Impossible is just an opinion

What does such an integral implementation entail?
Schiphol and its consultants made a technical design for Lounge 1, saying: this is the design and we want these products to be used in it. We then upgraded that to an execution design. Integral means that every aspect is covered: architectural, electrical, mechanical, fire safety installations and much more.

Describe a typical day for Jaap Janssens, project director.
Each morning I take the train from Brabant to Schiphol. After arriving at Plaza, I almost always start with a tour of the construction site to see how things are going. Construction happens at night too, so you can see what else has been done compared to the previous day. This tour of the site is very important because then I maintain some sense of the actual execution of the project.

Doing that makes the day longer, but that’s just how it is. I do it with pleasure. The rest of the day I often have quite a lot of meetings about how the works are progressing or about the financial status of the project, and I don't think you can meet and decide on these things if you don't know what’s really going on.

What strikes you when you walk through the project area every day?
I speak to many people in the workplace every day. And I can tell you, in every layer there is so much knowledge, expertise and flexibility. You should cherish that and make good use of it. I try to keep the choices to be made within the lowest possible layer, with the people who have the most knowledge. If a carpenter has to make a frame, please let them decide how. There is absolutely no need for me to have a say in that. I do try to challenge people about certain essential (planning) choices, in terms of 'what if we do this or that' or 'have you thought about..'. In this way I try to stimulate and activate, because I don’t want people to simply accept that things are just the way they are.

Before, you said this project was like doing ‘high-level puzzles’. Why’s that?
No day goes as planned. Something happens in construction, the client has an extra wish, there is a disruption somewhere... Furthermore, it’s a project running at full capacity from an operational point of view, and one in which you have to deal with many stakeholders.

That dynamic is a concern and a challenge. In a positive sense, because that is exactly what I’m looking for. ‘Impossible’ is not a fact but an opinion. Don't make me work on the renovation of a few office buildings somewhere in Amsterdam’s financial district. That wouldn’t make me happy. Clear the floor, renovate, furnish, done... Boring! When I enter Plaza every day via the escalator and see my colleagues working hard and all those people criss-crossing, I think: Yes, I'm back! That gives me so much energy.

Does a redevelopment like this in such a busy place attract a lot of attention?
I hope that the passenger notices as little as possible that such a major renovation is taking place. Most of the passengers are so preoccupied with 'we still have to check in, grab a snack and reach the gate within an hour' that they don't realise we are renovating. Yet there are quite a few people who find it interesting to spend fifteen minutes watching the construction. If you want, you can take a look at our construction area. That's no problem. On the one hand you try to keep the redevelopment away from the passengers, on the other hand it’s just so fascinating to see.

When are you, as a project director, really satisfied?
I try to find a moment of happiness every day. If I just sit and wait for the end result, it will take quite a long time before I am satisfied. This project is one big Domino D-day: the domino pieces are constantly falling over. With every fallen piece, like a delivery date that gets pushed back by a week or an unforeseen situation in the construction, you have to find a solution again and again. And every time you find that solution, you get a very positive feeling: we succeeded! I really relish that. If you reflect on moments like that three times a week, once a month for something slightly bigger and once a quarter when you reach a milestone, then there is plenty to celebrate even before that grand end result.

Is your glass always half full?
The team I lead sometimes says that I see everything through rose-tinted spectacles. And I say: no, I just try to think in terms of possibilities. Until something is really no longer possible, I believe that you should always keep looking for opportunities and ways to make it work. I sometimes say: I try not to stress, but I do try to stretch. Until just outside of that comfort zone. And that positive, solution-oriented view is also necessary if you work in an environment where things change every day. As soon as I lose that positive outlook and no longer feel that energy, I should stop. The people I manage constantly have to deal with setbacks. If I get stuck in that energy and radiate it to them, it’s a slippery slope downwards. But luckily I still look through those 'rose-tinted spectacles' every day.