Every SME that grows knows the feeling: what was self-evident yesterday causes friction today. Roles shift, employees receive new responsibilities, and teams seek their balance. Growth hurts, but that pain is not a mistake. It is the intention.
What De Sutter Naturally teaches us
Look at De Sutter Naturally, a family business from Kampenhout that became SME of the Year in 2024. Known for years for its horse fencing, it was suddenly faced with rising costs, digitalization, and changing customers. In less than two years, the range was broadened, a showroom was built, and the leap was made to Europe and the US.
But the real transformation was not in wood or steel, but in people. Employees took on new roles, the founder handed over leadership, and a professional management team took the helm. This did not happen without doubt and tension. The key to success? A culture where teamwork, commitment, and well-being were central.
Discomfort as fuel for development
Precisely there lies the essence of professionalization: discomfort as fuel for development. Teams experiencing stress, employees wondering if they can handle their new roles—it is all part of it. Psychologists call this the spotlight effect: we think everyone sees our failures, while reality is much milder. That insight creates space to experiment, learn, and grow.
Three movements for leaders
For leaders, this means one clear task: do not push tension away, but convert it into strength. That begins with three movements:
- Discover: help employees see their hidden talents.
- Discuss: make uncertainty and team stress negotiable.
- Guide: support them in finding a new role.
This is also where the role of organizations such as Oh My People lies: guiding SMEs through role changes, helping to carry tensions within teams, and anchoring well-being as a foundation for continuity.
The lesson is crystal clear: without the growth of people, there is no sustainable growth of the enterprise. Those who dare to invest in their people, especially when there is friction, lay the foundation for a future that is stronger than any crisis. Because where there is friction, innovation arises.
(In)security in times of AI and fake news
The impact of AI and fake news is often discussed in terms of technology, ethics, or information quality. Less visible, but more fundamental, is their effect on the human stress system. Psychological and neurobiological research into chronic stress shows that the brain does not react so much to a single event, but to persistent uncertainty.
What makes your SME strong sometimes also makes it vulnerable
What if the greatest risk in the workplace is not a burnout, but no one saying anything anymore?
I often see it happening in small enterprises. Everything moves fast, everyone pitches in, and no one really asks the question: “Is this actually still workable?” There is a lot of goodwill. Many doers. A lot of flexibility.
And precisely that, that strength, can quietly become a pitfall.
