My daughter Eva studied political science in Brussels. In April 2017, she thought it would be interesting to take a look behind the scenes at a municipal organization. A sniffing internship was arranged in no time. At the municipality of Sint Anthonis, where I was working as director (ad interim) at the time, Eva walked for two days. She spoke to managers and joined meetings. She also went out with one of the councilors. Below you can read the interview from 2017, when I asked her about her experiences. I then thought to myself: A lot more people should be doing this!
What was the reason that you once wanted to do an internship at a municipality?
I study political science and that is a lot of theory and little practice. I thought it would be interesting to see in practice how it works in a political organization. In addition, a study focuses mainly on a national level. It's nice to see this at a local level at a municipality. Moreover: in Belgium, where I study, things are different than in the Netherlands. That comparison is also interesting. Of course there was a special chance that my father now works at the municipality of Sint Anthonis and that I could also see him at work and thus paste faces on the stories.
What surprised you the most?
Everything is human work. The work behind the computer does not determine the result, but the personal contacts between colleagues are very important and ensure a better quality of advice. In working groups, people listened closely to each other, and space was given to each other to provide input. For example, employees complemented each other beautifully and came up with solutions and new insights. I also saw that directors use each other and the employees as a sounding board. This feedback allows them to make better decisions.
I saw big differences in the attitude and behavior of managers. They can create clarity by discussing things well in consultation, instead of sending an email. And I noticed how a manager's attitude provokes a reaction among employees and this largely determines how a colleague takes up work. When there is trust, employees feel more free to come up with creative and original solutions and to share them with each other and their manager.
I was also surprised at the degree of freedom that an official has within the framework set by the city council. There is a lot of leeway for the civil servant in giving advice to the Municipal Executive to give his own interpretation. I thought that the council and the college determine the direction and officials only carry out. The political color has less influence than I thought. In practice, aldermen have to rely to a great extent on the professional advice of their officials, because they cannot possibly understand everything. I saw that the councilor listened carefully to the legal adviser, but did contribute her own vision and position. That interaction is interesting.
What to bring to Brussels
I thought that working as a civil servant in an office would be very boring, but the work can be very dynamic and varied. It can be very interesting and challenging in terms of content, as well as the way in which colleagues and managers interact. A laugh and a joke can suddenly make everything much lighter and give the discussion a different twist. Also funny to see that the managers just as much need an outlet. Pleasure at work is just as important as the result.
