Björn Kuipers and Benno Schildkamp teach FHI members how to do business through football!

The KNVB Campus was the scene of the 5th management session/member network meeting organized by FHI on Thursday May 31. The inspiring lectures by Björn Kuipers (football referee and supermarket entrepreneur) and Benno Schildkamp (director Food Connect and author of the book 'Voetballend ondernemen') kept 150 FHI members on the edge of their seats for over two hours.

Football, communication, entrepreneurship, leadership and teamwork

Benno managed to humorously hold up a mirror to those present, showing how companies are often structured hierarchically and how – by applying the SaS model (Stadium as Mirror) developed by Benno – employees of companies are motivated and valued, in a sporting way, like on a football field.

So not 'cramming' 150 employees into an organizational chart, in which the customer is not discussed anywhere. But a football field with 11 functions, divided as attackers, midfielders and defenders. The coach (management) stands on the sidelines and the audience (customer) sits in the stands. Björn Kuipers took the audience along in his preparation for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

What does that all involve? A huge amount! In awe, the FHI members saw via images and (deafening) sound what a top-level referee can expect when you whistle the final of a Champions League match; how the collaboration within 'Team Kuipers' works, and the media frenzy when you – in their eyes – make the wrong or the right decision. A number of football experts in the audience were presented with a few practical examples, which showed that it is 'quite difficult' to make the right decision based on sometimes conflicting messages in a referee's earpiece!

New technologies – such as the video referee – help, but it remains human work.

In addition, Kuipers discussed how to communicate successfully, perform under pressure, deal with setbacks and lead a team. Practical examples were also discussed as a successful entrepreneur (as supermarket owner of Jumbo Kuipers in Oldenzaal, which was named the best Jumbo in the Netherlands in 2017), where he can be found every day – when he is not whistling.