Sometimes you need to step out of the office and onto the dance floor to come up with great ideas. That’s what happened to Henk (CTO) and Lotte (Senior Project Manager in the Services team) during Vrienden van Amstel Live, a night out organised by our Dutch staff association PlaNonAktief. Somewhere between the music and the mingling, they came up with the idea: what if we swap jobs for a day, Freaky Friday style?
Switching roles: Lotte takes on Henk’s day
Unsurprisingly, a full role swap was unrealistic. ‘We couldn’t just exchange calendars and execute one another’s work with a lack of background knowledge. Instead, we opted for a taster day,’ Henk recalled. Lotte first followed Henk, and later, Henk joined Lotte’s day. ‘Henk picked a Wednesday, his favourite day of the week, full of internal meetings, technical updates, and strategic discussions,’ Lotte said.
The taster day gave Lotte a whole new perspective on the Software Development department. ‘There’s a huge range of product topics and teams – the bread and butter of Planon,’ she said. ‘I joined a meeting where a developer introduced himself as ‘I’m just a developer’. In reality, he is a part of Planon’s core department. There’s really no need to be that modest!’
Senior Project Manager Lotte
Lotte also got a clearer picture of the variety in Henk’s role. ‘An important part of my role is to brainstorm with others and inspire enthusiasm for new ideas,’ Henk explained. ‘Lotte’s job is more structured, making sure everything goes according to plan during a project. But still, she has all the details in her head too.’
When Henk stepped into Lotte’s world
CTO Henk
Later, Henk joined Lotte during a day in Planon’s largest project to date: the implementation at a big governmental organisation with thousands of buildings. Henk was struck by the scale of it all. ‘The size of the steering committees, management team, and project teams was impressive,’ he said. ‘When working on a project this comprehensive, you have to make compromises and find ways to move forward. You depend on others for many of the puzzle pieces. It’s essential to keep the conversation going.’
Naturally, he couldn’t help but feel proud to see how deeply the Software Development team is involved in this project. ‘For implementations like this, the Solution Centres and Software Development departments are often participating from the very beginning,’ Henk continued. ‘At one point, I even dared to propose a technical solution myself. I immediately felt part of the Services team. Thanks to my many years with Planon, I had the right knowledge to offer this solution,’ Henk said with a smile.
Reflecting on a day well spent
‘Our jobs aren’t so different after all. I guide customer projects to a successful finish, while Henk does the same for product development projects,’ Lotte concluded. ‘It’s all about keeping an overview, having the right knowledge to make decisions and knowing who to involve for which task. That’s the biggest similarity in what we do,’ Henk added.
Their colleagues were just as enthusiastic about the taster day. ‘As part of the executive management team, my role comes with a certain label, but nobody made a big deal out of it. We only received positive reactions,’ Henk commented. ‘Only at lunch, one colleague hesitated to speak openly. But after Lotte encouraged him, we had a really frank conversation.’ Henk genuinely appreciated that moment. ‘There is nothing better than hearing feedback straight from the source. That was the kind of moment I hoped for: to just be a colleague again.’
Despite the packed agenda, Henk has no regrets. He found the experience incredibly valuable. ‘As an executive, it’s important to understand what everyone is working on,’ he explained. The day even inspired him to revisit the Software Development onboarding course. ‘It helped me realise what newcomers see and feel when they join Planon.’
For Lotte, it confirmed the importance of showing how project work connects with the product journey. ‘These two worlds depend on each other; it’s good to understand both sides.’
All in all, it was a memorable experience for Lotte and Henk, full of fresh insights and unexpected lessons. Sometimes, all it takes is a peek into someone else’s calendar to see your own from a completely new angle.
Henk and Lotte’s job swap sparked interest among colleagues, so they’ve passed on the baton to Klaas (COO Real Estate) and Sylvia (Manager Services). Stay tuned for their story!
