Hi Petter!
You are the head of a department that is now four months old. How do you feel about MGeo right now?
“I am very pleased with how things are going and how our first few months of existence have been. It has exceeded my expectations, not least because I know how much of a change it has been for some of the staff. I feel that the people who work here really want MGeo to be a good thing, and the staff seem to be expressing their thoughts and try to fix things that need fixing.”
What has been the most difficult part of the transition so far?
“The difficulty is that people were used to certain things, certain tasks, certain bosses and a certain environment - and yes, things have changed. And it may be difficult. But that is so human and so natural. And it can create a feeling of unfamiliarity or frustration and even stress. And as natural as it is, it is still hard to deal with. And you may feel that things were better before. I think it is very important to take this seriously and understand that it is happening. And hopefully a lot of people who are experiencing it also know that it is a natural thing and most of the time it will pass.”
What were the biggest positives?
“The biggest positive has been the attitude, because even with what I just said - the vast majority of opinions shown are positive and in the spirit that we will do the best we can with and for MGeo. I am very happy to feel that and it is not something I take for granted."
Has anything in particular surprised you?
“Not really, I don't think so. I was pretty well prepared for what was to come. If anything, the surprise is how well I feel it has gone. “
Where do you envision MGeo to be in five years?
“My short- and long-term vision are the same - I want staff to feel good. About the work and the workplace here at MGeo. Because when people feel good, all other positive things come with it. It is its own driving force, because it leads to smarter administration, more money for better research, more courses, and more enthusiastic students and teachers. We will grow and find new ways - as MGeo, the collective. It all starts with people feeling good about their work, their colleagues and the environment in which they work.
And that is an ongoing process. In my opinion, we are not in a fixed place now where all is done and everyone is happy. We have to be dynamic and change when we need to. Fix and change things that we are not happy with. I am not saying that I want us to be in a constant state of reorganisation, because we need stability and predictability. But as people are now starting to find their roles, they are also finding things that can be done better. So we need to talk to each other, be open and listen to suggestions and rethink our initial ideas. It's a balancing act, but it also depends on us working well as a collective.”
Looking at your position as head of department, what does that mean in terms of responsibilities?
“I have overall responsibility for people, finance and operations. I manage and allocate resources according to the long-term decisions of the board. But it is very important to me that the board actually makes the decisions. My role is simply to implement them and provide leadership. This makes the institution less dependent on any one individual, which ensures greater resilience and a stronger long-term focus.”
How do you work with the various teams and managers you have?
“My goal is that we work in consensus, both in the management team and in the line manager group. Formally, I make the decisions, but I want us to have consensus. Whatever the issue is, whether it is budget or personnel or operations, I want us to discuss and agree. And coming from three different divisions, I think it is even more important that we have that ambition to find solutions and to consider all perspectives. So far we have not had any major disagreement, so it has worked very well.”