This photo hints on what is a recurring event for me almost every weekend (and if possible a couple of evenings): mountain biking (in The Netherlands it is better to call this cross-country biking giving some essential components missing when talking mountain) . When trying to associate this with my work at Synergio, then the most simple answer would be: both a lot of fun to do and kind of hobby 😉

The focus of my work at Synergio is to realise solutions for our customers in support of their lean-agile development processes, with help of our tools. Very interesting work in a large diversity of environments, often hard work but in the end enjoying the results with grateful customers.

When biking you encounter similar experiences: your tour brings you to all kinds of exotic places, every time extremely hard work but at the end of your tour always a beautiful view to enjoy. If only that nice cool glass of beer that is waiting for you 🍺

Both in the job at Synergio as in biking not everything goes smoothly all the time, sometimes you take a steep fall, but you don’t let that scare you. Making errors is something to learn from! Lots of laughs, get up and on you go! Sometimes it hurts a bit longer than the other, but it is and remains too much fun to do!

I am Walter, “Tooling man” at Synergio. In this little introduction I want to tell you about two of my soft spots, for you to get to know me a little bit.

A while ago I came across the same Casio watch online as the one I had 30 years ago. I immediately bought it; nice! After all those years, I still remembered exactly how it worked.

What I then realized was that the Japanese design team on that watch did a really good job, back then. The user interface still makes sense after all these years, very usable, sleek and the watch always does what it's supposed to do.

A strong design, that's what I have a weakness for! I like stuff that does what it promises and keeps doing it, with no fuss. I select the things I buy based on that, and with that 'state of mind' I also tackle DIY jobs around the house, for example. And, it is also how I strive to act professionally.

That is why I also feel at home at Synergio.

I always strive to unburden you, the customer, as much as possible. I like to have a lot of interaction, in short cycles, in order to achieve an optimal result.
This often works out fine, not always. If results are below expectations, I believe it's important to discuss openly, and to expose myself, also my weak points.

And that brings me to another thing I have a weakness for. In the Lean production methodology, it is prescribed to completely shut down the production line if a deviation occurs in the product. During this shut down, the entire multidisciplinary team together goes to search for the cause. They then eliminate it, think of ways to prevent it from happening again, and only then they start producing again. A rigorous approach, but a very inspiring one!

I love my diverse and supportive work within Synergio. However, I mainly get my energy and motivation from creating an environment in which we do not work together purely on a business basis, but in which we really become a close team. Actually more of a family.

Cooking is one of my passions because I can express myself in it and I know that once we sit at the table, in whatever setting, we come together, really have time and attention for each other. Eating together connects.

So I don't just cook at home but also for our Synergio family.

Caring, unburdening, having genuine interest, paying attention. It's not complicated. I don’t want complicated, but pure, sincere and above all from within, with the best intention. It is not about what is visible, but about what can be felt.

I used to play volleyball a lot. I grew up trying to combine school and good grades, practices every other day and tournament weekends. Keeping a tight schedule as a child or teenager is only doable, when the thing that makes you busy is your passion.

What keeps my memories so warm and alive is my dear team that I am still in touch with. We were playing together, sharing the same struggle, celebrating big wins and wiping tears after tough losses. We managed to go through injuries, challenging preparation camps and rookie self-confidence struggles. We were best friends inside and outside the court – and it was the shared goal that kept us together so tightly. Even now, while writing this, I am smiling.

The obvious conclusion of the paragraph above is that I am a team player. I believe in sharing goals, being honest and open when encountering difficulties, being supportive and respectful. What does it have to do with working with a customer on implementing a change? I believe that this is the pure essence.

The goal is the result of change, the path might be bumpy sometimes, but you are not alone there – there are the coaches to support you, to make the strategy clear and to adjust it when the situation changes. At some point you will start to feel that you are not even slightly afraid – that adrenaline comes from determination and excitement, because you learnt and improved so much about yourself, that you are no longer scared to give it a try.