Kris has been part of our business consultancy team for more than 6 years. So there's no better person to give us a look at what things are really like at Harmony. In our conversation, Kris talks openly about his growth path, the culture at Harmony, his role as a coach and his interest in sales.
"I'm a strong believer in seizing opportunities when they come along. And at Harmony, you always get opportunities. That's really part of our culture here."
Can you introduce yourself?
I'm Kris, I'm 32 and I live in Edegem, in the south of Antwerp, with my wife and our son, who is 3.5. I've been working at Harmony for more than 6 years now, a good part of that time in various roles on a project at AG Insurance.
Outside work, I'm a football fan, both as a spectator and on the pitch with my friends, and I like meeting up with friends and family.
How and when did you end up at Harmony?
I went straight from school into consultancy. First 2.5 years at another company, where I was coached by Thomas, just like now. When he moved to Harmony, we stayed in touch. That's how I came into contact with Harmony. I soon noticed that both the culture and the projects at Harmony really appealed to me, and that's how the ball started rolling...
What projects have you done at Harmony since then?
At Harmony, I started as a Business Analyst at Record Bank, during its integration with ING and the founding of Record Credits. I was able to prove myself there straight away by taking on more responsibilities, and that's how I grew into a project manager. So you don't necessarily have to work for different clients to grow; you can just as well do it through different projects for one client.
At the end of 2020, I joined AG as a Business Analyst and Project Manager on a project for BNP Paribas Fortis. The bank was broadening its customer portfolio: it no longer wanted to focus only on private individuals, but also on self-employed people and businesses. Our team had to analyse the technical feasibility of this broader focus. I learned an enormous amount during that period and certainly broadened my knowledge of the sector too. Today I'm still doing a small part of the aftercare for that big project, but I've also started on a brand-new project. It's great that I can grow in responsibility both within Harmony and at clients.
What impact have you been able to make internally, within Harmony itself?
Alongside my project work, I've always been interested in sales. So I'm active in our Business Development & Marketing Tribe, an internal working group where a group of motivated colleagues and I think about how we can market Harmony better. I'm also part of the sales team, and last year I was able to convert my first leads.
I also always try to attend as many team activities as possible, to keep the connection with my colleagues. For example, I once organised a 'Harmony café' myself, a kind of information session to update colleagues on my project and what we've achieved there. With a nice drink afterwards! I'm also involved in job interviews. Together with Cleo from HR, I regularly hold introductory meetings with potential new colleagues, so they can meet someone from the field right away.
What role does coaching play for you?
When I started at Harmony, we were a team of 11 consultants and everyone was coached by Maarten, one of our partners. Since then we've kept growing, to the point where we needed more coaches. The more experienced colleagues were the first to take that step. That's how Thomas became my coach again, and the circle was complete.
I really see Thomas as my mentor. He knows how to motivate me, gives constructive feedback and helps me grow as a person. A few years ago, I became a coach myself. I took an internal training course for it and took a new colleague under my wing. As coaches, we're well supported within Harmony. Every quarter there's a 'Coach the Coach' session, a kind of peer review with all of Harmony's coaches. We exchange experiences about the different steps in the coaching process, but we also talk about pressing topics such as how to deal with stress and burnout.
Speaking of training, have there been other opportunities to broaden your knowledge?
Definitely. At Harmony, the employee comes first. I can decide myself, in consultation with my coach of course, which training I need, and I'm allowed to take it. For example, I earned a Prince2 and an Agile certificate to improve my project management skills, and I took a multi-day course on leadership.
There are also plenty of internal courses given by colleagues within Harmony School. I've already taken training in Consulting skills, Business analysis, Communication skills & storytelling, Agile, Design thinking and more. The advantage is that there's always a helpful colleague within Harmony who has experience with the topic you're working on. There's certainly no shortage of knowledge within Harmony!
Is that one of the reasons you enjoy working at Harmony so much?
Among other things. For me, there are really 3 aspects that matter a lot: the culture, the type of projects and the team. Those were the reasons I chose Harmony in the first place, and those same aspects still make Harmony the ideal workplace for me.
The type of projects Harmony focuses on really appeals to me. But the culture is hugely motivating too. I'm a strong believer in seizing opportunities when they come along. And at Harmony, you always get opportunities. That's really part of our culture here.
Finally, we have a great team that keeps growing with new, fun and talented people. If you see how many people turn up at our team buildings, for example, you know that's in good shape too.
What does your future at Harmony look like?
For me, it's important that I can keep working on challenging and fun projects for interesting clients. I want to keep using and developing my skills and expertise. Because of my experience and knowledge, the banking and insurance sector is of course very interesting, but I don't have to stay in that sector.
Internally, I'd like to take the next steps in sales and recruitment and expand my network further. I'd also really like to grow into a senior or business manager.
What would you say to people who are hesitating about coming to work for Harmony?
Don't hesitate. Do it!
Harmony is a company that gives you the chance to develop yourself, both professionally and personally. And you work in a great team. Win-win.
