“Understanding the customer better to enhance our portfolio”

“Within Executive Education & Organizational Development (EEOD), we created an organization in 2019 in which the customer perspective is more central. The layout of our organization was partially the result of a historical development to what it was. Now we follow the business logic more so that we can respond better to market demands. Within the EEOD, we distinguish three types of programs, each of which requires its own market approach.” 

Professional Programs 

“We offer short Professional Programs that allow participants to gain more in-depth knowledge of their field of work. This way, they stay up-to-date with the latest developments and trends. There are generally no specific admission requirements for the participants for these Professional Programs. These programs have a fast turnaround time, and we mainly market them through all kinds of online channels.

Open Enrollment Programs 

“We also have open enrollment programs that focus on personal development. We have them in the areas of leadership, business administration, management, and supervision. Relationship management is more important in those programs. Because these programs have a longer duration and require a larger investment, you should not only focus on the participant but also on the underlying company. It is important that the participant fits well with the program as well as with the participant group. We select based on that. These first two types of programs already existed. Not much has changed in that.”

Customized & Industry - Focused Solutions  

“In the third type of program, we work together with an organization or with a professional or business association such as VNO-NCW or the Dutch Association of Insurers. Within these programs – we speak of Customized & Industry - Focused Solutions – we have now made a distinction between Financial Services, Public Sector & Health, and Commercial Sector. The relationship with the organization is always central. These programs mainly involve B2B relationship management.  

Sometimes it concerns existing programs that we transform into a new program that we can offer to a specific group of colleagues within a company. If necessary, we also start from the underlying issue and investigate the extent to which learning interventions can contribute to a change process within the organization.  
Some of the programs that Customized & Industry - Focused Solutions offers are also open enrollment programs. These programs are often set up in collaboration with an external party, usually a professional or business association.  

Customized & Industry - Focused Solutions employs a group of people who are passionately trying to offer learning experiences to our participants and the organizations and companies where they work. We want to grow in order to be more relevant. In order to serve the customer, we really have to immerse ourselves in the branches and organizations, and we have to adopt a learning attitude. Only by getting closer to our customers do we gain a good understanding into the learning needs of those companies. In this way, they can also help us refine our portfolio.”

No Separate Worlds 

“By the way, the open and customized programs at Nyenrode are certainly not separate worlds. I strongly believe that individual participants come here for an open program and then go back to their company assuming their entire organization could benefit from it. Open and customized must therefore be closely intertwined. We are all doing this to contribute from Nyenrode to the further development of enterprising Netherlands.”  

L.E.S. in Crisis 

As of mid-March 2020, the Netherlands went into lockdown as a result of the coronavirus, which meant that regular physical meetings were no longer possible. As the crisis started, there was no shortage of in the organization, and everyone was willing to help each other across organizational boundaries. We immediately started a huge digitization process.  

In order to stay in close contact with our customers during this difficult period, we continue to provide good content via our online L.E.S. in Crisis platform on the website. In addition to free webinars, Nyenrode bites, podcasts, and articles, you will also find a range of blended programs on this platform. We have also started offering the Nyenrode Next Talk Show online, where representatives from academia and practice further explore a current topic. This way, we want to provide our customers with essential insights and practical knowledge to help them navigate their organizations sustainably through the crisis. We do this with a focus on Nyenrode’s three core values: Leadership, Entrepreneurship, and Stewardship. In the spring of 2020, we also started with a special L.E.S. in Crisis newsletter.  

After the government eased the measures, starting June 2, groups of participants were able to attend classes on campus on a small scale for the first time. This is of course done with due observance of the 1.5-meter rule.” 

Ruud Kok RA
Associate Dean Executive Education & Organizational Development