Our team - my story | Synergio | Product Development Excellence

Arno van Herk

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!

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Edwin Schumacher

I like sports to relax after work. I used to play volleyball and now I play tennis.

As you may have read in the personal stories of my colleagues, there are many similarities between sports and product development, especially if you compare it with team sports. Maybe you are a fan of a certain team and when you think about that, try to imagine why they are so good: Maybe you are a fan of a certain team and when you think about that, try to imagine why they are so good:
• With a top team it seems like everything goes very smoothly.
• It's really fast and everything looks so easy
• Players can find each other blindly, they are super attuned to each other
• They have a lot of fun

Who would not want that?

Yet there is also a strange paradox when you compare product development and sports, especially if you ask the question: How did they become so good and how do they stay that way?

Athletes have become great because they train 80 to 90% of the time and play matches 10 to 20% of the time, applying what they have trained. They train on technique, tactics, endurance, mental toughness, etc. all necessary in a competition.
If you compare this with product development teams in many organizations, the ratio is often the other way around: 10 to 20% of the time is spent on training and 80 to 90% of the time on playing “competitions”, namely actually developing products.

In order to get your training hours as a product development team, it is essential to make "continuous learning and improvement" an integral part of your product development process, then you will also become a top team!

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Mike van Spall

Doing the right things right in time I feel comfortable in technology-driven organizations where the development of new and improved products is an essential part for the organization. I am happy to take on the challenge of developing high-quality solutions better, faster and more sustainably. I sometimes compare the process of product development with cooking a delicious dish for friends and family on my Big Green Egg. With this age-old cooking technique you can apply different cooking techniques such as smoking, grilling, baking and steaming. But with the tools and ingredients only I still don't have a nice dish…Now it comes down to the preparation, the ambiance and the taste experience. This is true craftsmanship for me. Accelerating Product Development - Software and systems engineering - Lean agile product development Focus areas - Lean agile portfolio management - Continuous value delivery - Continuous learning and improvement - High performing teams

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Esmée Bertens

I am a sailor. Now you think, what does that have to do with work. A lot for me: • You go on an adventure and discover • You work together closely • You have to surrender yourself to the wind and be creative And imagine. You get on a sailboat in the morning, make a plan together and leave. In the afternoon the wind changes and you have to adjust your plan and at the end of the day you arrive at a different but perhaps more beautiful destination than you had previously thought. And how logical this sounds for sailing, how illogical this sounds in product development or the realization of a project. While that is also an adventure where you have to deal with changes and things that you have no control over. And that's what I help organizations with. We teach organizations to deal with these changes. Don't try to sail against the wind, but anticipate changes, come up with creative solutions and adjust your course. We do this by making teams work better together in short iterations and by eliminating waste in processes. We also have tools that give you insight into your progress, so you can adjust your plan in between and stay on track. And we don't do that from the side. I don't believe the best helmsmen are ashore. I'll board the ship with you and put the helm back in the hands of the people who have to do the work. And I enjoy that when people can determine their own course. If you are curious about how we do this, I would be happy to tell you more about it.

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Lizet Bary

I love gardening and all aspects that come with it. From plan to execution. What will be the structure of the garden? What should be high and what should be low? What grows where well? First I work out a plan to ensure that the total picture is correct. As soon as I have a plan, I immediately get to work. Moving plants, pruning, mowing the lawn, I can fully enjoy myself in the garden. Clearing weeds is my least favorite, but I don't shy away from that either. After that, the garden itself has to get to work: let everything grow. In my work I see many comparisons. I like to analyze first: how should an organization be set up, how does everything come into its own? What processes are there now and how could it work better? When the vision is there, I like to get started right away. Anyone who knows me knows that I don't rest until I take action: go-go-go for the result. I am a practical person: so not everything goes perfectly according to the theory, but see what works best for those people and situation. I prefer to focus on good cooperation. We all work with methods (SAFe, Agile, Rapid Learning Cycles) it doesn't really matter to me, what it really comes down to for me is that people know how to find each other in the collaboration and strengthen each other. Everyone in their place in their role. Because if that succeeds… then something really beautiful will arise and the company can start to flourish. And my role? I am the gardener, one time sitting with his hands in the soil, then restructure, remove weeds, and prune again. Just like in a garden, growing takes time. If you have set up the structure correctly, you can then maintain and enjoy it. Occasionally water, prune and remove weeds, but above all: let it grow.

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Walter van de Laar

I like to get to know someone by researching what he/she has a weakness for. Let me take a moment to illustrate! A while back I came across the same Casio watch online as the one I had 30 years ago. Immediately bought; nice! I remembered exactly how it worked. What I then realized was that the Japanese design team on that watch did a really good job at the time. The design 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 odd jobs around the house, for example. And, that's how I strive to do my job. That is why I also feel at home at Synergio. With my Tooling specialization I always strive to unburden you, the customer, as much as possible when implementing the tooling. I like to have a lot of interaction in order to achieve an optimal result in short iterations. Often works, not always. If that doesn't work, I always think it's important to discuss it openly. That's another thing I have a weakness for. Coincidentally, the Lean method also comes from Japan to simply shut down the production line completely in a factory if there appears to be a deviation in the product. Then they all go in search of the cause, eliminate it, and only then do they start producing again. A rigorous approach, but a very inspiring one! And oh yes, you can laugh with me too. But I don't have a picture of that right now 🙂

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Ingrid Kolster

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.

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Lidia Faszczewska

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.

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Joyce Vergoed

In addition to my work at Synergio, I have another passion: I am a painter (mainly commissioned portraits of animals and people).

For me, painting is both a creative and an iterative process:
I receive a number of photos, make a plan and then start with a set-up.
Only when the setup 'works', I continue with a first layer of paint, and then I add as many more layers as necessary until I am satisfied with the result.
It's a process of experimenting, learning, adjusting (and sometimes starting over...). And it's great to slowly but surely see the image I had in mind appear on the canvas.
It's like product development, including continuous learning and improvement 😉

Where painting is a 'lonely' activity that helps me to recharge in peace after a busy working day, in my work I mainly get energy from collaboration and growth.
I firmly believe in the power of 1 + 1 = 3! As soon as trust and a common goal arise in a group of people, creativity and energy are pooled and strengthened, so that results can be achieved that could never be achieved by the individual parts of the group.

Growth never happens by itself; It is a process of trial and error, of taking small steps in the desired direction (and sometimes a few steps back), and requires determination and focus. It is important to keep an eye on the goal, but also to enjoy what has already been achieved on the way there.

In my combined role as an agile team coach and software implementation consultant, growing and improving has a recurring leading role. The role I prefer to take on is that of facilitator, where I use my empathy and creativity to quickly come to a picture of both the current situation and the desired end result. And where my years of agile experience offer tools in outlining the way there together with the team. But then I like to roll up my sleeves to achieve a beautiful result together, by coloring the details step by step (and adjusting the sketch where necessary).

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Robbert van Riel

My personal approach is to accomplish the mission together with the team, both in my job at the army and in teams within and outside Synergio. . The meaning of this mission can vary. ranging from creating a new vision on innovation with management, to accelerating product development or coaching and training teams.

Throughout my career, I have learned that collaboration and engagement are essential for success. I believe that business innovation and transformation are most effective when they are driven from the shop floor. It is therefore important to translate the leadership's vision into clear and practical steps for the rest of the organization.

In recent years, I have gained valuable knowledge and experience in various environments and sectors. For example, I have participated in strategic sessions with management teams and set up innovative pilot projects, right at the heart of operations. The beauty of this form of collaboration is that it often naturally generates an iterative (Agile) process, where step by step, we discover what works and what doesn't.

With passion and dedication, I work together with my and my clients teams to achieve success. My mission is to promote a culture of continuous improvement and agility. Collaboration, engagement, and innovation are at the core of this mission. Together, we will accomplish the mission and create a successful future.

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