How we bring out the best in our team
CEO Foreword
Dear <<First Name>>,
More than a month has passed since the beginning of this year and the developments at Oldenburger|Fritom continue unabated in 2019. One example of this is the construction of our new distribution center, which is making steady progress. In order to qualify for the highest possible BREEAM-NL score Outstanding, also the installations of our new building need to comply with the strictest sustainability requirements. In this newsletter, you will find out how the most sustainable distribution center of the Northern Netherlands will soon be heated without gas connection.
Sustainable innovations are also central to the Top Dutch Solar Racing team. This student team from the Northern Netherlands designs and builds an efficient solar car for participation in the World Solar Challenge in Australia. They can count on support in this from the regional business community. Oldenburger|Fritom may call itself the proud logistics partner of Top Dutch Solar Racing. You can read more about how we support them with our logistics expertise during this adventure in the land down under.
Besides sustainability, Brexit is of course a hot topic in 2019 as well. In our previous newsletter, we devoted attention to the concerns of the Dutch branch organization TLN related to the customs situation in the United Kingdom. This time our recurring feature “The world around us” is about taking early action in preparation for all possible Brexit-scenarios.
And whether it concerns Brexit preparations or the realization of sustainable logistic solutions: Oldenburger|Fritom relies heavily on its employees, every single day. This is why individual and team training activities – with a focus on our mindset – are organized at Oldenburger|Fritom. Gonnie van Alphen of the Mindset Company accompanies us in this. She provides insight into how the brain works and shows us how we can get the best out of ourselves. You can read more about what positive effect this has on Oldenburger|Fritom as a collective in this newsletter.
I wish you much reading pleasure.
Sincerely,
René Dale
Saving significantly on CO2 emissions
At Oldenburger|Fritom the motto is ‘do not wait but act promptly’. While our government is still debating the climate agreement, we focus on achieving our own climate objectives right now. Our new distribution center will therefore be equipped with the most efficient and sustainable installations. This includes LED-lighting, an advanced air ventilation system and an electric heat pump. Our distribution center is subsequently built without a connection to the gas network, resulting in a significant saving of CO2 emissions.
Level of sustainability
Because we are building in accordance with BREEAM Outstanding – the highest level of this internationally recognized quality mark – our distribution center must fulfil the most stringent sustainability requirements. BREEAM-NL evaluates 9 subcategories and each category has its own weighting factor. The level of sustainability of the complete building and the installations that have been realized, count in several categories. In addition to the categories Energy and Materials, these are also the categories Health & Wellbeing, Water, Waste and Pollution.
Installation of an electric heat pump
The weighted category scores are totaled, leading to an overall score. This overall score then leads to a qualification of 1 to 5 stars. BREEAM Outstanding is the highest attainable level (5 stars). That is the reason why Oldenburger|Fritom has opted for, among other things, the installation of an electric heat pump. As a result, a gas connection is no longer needed. This installation is a shining example of sustainability because an electric heat pump consumes a relatively low amount of electricity. In other words, with this installation we are taking an important step towards a sustainable future.
Up for a challenge in the land down under
Top Dutch Solar Racing is a team with a mission. This student team from the Northern Netherlands designs and builds its own solar car to participate in the famous Bridgestone World Solar Challenge in Australia. What started as an initiative of students of the University of Groningen and the Hanze University, has grown into a multidisciplinary cooperation. A cooperation which is unique. The solar car is created together with the regional business community by students of different educational levels from the three northern provinces of the Netherlands.
Sustainable innovations
The World Solar Challenge welcomes international student teams to traverse the Australian outback over a distance of 3,000 kilometers: from Darwin in the North to Adelaide in the South. The challenge is to build the efficient solar car in which sustainable innovations are boosted. The Top Dutch Solar Racing team will participate in The Challenger Class of the World Solar Challenge in October this year.
Logistics partner
Work on the solar car is still ongoing at Zernike Campus in Groningen. Once ready, the vehicle will have to be transported from Groningen to Australia. This is where Oldenburger|Fritom as logistics partner of Top Dutch Solar Racing comes in. We will take care of the complete transport operation of the flightcase with solar car and accompanying technology. In addition, we support this great team where necessary and desirable with our international logistics expertise.
The 15th edition of the World Solar Challenge
Inaugurated in 1987, the World Solar Challenge is held every two years. The 15th edition takes place from 13 to 20 October this year. It is the first time that a student team from the Northern Netherlands participates in the World Solar Challenge. In previous editions, student teams of the Delft University of Technology, the University of Twente & Saxion and the Eindhoven University of Technology have participated.
 The world around us
Brexit preparations
The Brexit deadline of March 29 is fast approaching. A survey by the Dutch Chamber of Commerce showed that only a quarter of the entrepreneurs questioned say to be properly prepared. This is partly due to the fact that many things are still unclear at the moment.
One thing is certain, though: all EU countries trading with the United Kingdom will be faced with customs affairs after Brexit. Hence, are you importing goods out of or exporting goods into the United Kingdom? Then you will certainly face customs formalities once Brexit is happening.
Although a no-deal Brexit seems unlikely, it is important that all possible Brexit-scenarios are taken into account. The Brexit Impact Scan has been launched to support you in all of this. The scan indicates what possible consequences Brexit might have for your business. Based on this, you are advised to make appropriate advance preparations.
Self-knowledge forms the basis for teams that excel
How do you bring out the best in your employees? And how do you create a collective ambition at the same time? In short, how do you ensure that your company achieves the ideal balance between personal development and that strong sense of unity within your team? The search for answers to these questions brought Oldenburger|Fritom to Gonnie van Alphen of the Mindset Company. She takes us on a voyage of discovery through our mindset. For only if we know how our personal thinking patterns work, we will be able to excel as a team.
A natural born leader
The path towards achieving these goals has, however, changed over the past decades. Authoritarian leadership has given way to coaching leadership. The difference between the two? An authoritarian leader makes all the decisions himself or herself and delegates the tasks. A coaching leader, on the other hand, is committed to further develop and improve the competences of his or her team members. He or she encourages independence of the team members to take appropriate initiatives and gives them the confidence to do so.
Coaching leadership
The path towards achieving these goals has, however, changed over the past decades. Authoritarian leadership has given way to coaching leadership. The difference between the two? An authoritarian leader makes all the decisions himself or herself and delegates the tasks. A coaching leader, on the other hand, is committed to further develop and improve the competences of his or her team members. He or she encourages independence of the team members to take appropriate initiatives and gives them the confidence to do so.
Flat organizational structure
This also happens at Oldenburger|Fritom. Responsibilities and powers are assigned as low as possible, encouraging the entrepreneurship of all our employees. Our flat organizational structure helps us with this. Already in 2009, we started with coaching leadership trainings and we deepened these to personal coaching leadership trainings in 2016. This means that all our employees bear personal responsibility. In the field of vitality, for example, but also to call each other to account for attitudes and behavior.
Growth Mindset vs Fixed Mindset
How we do this? By providing all employees – from management to the work floor – insight into the difference between a growth mindset and a fixed mindset. In short, a growth mindset is the belief that someone can develop his or her capacities. In case of a fixed mindset it is believed that basic qualities are fixed traits. Gonnie van Alphen of the Mindset Company shows us both as an individual and as a team how we can improve our mindset for the better. In other words, Oldenburger|Fritom not only aims at continuous improvement in relation to logistic solutions. We also do this in relation to ourselves. |
