On Thursday, March 5, the first HR Knowledge Circle of 2026 took place. This meeting was organized for and by HR professionals from the 23 member ICD companies. This time, the theme was behavioral guidelines and Code of Conduct.
The knowledge circle took place at the Flonk Hotel Groningen South and provided space for deepening, discussion and knowledge sharing among HR specialists from the region.
Knowledge circle for knowledge sharing between ICD companies
The HR Knowledge Circles are organized about four times a year. They offer HR departments of the ICD companies the opportunity to explore an HR-relevant topic in greater depth together.
Topics are predetermined within the ICD's HR working group. An expert is then invited to share new insights and practical experience. In this way, organizations within the network can learn from each other and discover new perspectives.
Code of Conduct as a conversation about standards and values
During this knowledge circle was Leen de Waal as a guest speaker. He is affiliated with the TSM Business School and lecturer within various courses on HR strategy and leadership.
In his contribution, he discussed the role of codes of conduct within organizations. In doing so, he immediately made an important comment. According to him, a Code of Conduct has little value if it is seen only as a checklist.
Much more important is the conversation within the organization about norms, values and rules of conduct. The very discussion about what is and is not acceptable in daily work creates awareness and a strong organizational culture.
Practical examples from everyday practice
During the meeting, much interaction arose among the participants. HR professionals shared experiences and brought in practical examples. Some situations turned out to be real dilemmas, bringing together different interests and perspectives.
This made it clear that codes of conduct are not just a formal document. On the contrary, they play an important role in the daily practice of organizations. HR departments thereby have an important task to guide and monitor the conversation about them within the organization.
Successful launch of HR Knowledge Circles in 2026
At the end of the meeting, Leen de Waal was thanked for his contribution. As a token of appreciation, he received a box of chocolates and the anniversary book 10 years of ICD.
With this inspiring session, the Innovatiecluster Drachten looks back on a valuable start of the HR Knowledge Circles in 2026. The participants went home with new insights as well as practical tools for their own organizations.
