Hi, I'm Niek, I live in the Netherlands and work as HR Director at VISUfarma. I have always worked in international/multi-cultural environments, have lived in the UK and Portugal and have past work experience in Finance although since 2013 I've fully focussed my career on HR.
My Mentoring Topics
- Career Advice
- Mindset
- Expat life
- Everything else HR-related
k.
6.March 2023The session was very helpful. You are an easy person to talk to. I got quality inputs throughout the session and I was quite impressed to see someone who is identical to me who believes in giving back to people in some or the other form that would help them build their foundation for their career etc without commercialising this mentoring session.
Lovely to connect to such a mentor who is kind, helping and a down to earth person.
The Meditations - An Emperor's Guide to Mastery
Sam Torode, Marcus Aurelius
How to think clearly, act purposefully, overcome obstacles, and find peace & happiness along the way. Marcus Aurelius (121-180 CE) was one of the few true philosopher-kings in history. His father died when Marcus was three. At age fifteen, he was adopted by his aunt's husband, the future Emperor Antoninus Pius, putting him in the line of succession. At forty, he became a reluctant emperor of the Roman Empire. Marcus was conflicted because the demands of being emperor--on top of the temptations of wealth and power--seemed incompatible with his true ambition: to be a humble student of philosophy. Over time, though, he worked out a practical philosophy that kept him grounded amidst the stresses and excesses of palace life. That's why his philosophy is so relevant to us today, in the modern world. How did he fare as emperor? During his twenty years of service, Marcus earned the love of the people and the loyalty of the senate. Later historians called him "the last of the five good emperors." In spare moments, Marcus wrote the journal entries collected in The Meditations. They were not intended for publication, but to remind Marcus himself of his principles and priorities. As a result, they are intimate, direct, and extremely useful. This new edition of The Meditations is an interpretive paraphrase in contemporary English, with a foreword, by bestselling author Sam Torode. (It is based on the 1862 translation by George Long.) A companion volume, The Manual: A Philosopher's Guide to Life, is also available from Ancient Renewal.
ViewThe Manual - A Philosopher's Guide to Life
Epictetus, Sam Torode
Life's Missing Instruction Manual Epictetus (c. 50-135 CE) was brought as a slave to Rome, where he became a great teacher, deeply influencing the future emperor Marcus Aurelius among many others. His philosophy, Stoicism, was practical, not theoretical--aimed at relieving human suffering here and now. And Epictetus knew suffering. Besides being a former slave, he was lame in one leg and walked with a crutch. After a decade of teaching in Rome, he was banished by Emperor Domitian; undaunted, he established a school in Greece. The Manual is a collection of Epictetus' essential teachings and pithy sayings, compiled by his closet student. It is the most accessible and actionable guide to Stoic philosophy, as relevant today as it was in the Roman Empire. This new edition is rendered in contemporary English, with a foreword, by Sam Torode (based on a translation by Thomas Wentworth Higginson). Note: A revised and further simplified edition of this book is now available, The Manual: 21st Century Edition (ISBN B09HFXHCNP). Read the sample pages of each translation to see which you prefer.
ViewIt Doesn’t Have to Be Crazy at Work
Jason Fried, David Heinemeier Hansson
Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson, the authors of the New York Times bestseller Rework, are back with a manifesto to combat all your modern workplace worries and fears. It Doesn’t Have to Be Crazy at Work is a direct successor to Rework, the instant bestseller that showed readers a new path to working effectively. Now Fried and Heinemeier Hansson have returned with a new strategy for the ideal company culture – what they call “the calm company”. It is a direct attack on the chaos, anxiety and stress that plagues millions of workplaces and billions of people working their day jobs. Working to breaking point with long hours, excessive workload, and a lack of sleep have become a badge of honour for many people these days, when it should be a mark of stupidity. This isn’t just a problem for large organisations; individuals, contractors and solopreneurs are burning themselves out in the very same way. As the authors reveal, the answer isn’t more hours. Rather, it’s less waste and fewer things that induce distraction, always-on anxiety and stress. It is time to stop celebrating crazy and start celebrating calm. Fried and Hansson have the proof to back up their argument. "Calm" has been the cornerstone of their company’s culture since Basecamp began twenty years ago. Destined to become the management guide for the next generation, It Doesn't Have to Be Crazy at Work is a practical and inspiring distillation of their insights and experiences. It isn’t a book telling you what to do. It’s a book showing you what they’ve done—and how any manager or executive no matter the industry or size of the company, can do it too.
ViewFactfulness - Ten Reasons We're Wrong About The World - And Why Things Are Better Than You Think
Hans Rosling, Ola Rosling, Anna Rosling Rönnlund
'One of the most important books I've ever read - an indispensable guide to thinking clearly about the world' BILL GATES 'A hopeful book about the potential for human progress when we work off facts rather than our inherent biases' BARACK OBAMA The international bestseller, inspiring and revelatory, filled with lively anecdotes and moving stories, Factfulness is an urgent and essential book that will change the way you see the world, and make you realise things are better than you thought. *#1 Sunday Times bestseller * New York Times bestseller * Observer 'best brainy book of the decade' * Irish Times bestseller * audiobook bestseller * Guardian bestseller *
ViewQuiet - The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking
Susan Cain
In Quiet, the international bestseller, Susan Cain shows how the brain chemistry of introverts and extroverts differs, and how society misunderstands and undervalues introverts. She gives introverts the tools to better understand themselves and take full advantage of their strengths. Passionately argued, superbly researched, and filled with real stories, Quiet will permanently change how we see introverts - and how you see yourself.
ViewThe Culture Map - Breaking Through the Invisible Boundaries of Global Business
Erin Meyer
An international business expert helps you understand and navigate cultural differences in this insightful and practical guide, perfect for both your work and personal life. Americans precede anything negative with three nice comments; French, Dutch, Israelis, and Germans get straight to the point; Latin Americans and Asians are steeped in hierarchy; Scandinavians think the best boss is just one of the crowd. It's no surprise that when they try and talk to each other, chaos breaks out. In The Culture Map, INSEAD professor Erin Meyer is your guide through this subtle, sometimes treacherous terrain in which people from starkly different backgrounds are expected to work harmoniously together. She provides a field-tested model for decoding how cultural differences impact international business, and combines a smart analytical framework with practical, actionable advice.
View
T.
13.March 2023The session with Niek was really helpful.