Playing on the job ... or not: Griet Langedock at TEDxUHowest
Channel: TEDx Talks
Date: 2013-06-17

Who is Griet Langedock?

One could say that she's a hard working woman with diverse interests. As organiser of the UCI World Tour race Ghent-Wevelgem, HR & Communication Officer at real estate developer Matexi; voluntary fire-fighter and mother of three children one must admit that she knows how to use her time wisely!
 
Griet Langedock was born in Kortrijk in 1976, and raised in Wevelgem. After studying Insurances and a brief experience in the financial sector, she moved on towards HR,  which really holds her passion. Seven years ago she started as a temp -- between two editions of Ghent-Wevelgem -- at Matexi. She got the opportunity to stay and had different functions over the years, from Payroll Officer and Recruiter to her current position as HR & Communication Officer. As she combines the organization of Ghent-Wevelgem with her job at Matexi, she's generally involved in temporary HR change projects such as setting up policies, starting up new business structures, organizing the yearly events,... Her latest challenges are the development of the first Sustainability Report based on the GRI Guidelines and the general management of a new division based on social employment.
 
Thanks to her efforts the World Tour race Ghent-Wevelgem has evolved from a small event to a company with a turnover of 1,3 million Euro on a one day event. Her keys to success: go for partnerships with suppliers, give priority to customer satisfaction, keep motivating all the crew and learn to grab opportunities.
 
What is this talk all about?

Playing on the job, ... or not?

Griet combines her experiences in a pragmatic approach on how to make the match between playing and working and how to create a great place to work by doing so? How can we convince the board to invest resources in playtime? And what are the guidelines to integrate that in your HRM strategy and policy?

Firstly she zooms in on what gets people really passionate for their job. And what are the differences in motivation between highly educated staff and blue collars? Expect no big theories but practical tips and tricks on how to increase productivity, ameliorate performance and stimulate communication and understanding in a team. 

Passion expresses itself in different behaviours but it always leads to results for your company. Motivated people are the key to a flourishing business. And if all of that can be done by playing... then why aren't we all playing? For good?

About TED and TEDx

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)