioned, whether by phone, video or in the workplace, whether under special circumstances or not. I wish everyone reading this a healthy and successful 2022. Try to allow the peace you enjoyed over the Christmas vacations to continue, and occasionally take time to ask yourself what could be simpler. How you can accomplish that together. Working smarter means having more time for each other. That makes everything much more fun, right?"