“You must dare to rediscover your job”
Five questions to Jan Kimpen, Chairman of the Board, about innovative working
UMC Utrecht is known as an innovative club. But can you stay that way if healthcare has to be more efficient? And what does that mean for employees? “The most important thing is to continue to ask whether we’re doing what we’re doing smartly enough.”
1. Is Chairman of the Board a nice job? “Sure it is. However, I have to disappoint you right now: this job will not be vacant for some time to come. I think the work is too nice for that. Leading such an ambitious organization is like one big party. People want to do things. They have plans. Some of the plans we can implement, others not. But there’s always ambition there. My job is to gear these individual ambitions to the interests of the organization. And – even though I say so myself – we’re successful in that.”
2. How do you lead an organization of 10,000 people? “The most important thing is to listen a lot, talk, explain and communicate. I want to know what preoccupies people. Why they work here and why they want to keep on working here. And of course I also want to hear about what’s lacking. You see we want to be the best – not just as a teaching hospital but also as an employer. And that doesn’t just happen.”
3. What’s the biggest challenge for the future? “Healthcare must become more efficient. You must be aware of that even if you read the paper with your eyes shut. The cost simply can’t be covered. The bottom line is: how can we provide more quality at lower cost? Because the old story was always that better quality could be achieved only with more money. Sorry, but I just don’t buy that. However, that means that we have to look at our own work and our organization in an entirely different way.”
4. What does that mean for employees? “As an employee, you must be creative and reflect on things intelligently. And at least as important is that you must enjoy it. As a nurse, you must be prepared to take a good look at what you do each day. Is the way we work here really practical? In short, you often have to dare to rediscover your job. Of course we want to help you in this. We’re going to continue to invest heavily in career guidance and training.”
5. For whom is UMC Utrecht the right organization? “It’s for people who really want to progress, who want to achieve something with each other. If you opt for meaning in your work and you want to grow, UMC Utrecht is the place to be. So let’s see what your ambitions are made of!”