Talking straight: how open dialogue fuels Dutch creativity

We spent two weeks meeting Dutch designers in Amsterdam, investigating whether their approach to running creative businesses differs from ours. The answer? Their direct communication style is transforming productivity.

The Dutch advantage

Dutch industry has been a trendsetter in remote work. Even before the pandemic, 14.1% of the Dutch workforce regularly worked remotely. That’s well above the UK (4.7%) and the US (3.6%). Today, 37% of Dutch creatives work mostly from home and 50% work sometimes from home.

Our anecdotal research shows most Australian creative businesses have a three-in, two-out hybrid model.

The productivity results are telling: there’s almost zero productivity growth in Australia compared to 1.1% growth in the Netherlands. Our examination of Australian design agencies shows they follow the national productivity rate.

Why the Dutch are winning

The strong and open communication style of the Dutch is the opposite to what we see in Australian agencies. This has created greater trust between employers and employees.

The Dutch Flexible Working Act allows employees the right to request remote work arrangements, and employers must have strong business reasons to deny them. Employers place high trust in employees, supported by legal provisions such as mandatory provisions for healthy home offices.

But it’s more than legislation. The Dutch way of direct communication means:

• problems are addressed immediately, not avoided
• expectations are crystal clear from the start
• feedback is honest and constructive
• trust builds faster because there’s no ambiguity.

The takeaway

1. WFH is now mainstream in creative industries in Netherlands and Australia
2. Hybrid models dominate, with most working some days remotely
3. In Netherlands legal frameworks back it up, giving designers the right to request WFH arrangements
4. The Dutch way keeps communication open and honest
5. Direct communication reduces project revisions and misunderstandings
6. Clear expectations from the start prevent scope creep and budget blowouts

Greg Branson

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About Greg Branson

Greg’s passion is the research and development of methods that improve design management and the role of design in business.

His longevity is in his ability to change and adapt. Greg’s career as a traditionally-trained photographer; became an academic, teaching photography to design students; co-founded and ran Mackay Branson design (for over 25 years) until, recognising an area that he loved – design management – was not an area traditionally covered in design education, he founded Design Business Council. Since then he has worked alongside hundreds and Australian creatives helping them manage their business better.

Greg has sat on the AGDA Victoria and National councils, on a number of University and TAFE Advisory Boards and helped rewrite the VCE Visual Communication curriculum.

Outside of DBC, he is a passionate analogue photographer who spends an inordinate amount of time in his darkroom. You can follow his work on instagram @gregurbanfilm

Always happy to chat, he can be contacted here.