Abdella Bouharrak

 “No hierarchy or levels within my organization!”

Facts & figures are never an end in themselves, but a means to support a mature organization. The strength of Abdella’s organization therefore lies in its diversity. Meet the CIO of the Agency for Nature & Forests and, as of December, the brand-new Director of ICT at UGent.

What does inspiring & coaching leadership mean to Abdella?

“The strength of an organization lies in the optimal use of the capacities of individual employees and teams. Every individual needs personal guidance. For some, the guidance needs to be a bit more intensive. Others perform better with more freedom. Thanks to regular, individual conversations, we can fine-tune the coaching.”

“If my team leaders or I notice that a break is needed on a private or health level, we address it. Because physical and mental well-being are paramount. In addition, I try to be accessible as much as possible. No hierarchy or levels within my organization!”

“The employee’s range of tasks should also match as closely as possible with his or her abilities and interests. Of course, this leeway is not infinite; after all, goals must be achieved.”

Which personal achievements is Abdella most proud of?

“In recent years, we built all kinds of dashboards at the Agency for Nature & Forests. To reflect the state of affairs in budgetary terms, progression and capacity planning. The individual effort was precisely planned in function of the sprints. This seems like purely numerical management. However, creating transparency creates peace of mind and confidence.

We also focused on portfolio management and redesigned our organizational structure. No more silos! From now on, we’re focusing more on end-to-end services. Customer-face teams serve the customers. And the competence centers work in a uniform way: with standard tools, templates, working methods, etc.

But like I said, facts and figures aren’t everything. I am especially proud of the flat organizational structure and diversity. We work with people of different nationalities, cultures and philosophies. It’s important to me that everyone feels respected and is given the space to contribute to innovation and improvement.”