GENERATIONS WORKING TOGETHER

“No, we never talk about work at home”

What’s it like when your dad isn’t just the ‘boss’ at home, but also heads up the company you work for? At Pan Oston, Ralf (60) and Bart (25) not only share their surname, but recently they’ve also started sharing their workplace. In Raalte, where thousands of checkouts and self-checkouts roll off the production line every year, they are building the future together as CEO and Junior Sales Manager.

The assembly hall at Pan Oston is a sight to behold. Everywhere you look, there are checkouts, self-checkouts and self-order systems under construction. It’s familiar territory for Ralf. He’s been walking the floors here for twenty years, knows every product detail, and has seen the company grow. But recently, he’s been joined by a family member: after exploring opportunities abroad, his 25-year-old son Bart has finally opted for a position in Raalte.

FROM THE KITCHEN TABLE TO THE SHOP FLOOR

Anyone who thinks these gentlemen switch off completely when they get home to focus on family life would be mistaken. “No, we never talk about work,” jokes Bart with a wink. Ralf laughs and admits straight away: “According to my wife Gerlinde, we really do talk about nothing else. It often starts as early as dinner. We’ll be chatting about a little project here or a challenge there. Before we know it, the two of us are engaged in a profound discussion, while my wife sits there quietly. Fortunately, we have a good built-in brake: if it really goes on for too long, she cuts it short. ‘You can continue that at work tomorrow,’ she says.”

There aren’t any real arguments or serious conflicts, mind you. According to Bart, it’s more a constant flow of discussion. “We challenge each other and try to find new insights. How do you approach this? Why do you do it that way? It’s a kind of cross-pollination between our roles.”

MORNING ROUTINE: ME-TIME VS. HITTING THE GROUND RUNNING!

It often starts early in the morning. When both men need to be at the same location, they commute together. And it’s precisely at that early hour that the difference in their personalities becomes painfully clear.

“I really value my peace and quiet in the morning,” explains Ralf. “A nice half-hour in the car, waking up with the radio playing softly. But Bart? Bart is someone who’s ‘switched on’ straight away. He comes into the kitchen and immediately starts chatting away, full of energy. It just carries on in the car: straight into the thick of things. Sometimes I really have to adjust, but secretly, of course, it’s also great fun.”

The fact that they’re family brings a major advantage in the workplace: completely unfiltered honesty. Ralf: “I don’t feel that our family ties hold us back. On the contrary. Giving compliments or criticism comes very naturally, just as we’re used to at home. I don’t change my approach just because Bart is my son.” Bart adds: “Because you know each other through and through, the feedback you get is incredibly sincere. It works really well. Fortunately, we don’t work directly together all day long and there are usually other colleagues around, so we don’t get in each other’s way.”

LEARNING FROM EACH OTHER

Although Ralf could be seen as the mentor and Bart as the apprentice, the reality is much more balanced. They are constantly learning from each other. When asked what Ralf has learnt from his son, he replies, somewhat defensively: “Patience. I tend to lose my patience quite easily, especially when things don’t work out straight away on a technical level. My colleagues will no doubt recognise that. Bart is the one who corrects me and calmly says, ‘Take it easy.’”

Conversely, Bart has actually taken after his father’s decisiveness. “I sometimes tend to overthink things, to weigh up the pros and cons for too long. My father is all about taking action. Making choices, not waiting too long, and pressing on. That’s an incredibly valuable lesson.”

THE SUM OF THE PARTS

What binds them together is their character: both are straightforward and goal-oriented. But their individual talents differ enormously, and both men speak of this with great mutual respect.

Bart’s strength (according to Ralf): “Bart is incredibly quick-witted. Even as a child, he used to make me laugh so much, but professionally too, he knows how to take a serious discussion and, with a single cleverly chosen word, make it both light-hearted and professional. What’s more, in terms of intellect and intelligence, he’s far ahead of me. Especially when it comes to new technologies such as AI. Sometimes I’m almost jealous and think: I was born too early; I should have been young in this high-tech age.”

Ralf’s strength (according to Bart): “My father possesses a vast wealth of professional knowledge and experience. With every project I’m working on, he grills me thoroughly: ‘Have you thought about this? And this? And what about that?’ That shows just how much he knows. And it’s not just down to his age; it’s pure intrinsic motivation and curiosity that he’s maintained for twenty years.”

PAN OSTON’S ‘SMARTEST PERSON’

It’s clear that the two men enjoy challenging each other when the conversation turns to their free time. If a camera crew ever turns up for a television programme, they already know exactly which one they’ll sign up for: 2 for 12.

“We’re both mad about quiz shows and current affairs,” says Ralf. “What’s going on in the world? What’s happening around us? That’s what keeps us both busy.” Every now and then they play against each other on their phones, for example on the ‘De Slimste Mens’ app. Ralf can’t resist throwing in a little dig: “I do tend to win more often than he does, by the way.”

Bart responds immediately with a beaming smile: “You’re only saying that because there’s a camera pointed at you!” To which Ralf dryly gives a thumbs-up: “I can show you the statistics in a heartbeat, you know.”

Whether it’s complex technological issues on the factory floor, heated discussions around the kitchen table or a friendly battle on a quiz app: the dynamic between Ralf and Bart brings together the best of two generations. And that is precisely the fuel that powers Pan Oston in these times of rapid change.

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