Better together
Strengthening collaboration between the Works Council & the director
A strong partnership between the Works Council and the director is key to meaningful employee participation. But, here’s the catch: when training sessions on group dynamics and collaboration are offered, they’re often attended only by the Works Council. The director and HR-manager might drop by for an hour to discuss expectations and make practical agreements, but then they’re off again. After the session I hear it time and time again: “That hour was nice, but let’s see how it works in practice.” While the short session is a start, it’s not the most effective (or fun!) way to truly strengthen collaboration.
So, what happens when they both invest in collaboration? Let’s take the organization Acorel as an example.
The Works Council of Acorel
At Acorel the Works Council, the director and HR set aside an entire day to focus on teamwork. For having an open dialogue and turning ideas into action. By the end of the day they walked away with valuable insights:
- The Works Council felt more empowered to proactively engage employees and share initiatives.
- The director and HR recognized the value of involving the Works Council earlier in decision-making and invited them to key meetings to provide input.
- Most importantly, they got to know each other better, creating a foundation of trust that makes future collaboration smoother and decision-making more effective.
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Three crucial elements
Three crucial elements are important for employee participation: trust, involvement and collaboration. These occur when the Works Council and the director commit to working together, learning together and growing together. So, for your next training session, ask yourself: why not invite the director to join? You’ll be surprised by the results.
You might be wondering: why is this blog in English? This is because I have rarely seen English-speaking Works Councils spend a full day on team bonding and practical agreements. They deserve to know it’s not only possible, but also a real wn for the organization (just like for Dutch-speaking Works Councils!). And of course, since Acorel has an English-speaking Works Council, it means everyone gets to enjoy this article!
Written by trainer/adviser Didi Bos.
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