{"id":54555,"date":"2026-08-22T17:29:27","date_gmt":"2026-08-22T15:29:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.turner.nl\/uncategorized\/column-by-peter-de-bruin-new-years-party-stomachache\/"},"modified":"2026-08-22T17:29:30","modified_gmt":"2026-08-22T15:29:30","slug":"column-by-peter-de-bruin-new-years-party-stomachache","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.turner.nl\/en\/blog-en\/column-by-peter-de-bruin-new-years-party-stomachache\/","title":{"rendered":"Column by Peter de Bruin | \u201cNew Year\u2019s Party Stomachache\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Column by Peter de Bruin<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\"New Year's Party Stomachache\"<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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How was the New Year's reception? Well, those things don't always go smoothly. How could we make it better? <\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The employee asked a sincere question: \u201cWhat about the annual budget, given how difficult it is to recruit people these days?\u201d The executive on the podium replied, \u201cThat\u2019s an understandable question, but we\u2019ve decided not to factor that into the budget.\u201d The level of unease in the room rose. <\/p>

New Year\u2019s parties, announcements, interventions, etc., are important moments for sharing or creating a shared experience. It\u2019s not uncommon for organizations to miss the mark here, resulting in a sense of distance rather than a sense of community\u2014as evidenced, among other things, by stomachaches. <\/p>

This kind of thing arises when there\u2019s a discrepancy. When it feels like something isn\u2019t right or isn\u2019t quite right, when reality is presented differently, or when people beat around the bush. In short, when things aren\u2019t what they seem. When management speaks evasively or dodges questions, it gives the impression that they\u2019re hiding something. <\/p>

Such a disconnect can also arise from a mismatch between objectives and means. With a large-scale themed show centered on something as obvious as customer focus, the set design becomes more important than the goal. For example, I recently attended a corporate event where dozens of large red cardboard hearts were frantically dancing back and forth on stage. The intention was to make it clear that we were supposed to fall in love with our clients. The audience remained silent. <\/p>

Or that time when, during a merger, both groups were crammed into one massive dance party. No expense spared\u2014from Douwe Bob to Lee Towers. Only the senior management was \u201crocking out,\u201d hoping to set a good example. It was like watching your parents dance at a teen party. Often, with a big event like that, we try to make up in one fell swoop for what\u2019s been neglected over the past two or three years: a genuine connection with one another. <\/p>

There are also good examples where the process\u2014organized by team, department, or unit\u2014progresses step by step, both digitally and physically, toward a large-scale, collaborative \u201cintervention.\u201d With solid follow-through in the months that follow, unity becomes a reality. But the average \u201ctown hall meeting\u201d is disconnected and primarily emphasizes the hierarchical distance. <\/p>

In my experience, it can\u2019t be simple enough. It\u2019s better to do small-scale efforts more often than to go big all at once. Make sure there\u2019s interaction. Let it all come through, and above all, be honest. An authentic story from a CCO about \u201chow difficult it is to meet all our sales challenges and how proud we are that we manage to do it year after year\u201d really makes an impact. It\u2019s about connection, about touching each other. Be infectious in your enthusiasm and inspire through substance and connection. Don\u2019t pretend to have an answer or solution for everything, and don\u2019t forget the most important question: What do you want? What do you want at the New Year\u2019s reception? <\/p>

What\u2019s next? We could develop a \u201cNew Year\u2019s Party Stomachache Meter app\u201d to measure in real time the alignment between the \u201cspeaker\u201d and the \u201caudience.\u201d No, let\u2019s just invest in better answers right away. Because what if the executive in question had simply said, \u201cThe 2024 ambition obviously also depends on the number of new hires. If recruitment doesn\u2019t work out, we\u2019ll have to adjust the ambition, but let\u2019s work together to try to be an attractive organization for new talent\u201d\u2026!! <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Meet the Author<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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