Gallons of rocky road? Soeters project management picks them up for you!
THEMES AND SOLUTIONS
Project Management
My working method is strongly based on my practical experience: what works and what does not? Over the years, I have developed my own approach, mainly in the area of mobility and accessibility. I am happy to share the key principals.
Read more about project management
Support & Enthusiasm:
- Know who your target group is and what they are moved by.
- Tag on to existing developments. Work the policy for an angle to base your project on. Or, find out the interests of the target group and then join them.
- Mapping: who can exert influence and how?
- Use stakeholders who also have their own interests at heart.
- Aim at stakeholders and areas that have a potential for change. In doing so, focus on a specific bottleneck, energy, high level of organization, staff capacity or financial capacity.
- A public-private partnership is a joint effort.
Commercial & solid:
- Ensure you have a solid business case and regularly check whether it is still valid during the projects.
- A collective approach works because it is effective and permanent.
- When it comes to influencing behavior: simply offering alternatives does not result in behavioral change.
- When it comes to mobility: there is no such thing as the employer because every employer has a different business. As a result, every employer regards the term ‘accessibility’ differently and every employer attributes a different investment potential to his view of mobility.
Mobility management
An anti-car policy is not the objective of mobility management. Mobility management is about getting travelers to choose consciously for a means of travel that best suits their daily travel purpose. This can mean choosing (1) a different mode of traveling (car, train, bike,…), (2) a different route, (3) a different time, or (4) not to travel at all (working from home). In this, the requirements and desires of the people whom are on the move (employees, visitors, suppliers, audiences to large events) are key, as are the interests of the employers.
Influencing behavior
Influencing behavior constitutes a central theme in mobility management. The question is always how to get people moving (literally)? Much has been said and studied on this topic but the ever- returning question is whether it actually works in practice, and if so, how? What can we do target the motivation of the people involved?
Read more about behavior influence
For years, I have been preoccupied with this question and over time, I have found a number of answers. My success-ingredients for behavioral influence are:
- Behavior is largely a matter of habit
- People cannot be reached by ‘logical’ arguments alone
- Choose a positive message, tempt people into behaving differently
- Make it easy to try something new
- Apply the Cialdini influence principles in practice
- Apply a subtle behavior influence (avoid ‘going door-to-door’).
- Personally be in touch with partners and users
- Always apply a practical approach and create visibility (partly by using marketing communication)