Looking back on my internship I learned more than just being able to function in the workplace. Of course Digne Consult taught me more about the content of a training designed to improve the well-being of employees. And that it is important to generate specific strategies for the individuals (and organization) in question. If you really aim to make a change, at least. Old habits die hard and with abstract concepts you are going nowhere. It is crucial to let participants brainstorm for themselves about concrete plans to make a difference in their not so optimal way of working. Hence change won’t be fleeting but sustainable.
I also experienced from up close the way Digne Consult invests genuine time and energy in the people they do business with (which is crucial for a consultancy company to survive, especially when the economy is rough). Not just with old and new clients but with their own group of trainers as well. For example, the PDP (Personal Development Plan) meeting I attended to wasn’t really formal at all but rather fun! Some delicious snacks and drinks were served while we talked freely about different ideas to optimize the content of a training even more. And the funny thing is, the way Digne Consult has its meetings really pays off. Because building on relationships with people within your company makes them not hesitant about sharing their thoughts to make the company do better: they rather feel valued about their input. I was very pleased to see this kind of dynamic at Digne Consult.
All of the experiences above have made me a better industrial and organizational psychologist but I believe my time at Digne Consult also made me a better person as a whole. During my internship I’ve spent a lot of time on investigating perfectionism at work, which is actually very applicable to me both in- and outside of the workplace. This means I’ve made use of the tips to tackle the negative consequences of perfectionism: I ask for feedback rather sooner than later and I’m less ‘afraid’ of criticism. I dare to ask for help now. And maybe even more important, I learned to be ok with asking for help. You are not a bad person nor a bad employee if you can’t do everything right from the start. I give myself more room to actually grow, which gives me way more satisfaction. This self-taught urge to grow made me more assertive as well. I took matters in my own hands by suggesting to do the research about perfectionism specifically experienced by Young Professionals. Most of the time, school let us believe we should do what we are told. It feels good to take over the wheel every now and then. And to actually be appreciated for it! As Young Professionals we have to believe more in ourselves. We are the future and we really have the qualities to make something out of it.
Note. With this I would like to take the opportunity to thank Jacqueline Weesie for helping me grow as an employee and as a person. I will always be grateful!
