Tineke Venema – ‘Being sociable is inborn’
She is surprised. In fact she blushes to hear that people call her a ray of sunshine. But it’s the truth. Secretary Tineke Venema is the friendly face of the Maritime department at Imares in Den Helder. ‘I really want people to feel at ease. I want them to feel welcome when they come in here.’ She does it with a warm smile and an open attitude to everyone who comes in. She has been working at Imares for three years now, not just as secretary but also as confidential advisor. She sees that as the ‘icing on the cake’. Before this job she was a company doctor’s assistant for 15 years. She knows how helpful a good talk with someone can be.
‘Being sociable is inborn. I have two lovely parents. You get their genes. I come from Workum in Friesland, from a real red family. I grew up with the idea that you should stand up for the vulnerable. That is totally part of me.’ And of course she does get stressed sometimes. ‘And then I do my share of grumbling. But never for long. And I play water polo, so I can get rid of a lot of frustrations doing that.’ And by the way: If there is one thing Tineke Venema cannot stand, it is arrogance. ‘I am allergic to it. I understand that in certain positions you need an aura of authority and selfconfidence. But you can combine that with being sociable too.’
Chris van de Weerd – Brightens up everyone’s day‘Grumpy? No, I don’t know what that is. In the nearly five years I’ve been here I haven’t gone to work in a bad mood more that twice.’ Anyone who has spent any time at all with Chris van de Weerd can believe him without reservation. Van de Weerd enjoys his work and the people he works with. ‘One minute you are talking to a professor and fi ve minutes later you are having a chat with a student. I love that. High or low in the hierarchy, everyone is the same to me. You should always be respectful, friendly and honest. That means you can tell each other the truth too. I believe in telling it straight. But in a friendly way.’
Friendliness is second nature to him. Between the ages of 15 and 46, Chris van de Weerd was a shopkeeper. Wageningers know him as the owner of the eponymous sports shop on the Salverdaplein. After working for some years as a rep for Akzo Nobel, he retired early at the age of 58. Too early, as it turned out. ‘I missed the routine of going to work, and I badly missed all the social contact.’ And so he ended up at Zodiac, where he is in his element. And where he brightens up everyone’s day, even though he is going through a dark time himself. In August he lost his wife, Marian, who was a receptionist in the administrative headquarters. Her death has hit him hard. ‘When I was 23, someone said to me: there is no night so dark that dawn does not come. That’s a comforting thought.’
Marietta Hof – ‘Do as you would be done by’It starts with a greeting and a twinkly smile. As if she knows something you don’t. Like how delicious the meal is today in the Restaurant of the Future, perhaps. And don’t be surprised if, while you are struggling with the do-it-yourself till, cutlery and a serviette appear on your tray. Marietta Hof can’t help it; it is just the way she is. ‘It’s just my nature. I like helping people and making sure they leave here happy. The service should always be good.’ So she is friendly. Or, to be more precise: courteous. That is to say, she is amicable but preserves a bit of distance.
‘I don’t use first names. I don’t think that’s on.’ But being friendly comes naturally to her. ‘And all the people who come here for lunch are friendly,’ she says. ‘But,’ she admits, ‘that’s partly down to my attitude to them.’ Do as you would be done by. Of course she has her off days too. ‘But my guests won’t notice it.’ Oh, and one thing she can’t stand: people who don’t return your greeting. ‘I think that’s a pity’.
Photo’s: Edo Kooiman en Bart de Gouw