Who is
Knud Jørgen
When Knud’s out of office, he’s probably out in the forest.
Meet one project manager who truly understands remote working.
"Today there is so much noise, both in society in and within a company. You have to break through that noise to get things done."
How do you think you’re different from other project managers?
I think I’m possibly more people orientated. You see, I’m an engineer but I also have an MBA in business leadership psychology.
Does this give you an edge?
It means I have a sense of how people’s brains work when then work well together and what tools you can use to improve things when they don’t. You can ignore this and force people to do something in a certain way but only for a certain time. On the one hand, the company has its systems. But you still need to find ways to get people to commit their interest and energy.
What kind of engineer were you?
I worked mostly in powered electronics. My education was in high frequency antennae. I’m best on projects involving physical products that contain hardware, mechanics, that kind of thing. On one occasion I was working with welding machines. But I’ve also worked in HR, doing organisational development.
How do you think you colleagues would describe you?
I think they would say I was very calm. I’m just that kind of person. And that can be a good thing. Companies tend to bring in a consultant when there’s some kind of chaos or stress. They don’t usually hire us if things are running smoothly.
Which is best? WFH or going to the office?
I live on what used to be a farm up in the north of Jutland, so I tend to travel to work and go into the office. I like the interaction with people. But it can get frustrating working open plan with people talking on their phones or having virtual meetings all the time. I take headphones to keep the noise out.
Living on a farm must be a full-time job, though?
It’s certainly a way to decouple from work. We have our own forest that we have to maintain. So, you’ll often find me carrying a chainsaw. But as well as the manual work, I can go hiking, take photos of nature…I’m even a member of a scout group.
So, you move from working at a laptop to more manual work?
I use most of my spare time working with my hands, yes. We used to heat up our house with wood - not pellets. So, for the last twenty-five years I have chopped up logs. Fifteen cubic metres of timber every year. But this year we installed a heat pump, so that’s made life easier.
Sounds magical.
You can sit out in your garden and nobody is watching you. There’s no noise, no roads, no cars. No light pollution.
You must be a fan of remote places?
True. I’ve travelled extensively in Scotland, including Orkney. Orkney is an archipelago off the northeastern coast of Scotland. It’s where my favourite whisky distillery is based. The brand is Highland Park. Beautiful stuff.
Can you buy Highland Park in Denmark?
Yes, without too much trouble. Maybe because the brand ambassador for Highland Park is actually Danish. He looks like a Viking, covered in tattoos. Just like the old men who work at the distillery.
