My previous column was about an experience at this year's Roskilde Festival where, as a volunteer team leader at a food stall, I was met by young Danish volunteers who, unlike their foreign counterparts, did not take the responsibility you might expect.

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Why is it interesting? Because for me, the experience says something about the dilemmas you can face as a leader, and perhaps also about a current trend that we as a society and companies need to be aware of.

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ALSO READ: Food stall at Roskilde gave me a "memory cookie"

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The column got a lot of reactions, so here's a follow-up with a question for you, dear reader: What would you have done as a team leader in this situation?

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A girl among the volunteers has been given the responsibility of making chili sin carne together with another volunteer. After a short time, she sits down on a box with her hands under her chin and watches. I think she needs a two-minute break. But no, she stays seated for a very long time. I ask if everything is OK, if she has any doubts or anything else - no, everything is OK and she starts again. A short time later she is sitting on the box again. Now I tell her that the team depends on her to do her job. Reluctantly, she goes back to work.

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After a while, we circulate through the tasks and she gets a new task. Here the pattern repeats itself. Now she also asks for a half hour break for "personal reasons" and she is allowed to leave. After an hour, she hasn't returned. Her friend tells her that she is in the restroom.

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I can see that this is not true. Now the other kids notice the absence too, because the "supply chain" is not efficient. When the girl finally shows up, I have a one-on-one conversation with her. She is embarrassed and says she wants to do better, but it never really becomes bearable. The will and sense of responsibility are simply missing.

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ALSO READ: Disagreement on strategy can be fruitful

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What did I do next?

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In addition to all volunteers attending a physical meeting where expectations, tasks and contracts were thoroughly reviewed, we held a meeting before each shift where we again aligned expectations and asked if there were any special task requests.

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Along the way, I tried to listen to the young people's wishes and input, respecting the fact that they probably wanted to go out and listen to music rather than work. This was one of the reasons why we changed workstations along the way to avoid it becoming monotonous and "boring".

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After each shift, we gathered for a debrief. Here we highlighted what had gone well, what could be done better and everyone got a beer for an overall successful shift. Those who had top form (yes, they were foreigners) were discreetly pulled aside and given extra praise.

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I approached the leadership role in the food stall with the same starting point as in my own company - that the employees should be involved and experience meaningfulness - knowing that I and the young people are all volunteers with the joys and disadvantages that this entails.

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But let's be honest. How far should we really go as leaders? There are plenty of important tasks in our labor market that, for many, are uninspiring, routine and at odd hours. The kind of tasks that require determination, good old-fashioned diligence and a sense of responsibility.

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Perhaps a volunteer job at Roskilde cannot be compared 1:1 with a "real" job. Still, I can't help but wonder if, in our efforts to recruit the employees of the future, we can become so preoccupied with creating involvement and meaningfulness. We must not forget to make demands on the individual's diligence and sense of responsibility for their colleagues and the whole, because as Plato once said: "Diligence is the mother of fortune".

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This column is published in Jyllands-Posten Business and FINANCE on August 7, 2023.

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When I was done, I realized that the immediate (and of course Bullet-proof) plan I had had to be revised due to some factors I didn't include in my intuitive planning process. Huge thumbs up and a big 5 from me to MakeMyStrategy™👍

Ronnie Vindbjerg Pedersen

Regional Director, Nordics

Insights

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