Sometimes you need to step out of the office and onto the dance floor for great ideas to come to you. That’s what happened to Henk (CTO of Planon) and Lotte (Senior Project Manager on the Services team) during a night out organized by our Dutch staff association PlaNonAktief. Somewhere between the music and the mingling, they came up with an 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 turned out to be unrealistic. "We couldn’t just exchange calendars and execute one another’s work with a lack of background knowledge. Instead, we opted for just one test day," Henk recalled. Lotte first shadowed Henk for a full work day, and Henk later did the same. "Henk picked a Wednesday, his favorite day of the week, full of internal meetings, technical updates, and strategic discussions," Lotte said.
Shadowing Henk for a 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 by saying ‘I’m just a developer’. In reality, he is part of Planon’s core department. There’s really no need to be that modest!"
Senior Project Manager Lotte
Lotte also got a better picture of the variety in Henk’s role. Especially surpring to her was how much Henk does by heart. "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 shadowed Lotte during a day in Planon’s largest project to date: an implementation at a big governmental organization 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.
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 Centers and Software Development departments are often involved 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 experience with Planon's products, the solution worked," 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 their role-switch day, with only some slight challenges. "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."
Henk 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 realize what newcomers see and feel when they join Planon."
For Lotte, the day 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 new perspective to see your own work in a fresh light.
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!
