We’re so happy to present Elke Van Parys and heydays” as UQ Masterclass Partner! Elke and her team have been a part of our UQ Masterclass Partner team since December 2021, so you might have already seen her training courses in our UQ coach. Elke Van Parys is a genuine trainer, creative content creator and authentic entrepreneur. Besides being the author of ‘De kunst van het trainen (‘The Art of Training’), she’s the founder of heydays”, a training institute that specialises in leadership, communication skills and language coaching, among other things.
With heydays”, Elke creates training courses and organises coaching sessions for companies and organisations in the field of communication, collaboration and languages, but also individual coaching programmes, role plays with actors and intervision.
Communication is a fantastically fascinating and at the same time complex subject. There’s so much to talk about and learn. I really enjoy being able to share my insights and experience and on the other hand being able to continue learning every day.
Elke Van Parys
What can you expect from Elke?
Elke Van Parys has been working as a communication trainer in and for companies since 2000. For the past 23 years, she’s been coaching professionals to enhance and improve their communication skills and learn to communicate more effectively. She’s worked with small SMEs with simple and flat organisational structures as well as larger, more complex organisations.
Her focus is primarily targeted on 3 groups:
- supervisors/people managers
- customer care employees
- in-house trainers and coaches
Are you wondering which topics she can help you with?
- How to conduct 1-to-1 interviews with employees (for People Managers)
- How to deal with resistance during change (for People Managers)
- How to effectively deal with complaints and difficult conversations with customers (for Customer Care)
- How to create compelling and captivating presentations (for Trainers and Coaches)
Elke has a pragmatic approach to coaching. She finds it extremely rewarding and fascinating to apply theoretical models to participants’ own situations. Theoretical models are valuable as a stepping stone, but applying them practically is most important. One of Elke’s greatest assets is her multilingualism. She’s fluent in Dutch and French and also speaks English and German quite well. Combine this with her passion and enthusiasm and you’ve got a powerful cocktail!
What are the advantages of learning an additional language?
Being able to communicate in several languages in itself creates many opportunities. I’m a prime example of that myself. I’ve noticed that companies often knock on my door due to my multilingualism. Language also serves as a very strong unifying factor. By literally speaking the same language as your conversation partner, you generate sympathy and trust. And that can only improve your relationship with the other person.
What happens when people don’t communicate clearly?
Clear communication is an essential requirement for successful and efficient cooperation, both within one’s team or organisation and with external parties. We may sometimes think we communicate clearly, but this is often not the case. Unclear communication in the workplace (and beyond) leads to misinterpretations, misunderstandings, friction and mistrust, with all the ensuing consequences.
Good communication is one of the most important cornerstones for well-being in the workplace. I’m absolutely convinced of this fact. I also fully endorse the opinion of dr. Stephen R. Covey. He states that “Seek first to understand, then to be understood” is the secret to effective communication. We all have a lot to learn in that respect.
Do you want to know more about her?
In her free time, she loves going out to dinner with her family or friends and having a nice chat. Good food, a good glass of wine and good company, that’s all it takes. She also likes to escape the hustle and bustle and lose herself in a good book (non-fiction), a podcast, an exciting series or good music.
Some fun facts about Elke
- Mentally, I’m as old as my physical age. I’ll turn 45 this year, which is young in the sense that I still want and can do so many things professionally. And at the same time, 45 is also a very mature age: I have a backpack filled with experience that I can use to help others.
- If I had one hour extra per day, I’d watch more Netflix. There are so many good tv shows, reports and films that I haven’t yet seen because of “not having enough time to spare”. Just give me a show like Bad Sisters, I can’t get enough of them: a good cast, a well-written storyline and some beatific music.
- You can always wake me up for a sumptuous and cosy brunch in Ghent, followed by a stroll through the streets of Ghent.
- What gets me truly excited is new recording equipment! 🤩 I recently bought new podcast microphones, new headphones and a professional mixing console to make even better audio recordings. Well, those kinds of things immediately make me happy. I also love seeing my children share my passion for it.
Similarly, spontaneous comments or thank yous from clients also make me instantly happy. Clients who spontaneously send me a message to say how much they benefited from my training or coaching, that always makes me feel so incredibly happy. It strengthens my feeling that what I do really helps people move forward. And in the end, that is what counts.
A handful of unique, practical content is already available in our UQ coach and Teach on Mars apps! Furthermore, you can expect blended training programmes tailor-made to your organisation. This way, you can benefit even more from what Elke and her team has to offer!
