Category: Sport article

Since 2019, Anderson MacGyver has been supporting top rower Lisa Bruijnincx on her road to success. She recently competed for the first time at the European Championships in Hungary with the Dutch National Talent Team, and with the Olympic Games just around the corner, now is a good time to give an update on her achievements.

After winning the Junior World Championships, Lisa was looking for the next step in her sporting career. With this in mind, she signed up with Anderson MacGyver five years ago. A huge development followed on the sporting front, but in 2022 she ran into the ‘have to’. It was a big step and the Olympic team didn’t work out. Meanwhile, Lisa is back and has joined the talent squad to play her way into the spotlight of the Dutch senior team.

The European Championships

“It was very educational,” says Lisa of her first ‘real’ senior tournament last month. “So far I have been to two World Cups. You realize that these are senior teams are tough, but at a European Championship like this you realize that all the Olympic teams come prepared and well-oiled. They’re really at the top of their game and it’s impressive to suddenly be one of them.

The build-up to the European Championships was certainly not ideal. A teammate suffered an injury that prevented him from completing the final training sessions. “As a team we were able to deal with it and mentally we were able to handle it well. But in a first race it is important to be in sync and this was the first time we were in the boat together. Then you notice, on the field it goes hard, the opponents don’t wait. It was quite a reality check.

There is a lot to learn on the standard two-kilometre distance, and the subsequent races at the European Championships showed a lot of progress in the Dutch talent pool. “It was very brave to see that we could do it with this team. We made up seven seconds per race. On Thursday we were 14 seconds behind the Polish team and in our last race we beat them. These margins are not normal, but that was our growth in the tournament.

While the Dutch senior team is working on a different programme for the Olympic Games, the junior team has been in action. Among the other countries, it was the Olympic teams that were making the final preparations for Paris. “It is very cool to be able to compete with them. The Netherlands have actually decided that no competition is important except the one they are training for and that is the Olympics. The European Championships didn’t come out during that period. For us as a talented team, it’s just a learning tournament.

Olympic Games

Lisa will therefore not be able to participate in her original goal, as she does not have a place in the boat for this summer’s Olympic Games. “This summer I don’t find it ‘painful’ to follow. There are a lot of girls I look up to who can sail very hard. It has certainly been confrontational, because of course there is a little voice of ‘imagine if you had been there’, but I also appreciate all the effort and commitment the athletes have put in. I can only hope for a lot of medals for them.

Slow down and connect

The 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles are circled on Lisa’s calendar. But she had to take a step back to see if that was still her goal. “It’s still a goal. Over the past year I’ve taken a hard look at myself to see if this is really what I want. By distancing myself from rowing, I have actually found the joy again and decided that this is something I really want to devote time to in the coming years. It is difficult to look at an Olympic cycle in four years, but I am sure I will be in the team next year.

Success is often an interplay of at least four factors: teamplay, strategy, data and impact. This is as true for major digital transformations as it is within top-level sports. In this series of articles, management consultants from Anderson MacGyver talk with multiple rowing champion Lisa Bruijnincx. In this second installment, Edwin Wieringa, Guild Lead Organization and Management Consultant, talks to her about the value of good team spirit.  

In the double scull, Lisa Bruijnincx invariably rowed with Fien van Westreenen, with whom she won gold at the 2019 World Championships. When her regular rowing buddy started doing something else this year, she switched to the quad scull: new in terms of setting and in terms of team with diverse experiences, backgrounds and characters. The challenge is to bring this all together in an optimal and result-oriented way. Teamplay plays a fundamental role in this, as it does within organizations.  

“Practically from the beginning, I rowed with Fien,” Laura says. “We are reasonable opposites, so we complemented each other well. At first, I found it awkward that she wasn’t there. For example, during a training I could already tell by her shoulders how she was feeling. In a new team that takes some time to develop. The mutual match takes some time, but it worked out.” The foursome finished first this summer at the World Under 23 Championships in Varese, Italy.  

Edwin Wieringa: “One question about your old rowing mate: in what respect did you differ so much and how did you deal with that?” Bruijnincx: “Fien and I started rowing together as 17-year-olds and at that age you deal with problems differently than when you are 21. Initially I was more shy and reserved. We both handled a bad training day differently, for example.”  

“In the beginning we mainly looked for our similarities and tried to grow towards each other in various aspects. A good coach taught us to accept that no one’s approach is the same. He showed us when one of us needed space, or when it is wise to do something together. With that, you empower each other.”  

“When we stressed before a game, for example, I want to talk. No matter about what, I have to get rid of the tension. While Fien and many other people dive into themselves. That doesn’t match at that moment and you have to acknowledge that. I then have to find someone else to talk to and she looks for a quiet place.”  

Tough period

Anderson MacGyver consultant Edwin Wieringa wants to know if she will take this experience with her to the quad scull, in which she and stroke rower Femke Paulis are the experienced forces, and Vera Sneijders and Willemijn Mulder are younger and newer. All of this while there wasn’t much time to train.  

“We had just under two months: a short and intense period, in which we got to know each other very well very quickly. Here, all of us also dealt with tension differently. I myself have become more outspoken since and also strongly solution-oriented. Because we are not all the same, you have to give each other space and trust that in the end everyone gives the required 110 percent effort.”  

Is it an advantage for balance to have two less experienced people in the boat? “Definitely. We also had a good mix in terms of uninhibitedness. On the one hand dreaming about things that are possible, on the other hand realism and result orientation. In terms of balance, that worked perfectly. Now of course that was taken into consideration with the  composition: whether it all fit in terms of rowing performance and characters.”  

With Anderson MacGyver, it works broadly the same way. It starts with the question: is it a question around strategy, technology, data or something organizational? “We have different disciplines for that. Certainly the more senior employees really have their specialism; they transfer that to the less experienced people. Together they form the optimal mix. That’s a clear parallel with top sports.”  

Optimal division of roles  

In addition, according to Edwin Wieringa, it’s all about complementary characters: you put a fact-oriented person next to someone who looks at the big picture. An analyst is a good complement to a relationship-oriented man or woman. “For that role assignment and match with the client, we have useful tools internally, such as the Myers-Briggs type indicator. But tell me: what other people play a role on your team?” 

Lisa Bruijnincx: “The quad scull has two coaches. One focuses mainly on feeling, the other on tangible aspects and analysis. Together these coaches make the final decision on when to train or rest and what needed to be done during training. Who is in the boat is determined by the national coach.”  

She refers to this division as a ‘secure ring’ and ‘safe team environment’. After all, when one coach or manager has to combine the roles of coordinator, coach and evaluator, insecurity can arise. “You may then be judged for what you share, inhibiting you from expressing yourself. Or, on the contrary, you may be judged more leniently because the coach knows you well. When you involve multiple people, and you also use data; conclusions and judgments become more objective.”  

Intermediate evaluation

Wieringa wonders if she would recommend this to organizations: clarity about role assignment and influence. Bruijnincx: “Hierarchy is not really my thing, but that security is very important. Those who were very tired could have a confidential conversation with one of the coaches, who could then adjust the schedule together. Because there was room to take a step back sometimes, we all had top fitness levels at the start.”  

Anderson MacGyver holds regular evaluations with clients to gauge how everyone is doing. Wieringa: “With Agile working, you invest responsibilities as low as possible in the organization: ownership, involvement and supported decisions within teams. This has been proven to work better, although it is more difficult in larger organizations because individual levels of influence are sometimes less clear. Then you have to make sure the organization works as a whole. Do you see that too, do you have any tips?”  

“When teams and organizations get too big, sometimes people stop communicating,” Bruijnincx replies. “Then all the individual dreams are no longer shared. If the goal is a medal, and everyone is thinking of a different color, then there is no shared focus. My advice is to always make everyone’s dreams explicit, even if that leads to a little suspense. What matters is that at the end of the day, everyone gives those mentioned 110 percent to achieve the shared goal.”  

In consulting practice, one record or statement often visualizes where we want to be in concrete terms at a certain point in time. Edwin Wieringa: “Then you create instant bonding.” Lisa Bruijnincx agrees: “The goal ‘out in the open’ is a great way to create a bond. Then you can make each other accountable or express your doubts. You then literally are in the same boat. 

Interested in Anderson MacGyver’s solutions for digital services?

Contact our specialists! We are happy to assist you.

Success is often a combination of a number of factors: team play, strategy, data, material and impact. This is true in major digital transformations as well as within professional sports. In this series of articles, management consultants from Anderson MacGyver talk with multi-time rowing champion Lisa Bruijnincx. In the first edition, David Jongste, who recently became the director of the Netherlands, talks to her about the meaning of impact. 

The impact and goals of top rower Lisa Bruijnincx reaech far beyond the sport. While many fellow athletes have set their sights primarily on winning an Olympic medal, her main ambitions are to inspire people and make them better. She does that through sports and her studies in biopharmaceutical sciences – where she contributed to clinical trials, among other things. Medals and sporting achievements are nevertheless important sub-goals that also help her put things into perspective. 

“When I think of impact, the first thing that comes to mind is that it is something that affects the lives of others: inspiring people through the sport of rowing to get the most out of themselves,” Bruijnincx answers when asked what the term means to her. “I started studying biopharmaceutical sciences because I was good at biology and chemistry, but also because during my internship I saw how much influence a medicine can have on someone’s life. To be able to contribute a little bit to that is impact for me. In addition, the concept relates to myself: my confidence and development, my place in the rowing world and society.” 

According to David Jongste this is not very different at Anderson MacGyver. “For us, making an impact means helping organizations achieve their goals: serving customers, enabling different ways of working, developing and marketing products. We achieve this by getting the most out of IT, data and people. For us, impact also means being a facilitator for others. But why did you choose rowing?” 

Bruijnincx says she started on the recommendation of her best friend’s father. In 2016, shortly after the Rio de Janeiro Olympics where the Dutch Nicole Beukers won a silver medal. “In an interview she talked about the process leading up to it – what she had done to get there and how awesome it was. I immediately knew: I want that too! I went to the same club and the nice thing is that I now see her every month.” In 2019, Bruijnincx won gold at the World Junior Championships. 

Inspiration 

Jongste recognizes the importance of having an appealing example. Someone who inspires you to do the same and keep going in the face of setbacks. “Is that what you think about when you need to push through?” Lisa Bruijnincx: “I row for a gold medal, because in the end that’s where everything from the preliminary process comes together. Even the difficult moments, for example when I’m training alone in a boat in the middle of winter. Then I think about all the good things that lie behind me and the euphoria of winning a possible gold medal.” 

“So your athletic goal and compass are the Olympics,” states Jongste. “We as Anderson MacGyver are striving to be somewhere in terms of name and impact by 2030. That result is important, of course, but it’s mostly about the road leading up to it and the people with whom we make that journey. Working together, experiencing fun things. Overcoming difficult moments by reflecting together on what we do and how we can turn things around. But also by building teams around our customers and really doing it together, co-creating and celebrating successes.” 

A common goal creates cohesive teams, according to Lisa Bruijnincx. “I sometimes describe it as ‘flying together’. When you know what you’re doing it for, momentum is more likely to build.” David Jongste adds: “When you see that things are developing, you get into a flow with each other. Those are the cool moments that you look back upon when things get a little more difficult later on. The insights you gain during the journey are much broader than just the sport – or in our case the profession.” 

Balance 

The Anderson MacGyver consultant then asks about the balance between her social career and professional sports. Do those things reinforce each other? Yes they do. “Through sports I learn who I am and what I am capable of – for example, in terms of perseverance. That translates to my self-confidence as a student or in my job. I know I can handle bad moments and work my way through them. I take that confidence with me for the rest of my life.” 

Rowing on its own would be nothing for her. “The combination helps me put things into perspective. That life doesn’t revolve around professional sports and that one bad training session doesn’t define my day. Moreover, there is a life after professional sports. I have experienced several times what it is like to win and especially in the beginning it is awesome. But that euphoria fades away after two weeks. If only winning would count, you experience many small black holes in your active career. Imagine how it feels when you stop. Hence the balance. My connection with the rowing sport will not end after my time as a top athlete. After that I can mentor other talents, inspire them and so on.” 

“I do see an analogy with how we stand in our work,” says David Jongste. “We often face complex issues at the organizations we serve. It’s often about getting to the bottom of things, breaking patterns and bringing people together. When we succeed, we make a substantial, impactful contribution. But it is also extremely important that we regularly take a step back from it.” 

Catalyst  

Lisa Bruijnincx: “A little room to breathe, so you can go at it again with fresh energy. By the way: none of my medals were an easy victory; there were always many obstacles to overcome. But that is what gives things added value and creates cohesion within the teams. That is much more valuable than gold.” 

David Jongste: “Success indeed becomes more valuable when you have had to overcome obstacles. If you haven’t experienced friction, I wonder if the medal is shiny. Success is not an end in itself, but is especially important as fuel or catalyst for sustained and impactful change. That is always a journey with people for the longer term. That applies to you but also to our business – whether it’s about enabling the energy transition, optimizing a business in the logistics sector or other big challenges. It’s ultimately about the impact for others.” 

Interested in Anderson MacGyver’s solutions for digital services?

Contact our specialists! We are happy to assist you.

Lisa Bruijnincx

The worlds of business and sports are more alike than you might think. Both are characterized by that continual search for improvement, innovation and excellency. Anderson MacGyver believes that the future is digital. Professional athletes inspire us to always be ready for that next step and create a digital transformation for our clients. That is why Anderson MacGyver is teaming up with Dutch row star Lisa Bruijnincx. We support Lisa in her journey towards the international top. Follow our updates on here to stay informed about this exciting collaboration, as Lisa rows towards her ultimate goal: the Olympic Games in Paris. 

Update: the Power of Data

Joost Doesburg, management consultant at Anderson MacGyver, meets up with international athlete Lisa Bruijnincx at the Anderson MacGyver headquarters to discuss the topic of data. Data has become a crucial aspect of sports and also comes in handy for the amateur. Getting insight into their daily activities helps the both of them to stay fit, especially during lockdown.

Watch video:

Lisa Bruijnincx

The worlds of business and sports are more alike than you might think. Both are characterized by that continual search for improvement, innovation and excellency. Anderson MacGyver believes that the future is digital. Professional athletes inspire us to always be ready for that next step and create a digital transformation for our clients. That is why Anderson MacGyver is teaming up with Dutch row star Lisa Bruijnincx. We support Lisa in her journey towards the international top. Follow our updates on here to stay informed about this exciting collaboration, as Lisa rows towards her ultimate goal: the Olympic Games in Paris. 

Update: adapt, improvise and overcome

Simon Bloo, management consultant at Anderson MacGyver, and international athlete Lisa Bruijnincx have a digital meet-up and discuss some ways to adapt to the current lockdown. How do you stay productive working or training from home? Both Lisa and the consultants at Anderson MacGyver have found creative ways to stay fit and focussed. Turns out the kitchen is perfectly suited to get some training done. And the best way to keep the team spirit alive? By organizing a digital baking competition. “It ain’t stupid if it works.”

Watch video:

Lisa Bruijnincx

The worlds of business and sports are more alike than you might think. Both are characterized by that continual search for improvement, innovation and excellency. Anderson MacGyver believes that the future is digital. Professional athletes inspire us to always be ready for that next step and create a digital transformation for our clients. 

That is why Anderson MacGyver is teaming up with Dutch row star Lisa Bruijnincx. We support Lisa in her journey towards the international top. Follow our updates on here to stay informed about this exciting collaboration, as Lisa rows towards her ultimate goal: the Olympic Games in Paris. 

Update

Bart Nieuwenhuijs, newest Anderson MacGyver management consultant and international athlete Lisa Bruijnincx have a digital meet-up and discuss some ways of preparation towards international success.

Watch video:

Lisa Bruijnincx

The worlds of business and sports are more alike than you might think. Both are characterized by that continual search for improvement, innovation and excellency. Anderson MacGyver believes that the future is digital. Professional athletes inspire us to always be ready for that next step and create a digital transformation for our clients. 

That is why Anderson MacGyver is teaming up with Dutch row star Lisa Bruijnincx. We support Lisa in her journey towards the international top. Follow our updates on here to stay informed about this exciting collaboration, as Lisa rows towards her ultimate goal: the Olympic Games in Paris. 

Update

Rik Bijmholt, Anderson MacGyver co-founder and international athlete Lisa Bruijnincx have a digital meet-up and discuss some concrete steps in both international journeys.

Watch video:

Lisa Bruijnincx

The worlds of business and sports are more alike than you might think. Both are characterized by that continual search for improvement, innovation and excellency. Anderson MacGyver believes that the future is digital. Professional athletes inspire us to always be ready for that next step and create a digital transformation for our clients. 

That is why Anderson MacGyver is teaming up with Dutch row star Lisa Bruijnincx. We support Lisa in her journey towards the international top. Follow our updates on here to stay informed about this exciting collaboration, as Lisa rows towards her ultimate goal: the Olympic Games in Paris. 

Update

Markus Smed, Anderson MacGyver advisor in the Nordics, and international athlete Lisa Bruijnincx have a digital meet-up and discuss the international journey they share.

Watch video:

Lisa Bruijnincx

The worlds of business and sports are more alike than you might think. Both are characterized by that continual search for improvement, innovation and excellency. Anderson MacGyver believes that the future is digital. Professional athletes inspire us to always be ready for that next step and create a digital transformation for our clients. 

That is why Anderson MacGyver is teaming up with Dutch row star Lisa Bruijnincx. We support Lisa in her journey towards the international top. Follow our updates on here to stay informed about this exciting collaboration, as Lisa rows towards her ultimate goal: the Olympic Games in Paris. 

Update

Since we are all working from home, Anderson MacGyver colleagues organize a twice weekly digital Corona Workout. On April 23, Lisa Bruijnincx took over and showed us some of the top exercises rowers use to stay strong off the water.

Lisa Bruijnincx

The worlds of business and sports are more alike than you might think. Both are characterized by that continual search for improvement, innovation and excellency. Anderson MacGyver believes that the future is digital. Professional athletes inspire us to always be ready for that next step and create a digital transformation for our clients. 

That is why Anderson MacGyver is teaming up with Dutch row star Lisa Bruijnincx. We support Lisa in her journey towards the international top. Follow our updates on here to stay informed about this exciting collaboration, as Lisa rows towards her ultimate goal: the Olympic Games in Paris. 

Update

• Anderson MacGyver supports rowing talent Lisa Bruijnincx in her journey towards Olympics 2024 in Paris and her ambition to become an international top player
• This reflects the matching Anderson MacGyver ambition of spreading our wings and vision internationally
• Team Anderson MacGyver Nordics made a head start in 2019 and is now realizing results in cooperation with clients like LKAB, leveraging vision and IP of Anderson MacGyver Group
• Building new client relationships is a challenge these special days, along with Anderson MacGyver Netherlands this is going well!
• The twice weekly Digital Anderson MacGyver Corona Workout and Friday Afternoon Drink is strengthening the internal relationship and keeps all colleagues in shape
• “Best of luck to both Lisa with hopefully upcoming rowing races, best of luck to all colleagues in new digital way of working with our clients and assignments!”

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