Videos
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Nordic Buisness Forum Helsinki - Jitske Kramer – Building a Future-proof Corporate Culture
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Silence, the Forgotten Human Skill | Jitske Kramer | TEDxWassenaar
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Tricky Times - Navigating the Messy Middle of Change - Jitske Kramer
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Organizations as Purpose Driven Tribes - Jitske Kramer
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Do you have enough campfire conversations? Corporate Anthropology Jitske Kramer
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Setting the Stage for the Future of Work - Webinar with Jitske Kramer
Learn More About Jitske Kramer
Jitske Kramer (YIT-skuh KRAY-mer) is a corporate anthropologist who travels all over the world to learn from traditional healers, leaders, surprising innovators and random passers-by. She is an inspiring speaker, entrepreneur and founder of Human Dimensions. In 2013, Kramer was voted trainer of the year by colleagues and clients.
Kramer is the bestselling author of “Tricky Times” (2024), “Jam Cultures – Inclusion: Having a Seat at the Table, a Vote and a Voice ” (2021), “Work Has Left the Building” (2021), “Deep Democracy” (2019), and co-author of “Building Tribes” (2018) and “The Corporate Tribe,” which was named a Management Book of the Year in 2016.
Kramer brings worldly knowledge and experiences back to the world of management, cooperation and leadership through challenging keynotes and masterclasses. To improve the strength and results of individuals and groups (and to make the world a more beautiful place), she has the ambition to activate organizations to be wildly attractive to everyone and everything. In her stories, what is familiar gradually becomes strange. And what is strange becomes familiar.
Jitske Kramer is available to advise your organization via virtual and in-person consulting meetings, interactive workshops and customized keynotes through the exclusive representation of Stern Speakers & Advisors, a division of Stern Strategy Group®.
Photo by Marie Broeckman
Tricky Times: The Messy Middle of Change
We are in a period of transition. As with any major change, we have to let go of what is familiar without knowing exactly what the future holds. This is a confusing betwixt-and-between time, when things are neither what they were, nor what they will become. Anthropologists call such between-times liminality. Fascinated by the myriad changes impacting our world and universally fierce emotions they are arousing, best-selling Dutch author and anthropologist Jitske Kramer set out to unravel the patterns of this liminal time. In clear language she describes the opportunities, the dangers and the lures during major changes. When wild stories confound, tricksters continually toy with truth and power relations shift.
Tricky Times is an unsettling keynote talk that will have you seeing society, and yourself, with fresh eyes. A talk of insightful interpretations and personal views. Sharing lessons Jitske learned on her travels in diverse cultures. Offering a vision on the kind of leadership needed in liminal times. And an urgent talk, because we can and must do better.
Building Tribes: Organizational Cultures and Culture Change From an Anthropological Perspective
Based on her books, “The Corporate Tribe” and “Building Tribes,” anthropologist Jitske Kramer takes you on a fascinating journey. She talks about how people shape cultures and how cultures shape people. Full of beautiful stories and anthropological lessons about people, culture, change and leadership, Kramer investigates the interplay of power & love and the importance of good interaction and decision-making. Audiences learn the benefits of efficient bullet point meetings and human campfire conversations while gaining anthropological insights to create and maintain strong and healthy organizations. Attendees will be challenged to consider how their secret tribal delights about cooperation and leadership fit in today’s modern open organizations.
Jam Cultures: Inclusive Collaboration and How You Can Make Diversity Work for You
Diversity is about a mix of differences, inclusion is about how we make the mix work. The leading question in these dynamics is: who determines what is normal? Anthropologist Jitske Kramer presents a talk about how much diversity we can and should handle and how leaders can improve levels of inclusion and diversity. She breaks down the necessary aspects of inclusion, outlining how to deal with differences, strangers, emotions and conflict, scarcity and privilege, inclusion and exclusion, power and powerlessness. Kramer shows leaders how to jointly create an environment of belonging and equity where everybody gets to participate, regardless of their ethnic background, skin color, religion, social class, level of education, sexual orientation or gender. Audiences will learn eight inclusion principles, with “the Jam Circle” as a practical tool for creating strong connections.
Deep Democracy: Good Conversations, Better Conflicts and the Best Decisions
Imagine that at the start of a strategic process, we didn’t say “I hope we can quickly reach an agreement,” but instead: “how amazing it is to be here together with so many people, with so many different views, opinions and networks. With such diversity. Let’s use our collective wisdom, backgrounds and knowledge to the best of our abilities.” According to anthropologist Jitske Kramer, with the latter approach, great things can be achieved together. In this insightful presentation based on her book “Deep Democracy,” she provides strategies for how this can be accomplished. She challenges audiences to consider the questions of how do we ensure that it is not always the same few people who talk during a management meeting, how do we ensure that all points of view are fully covered and that the larger whole is more important than individual egos? This sometimes painful and very relatable keynote speech on the “wisdom of the minority” presents a powerful framework that originated in post-apartheid South Africa, warning about sabotage, autocratic decisions, kings and sharks.
Jam Cultures: About Inclusion; Joining in the Action, Conversations and Decisions (English)
(Management Impact Publishing, March 2021)
Praise for "Tricky Times"
“Jitske Kramer doesn’t simply describe the modern experience of burgeoning cultural change that is infected by tricksters and false prophets, she also offers sound advice for handling it all. In these times of relentless uncertainty, one thing is certain: we need this book.”
“Jitske Kramer offers a completely original, challenging, and practically useful take on change. 'Tricky Times' has the power to transform you and your organization. Approach with excitement!”
“In a world where the ability to adapt is paramount, Kramer's insights provide a valuable compass for anyone seeking to lead through the complexities of transformation.”
What others are saying about Jitske's presentations
“Jitske Kramer provokes you into thinking deeply and speaking out. She gazes into the depths with flair and courage. Looking for surprising new insights and their practical applicability. Unifying and forceful.”
