WHERE NINA HITS IN

Joke van VughtJoke van Vugt, Director Corporate SHE-Q

10 years of NINA offers the perfect occasion to reflect on the bigger picture of safety. It brings back stories of years past. I hear a lot of pride when our people tell those stories, but also still shame when it truly comes to the topic of safety.

These stories make us aware of all the situations in which we were not safe. It sometimes confronts us with our own failure at times to create a safe environment. That is exactly the spot where NINA hits in. That spot is the discomfort we feel when we reflect on our own influence: it saddens us or makes us feel powerless that we could see no other options at that time.

NINA offers us a way out, a valuable choice: learn the hard way, or the smart way. The hard way is that we just look at others and reflect on what they could have done better. That’s called suffering. Learning the smart way, on the other hand, is holding up a mirror to see all the answers we can find there: to look within.

It takes courage to share personal stories about safety (and unsafe practices). But that is exactly the approach that has resulted in great strides in learning and an impressive boost in safety at Boskalis. Nowadays we understand that storytelling is a fundamental quality of leadership.

When I look back over 10 years of NINA, I’m proud to see that NINA is future proof. I’m proud of all my colleagues who are willing to share their personal stories and safety-related dilemmas, to share their lessons learned and help us learn the smart way.

For now, I wish you and your families the strength and courage you need to get through this difficult time, a time that truly shows just how vulnerable our health and safety are. I hope you manage to stay positive in the face of the current events and the impact these have on you and those close to you.

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