Francien Plooy - Afdelingshoofd Wijkzaken, Gemeente Breda

What have we achieved in the
past 1.5 years? People become
more self-aware and style-flexible.”

The municipality of Breda has been working with The Thrive and especially Bob for almost ten years. The last 1.5 years specifically with a focus on a transformation issue: A tilting of the organization within the Spatial Economic domain within which there is more emphasis on task-oriented cooperation in chains towards an agile networked organization.

In collaboration with an external consultant it is crucial that you share the same values. For me sustainable social value creation is really important. And that fits well with Bob and recently Marion from The Thrive. What appeals to me in Bob's approach is his involved, energetic and positively appreciative approach. As a result, people feel seen in 1-1 conversations, in teams and in large groups. People feel comfortable and safe, so they can detach themselves from their own views, which makes it possible to consciously take the next step through dialogue. In a group setting, Bob respectfully calls things by their name, sometimes with an image or a metaphor, sometimes with a funny one-liner, or with a concrete instrument.

What have we achieved in the past 1.5 years? People become more self-aware and style-flexible. Teams gain more respect for differences and work better together. Sessions are very productive and well recorded. Our capacity to manage change by ourselves has gradually increased. It is valuable to regularly hire a specialist, who runs a consulting business from an inner drive and who looks beyond his own business interest.