Nathalie Hugenholtz examines interesting real-life issues
I combine teaching with my own practice.
As an organisational coach and trainer, Nathalie Hugenholtz supports various organisations in tackling complex issues. She is also a lecturer of the HBO Master’s in Organisation Coaching. Here, she gets the great opportunity to really put her research skills to work and learn from her students.
Nathalie finds combining teaching with her own practice incredibly enjoyable. “I can bring my own practical experience into the lesson very well. I can also apply my research skills well, by researching the practice together with the students. That combination is very interesting: all the puzzle pieces fall into place!”
New forms of interaction
With a background in Sociology, Nathalie specialised in the field of labour and organisation. In 2008, she also obtained a PhD in Knowledge Management in Occupational Medicine and specialised in Appreciative Inquiry. Now, within her current position as a coach, Nathalie looks at, among other things, the issues an organisation faces. She then looks together with the organisation at how these issues can be addressed and how she can contribute to them as a coach. Nathalie: “As a coach, you are not an expert. You don't want to just walk in and tell an organisation what to do. So you try to encourage an organisation to tackle it itself, by creating an environment where people can talk to each other. Being able to have the essential conversation: what is it really about? This creates a learning environment where new forms of interaction arise, in which issues can be taken further.”
Issues of interest
Nathalie teaches on the second floor of the Poseidon office building. Through the windows you can see the water zebra, where students cross on their way to the main building of The Hague University of Applied Sciences. Nathalie has participants in her class from various organisations and companies. “There are some very fun and interesting issues that my students are currently working on. An example is someone who works for a local council. Someone who sees that a change is taking place, namely that there are more and more civic initiatives. This would require a different way of working together. How would you deal with this situation? How can the council adapt, in attitude and behaviour? That is one example that an organisational coach would work with.”
Critical, curious and committed
Nathalie really enjoys working with students part-time and so, for now, will continue to combine being a lecturer in her role as an organisational coach, trainer and coach. “I notice that the participants of Organisation Coaching are very curious, critical and committed. The fact that the students have a great deal of work experience helps to put things into context easily and start the research. I really like that, because then you get some interesting dialogue and I am enthusiastic to research certain topics myself!”
Would you like to study while working? Then we welcome you to our online information sessions on Thursday 22 June.