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A leader encourages interaction and unity

21. Sep 2021
2 min

Before Ole Nielsen became a union representative himself, he was not fully aware what kind of club union representatives were part of.

“It seemed exciting, and we knew that something important was happening on the other side of the door that could affect us all. But we didn’t really know what it was”, says Ole Nielsen.

So his curiosity was already aroused when one day some colleagues urged Ole to run as a union representative.

“I think colleagues can often have a sense of who they want to have as a union representative. It calls for some attributes that they sort of sniff out and go after.”

But what are the attributes that the Private Customer Adviser from North Jutland possesses that are an advantage to have in the role as union representative?

The responsibility is both outwards and inwards

“To put it in words from the world of sports, the union representative is the captain, trainer and leader and the players are the employees. This means that you, as a union representative, take on the responsibility that you have as a leader to ensure interaction and unity all around you.”

However, the responsibility to both colleagues and management also comes with another equally important responsibility. Namely the responsibility you have to yourself in terms of sorting things out and putting your foot down.

“At the beginning, everyone’s problems were also my problems, nothing was too small. I have had to learn to get better at finding out what I should get involved with, what I can do something about and what I can’t change.”

And it is precisely here that the large network you get as union representative is also an invaluable advantage.

“You get to know your own organisation much better, but the network extends far beyond your own department and company. As union representatives in the sector, we spar with each other and benefit from each other’s experiences, and that has great value.”

 

About Ole Rytter

Ole Nielsen is a Private Customer Adviser at Nordjyske Bank in Hjørring. He is 58 years old and has been a union representative in North Jutland for 12 years.

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