“I am very convinced that you should seize opportunities when they arise. And with Harmony, you get opportunities anyway. That's really part of our culture here.”
Can you introduce yourself?
My name is Kris, I am 32 years old and I live with my wife and son aged 3.5 in Edegem, in the south of Antwerp. I have now been working at Harmony for more than 6 years, including a long time in various roles on a project at AG Insurance.
Besides work, I am a football fan, both as a spectator and with my friends on the field and enjoy meeting up with friends and family.
“How and when did you end up at Harmony?
I immediately rolled off the school desks into consultancy. First 2.5 years at another company, where - just like now - I was coached by Thomas. When he made the switch to Harmony, we stayed in touch. Through him, I then came into contact with Harmony. I quickly noticed that I really liked both the culture and projects at Harmony, and that's how the ball started rolling...
What projects have you done at Harmony since then?
I first started at Harmony as a Business Analyst at Record Bank, during their integration with ING and the creation of Record Credits. I was able to prove myself there right away by taking on more responsibilities, and that's how I grew into a project manager. So you don't necessarily have to work for different customers to go through a growth process, you can also do that by doing different projects with one customer.
At the end of 2020, I joined AG as a Business Analyst and Project Manager on a project for BNP Paribas Fortis. The bank worked to broaden their customer portfolio: they no longer wanted to focus only on individuals, but also on self-employed people and companies. Our team needed to analyse the technical feasibility of this broader focus. I have learned a great deal over that period and certainly also expanded my knowledge of the sector. Today, I'm still working on the aftercare for this major project for a little bit, but I've also started a brand new project. It is nice that I can and am allowed to grow in responsibilities within Harmony as well as with customers.
What impact have you already been able to make internally, within Harmony itself?
In addition to my project work, I've always had an interest in sales. I am therefore active in our Business Development & Marketing Tribe, this is an internal working group where we and a group of motivated colleagues think about how we can better market Harmony. I'm also part of the sales team and was able to capitalize on my first leads last year.
In addition, I always try to be present at the team activities as much as possible to maintain the connection with colleagues. For example, I have already organized a 'Harmony café', which is a kind of information moment to inform colleagues about my project and what we have achieved here. And there will be a nice drink afterwards! I am also involved in the job interviews. Together with Cleo from HR, I regularly have introductory meetings with potential new colleagues to introduce them to someone in the field right away.
What role does coaching play for you?
When I started at Harmony, we were a team of 11 consultants and everyone was coached by Maarten, one of our partners. In the meantime, we continued to grow, to the point that we needed more coaches. The more experienced colleagues then took that step first. Thomas became my coach again in no time, and so the circle was complete again.
I really see Thomas as my mentor. He knows how to motivate me, gives constructive feedback and helps me grow as a person. A few years ago, I also became a coach myself. To do this, I followed internal training and took care of a new colleague. As coaches, we are also well supported at Harmony. Every quarter, a “Coach the Coach” session is organized, a kind of intervision with all Harmony coaches. Experiences are exchanged about the different steps in the coaching process, but we also talk about pressing themes such as how to deal with stress and burnout.
Speaking of courses, have there been any opportunities to broaden your knowledge?
Yes, definitely. At Harmony, the employee comes first. I can decide for myself - in consultation with my coach, of course - which course (s) I need and can take. For example, I obtained a Prince2 and Agile certificate to improve my project management skills, and I followed a multi-day course on leadership.
In addition, there are numerous internal courses provided by colleagues at Harmony School. For example, I have already followed training on Consulting skills, Business analysis, Communication skills & storytelling, Agile, Design thinking,... The advantage is that there is always a helpful colleague within Harmony who has experience with a topic you are working on. There is certainly no shortage of knowledge within Harmony!
Is that one of the reasons you love working at Harmony?
Among others. For me, there are really 3 aspects that are very important: the culture, the type of projects and the team. These were the reasons why I initially chose Harmony, and the same aspects still make Harmony the ideal place to work for me.
The type of projects that Harmony focuses on really appeals to me. But the culture is also enormously motivating. I am very convinced that you should seize opportunities when they arise. And with Harmony, you get opportunities anyway. That's really part of our culture here.
After all, we have a great team that keeps growing with new, cool and talented people. If you see the massive presence at our team buildings, for example, you know that's also in the right place.
What does your future look like at Harmony?
For me, it is important that I can continue to work with interesting clients on challenging and fun projects. I want to keep using and further developing my skills and expertise. The banking and insurance sector is of course very interesting because of my experience and knowledge, but it is not a must for me to keep working in the same sector.
Internally, I would like to take the next steps in sales and recruitment and further expand my network. I would also love to grow into a senior or business manager.
What would you say to those who are hesitating to work for Harmony?
Don't hesitate. Do it!
Harmony is a company that offers you the opportunity to develop yourself, both professionally and personally. And you work in a nice team. Win-win.
