The conversation goes nowhere
You discuss it again, but the frustration remains. People assume what others mean, defend their position or stop saying what they really think.
For organisations, leaders, professionals and teams
What would you like to do differently at work?
Having a difficult conversation. Making agreements everyone understands. Sharing responsibility. What would you like to achieve, and how will you know it is working?
For you as a director or professional, for an employee or for your organisation. First we discuss what you want to achieve. Then we agree on an approach, one-to-one or with your team.
Looking for support for yourself? Explore one-to-one guidance
Organisations I have worked with
When to bring me in
Where does your question begin?
Everything lands on your desk
You solve problems, check the work and keep things running. But what happens when you step back? You want others to take responsibility without losing oversight.
People are disengaging
Colleagues withdraw, energy runs out and trust starts to erode. You want to understand what is happening before someone goes off sick or leaves.
What we work on
What you learn to do differently at work.
- 01Asking questions before assuming what someone means
- 02Having difficult conversations without damaging relationships
- 03Being clear about your boundaries and what you need
- 04Making decisions without being swept along by pressure
- 05Making clear agreements: who will do what?
Role and approach
We start with what you want to understand or change.
We discuss what you want to understand or change and what the work demands. One-to-one, there is room for your own questions. With a team, we also explore how people understand one another and what the collaboration needs. Then we practise: asking a different question, saying what you mean, listening without rehearsing your reply. Understanding it in the room is only the start. What matters is being able to use it back at work.
Honest and direct. Always human.
Ways to work together
Your needs determine the approach.
01Personal
One-to-one guidance
For a director, business owner or professional who wants to develop or work through a personal question. We explore what you need in your role and your life, and what you want to understand or handle differently.
023 hours
Workshop for teams
For teams struggling to communicate or work together. In three hours, we work through a familiar workplace situation. Each person looks at their own role and practises what they can do differently the next day.
03Three days
Complete three-day programme
When you need more time than a single workshop allows. Three days to explore recurring problems, practise together and learn to apply my method at work.
One-to-one guidance
Master it yourself.
Learn to guide someone else.
You want to learn to share my method with others. Across three sessions, we look at what you have mastered and practise guiding others together. I am present at every session.
Explore learning to guide othersOrganisations I’ve worked with
Working together when the pressure is on.
Organisations across public safety, government, public services and business have engaged me directly for training, workshops and guidance. I’ve also worked with foundations supporting people affected by PTSD.
What Innovated sees in its organisation
Innovated’s management team describes how the guidance helped them better understand stress and put what they learned into daily practice. They report greater openness about mental health, more mutual support and lasting improvements within their team and organisation.
Read the full testimonialM.C. Robbemond, director/owner · PDF in DutchPublic safety
- Netherlands Institute for Public Safety (NIPV)
- Netherlands Police
- Ministry of Defence
- Flevoland Fire Brigade · Almere
- Amsterdam-Amstelland Fire Brigade
- Didam Fire Station
Government and public services
- UWV
- Department of Justice
- Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport
- Municipality of Zwijndrecht
- Municipality of Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht
- Municipality of Krimpen aan den IJssel
Business
- Innovated Group of Companies
- Royal Euser Transport
Foundations
- Foundation Liberated from PTSD
- Foundation PTSD
Mark Paasman
Understanding what drives people. Changing what holds collaboration back.
My name is Mark Paasman. I help leaders and teams see themselves, one another and their challenges differently—especially when conversations go round in circles, assumptions take over or everyone is working harder without making progress together.
I’ve carried responsibility in the Dutch armed forces, in international business and as a business owner. I understand the demands of business—and the toll that constantly pushing through can take. That experience, combined with my education and lessons from my own life, shapes my guidance and advice.
My method helps make sense of complex human reactions and gives you practical ways to respond. Understanding is the starting point. What matters is what you do differently afterwards: communicate more clearly, make considered decisions and understand one another better. That’s what we work on together.
Author of Bevrijd van PTSS — Mijn verhaal, mijn methodiek (2022). Nominated for the White Carnation Award in 2023 for my work supporting veterans with PTSD.
View the White Carnation nominationThe first step
What do you want to achieve?
Tell me what you want to understand or develop, for yourself, an employee or your organisation. You don’t need to choose a workshop or programme yet. We’ll talk through the situation first, then agree an approach, the time involved and the investment.