Meet Stine Kjær
Please introduce yourself
I’m Stine Kjær and I work as a process consultant at TV2 ØSTJYLLAND – my main responsibility is strategic and organizational development. Beside working I’m a mother of two boys and in love with my boyfriend. I feel very privileged. I still live in Aarhus and when I drive by the Kaospilots headquarter I look at the buildings with a smile and think back at all the good and sometimes mind-blowing experiences I had there.
Which team and when did you graduate?
Team20. I graduated in 2016
What have you been doing since you graduated as a Kaospilot?
I started up by running my third-year project, ‘Natur Agenturet’ – nature inspired innovation. After giving that some energy I decided it was time to start something new with a teammate from T20. We started ‘Pænt Goddag’ a company cocreating experience design for kids’ brands. It was three wonderful years with full speed and a lot of learning. When I look back, I feel very lucky to have formed a company with another Kaospilot – we were thinking alike and that made it possible to act on ideas very efficiently, challenging each other in powerful ways. It was also a perfect environment to become a mother to my first born – I had freedom, passion and an incredible safe space to explore new emotions around motherhood.
After maternity leave with my second child, I started at TV2 ØSTJYLLAND. My work tasks are nonspecific. I’m employed to support the organization, which is what I find we Kaospilots are best at.
My job is to develop, be innovative, ask questions, be strategic and use the power of future foresight, connecting people and deliver the overview of what we are doing and where we are going.
What is important for you in your job?
Freedom and the mandate to take a lot of decisions on my own. I need to trust my CEO and I need the CEO to trust me. I need the space to do what I’m good at doing and to be able to fail in some of the experiments I do.
What major learnings would you point out from your experience that have shaped you as a leader?
- Trust and curiosity – sometimes questions are much better than the answers.
- Language determines our reality – so if you want to work with changes you need to be very aware of what words you are using.
- Emotions are extremely important in a work environment. We need to create spaces where all emotions are allowed. It’s important to approach people with curiosity without being judgmental and without making pre-assumptions on whom they are, and how you believe they might behave.
What is your biggest source for inspiration right now?
I just went to SXSW and fell in love, once again, with Brené Brown – The first time that happened was at a lecture in my 3rd semester as Kaospilot I think. She is brilliant and powerful! Also, the work with equity in our society inspires me. Especially Minal Bopaish who does a lot of interesting work.
Beside that, many feminist movements have my up most respect – I hope I will play a more active role in those movements in the future.
What would be an example of a learning or an experience from your time at Kaospilot that has been important to you?
I think all 3 years was equally important to me. Almost every week I think back at experiences that has formed how I work and how I live my life. The endless ‘check out circles’ we did, have developed my patience. Asking questions when in doubts has given me curiosity and the very different way of lecturing has taught me that being a generalist is extremely positive.
What is a piece of advice that you would like to give future Kaospilot graduates?
Don’t try to be what you think a Kaospilot is. Just be yourself. Never doubt that you will get the ability to change the things you want to change, in your life or in the world.