Life at V+C: Jonas Thelandersson, Senior Consultant & Country Lead Sweden

Meet Jonas Thelandersson, the Country Lead for Sweden and a Senior Consultant at Veldhoen + Company. What began as a focus on the physical aspects of buildings and their influence on performance and productivity has evolved over a decade into a profound appreciation for the human, behavioural, and cultural dynamics of workplace environments.

With a consultant career spanning over ten years, Jonas has come to realize that his true passion lies in understanding and shaping the intricate interplay between people and their workspaces. He has become a guiding force for numerous organisations, helping them reimagine, redesign, and implement innovative work practices and environments that foster flexibility, collaboration, and innovation while nurturing the desired organisational culture.

Jonas finds fulfilment in harnessing the power of people data to drive healthier, more holistic approaches to work, benefiting both the individual and the collective team dynamics, ultimately contributing to enhanced bottom-line results. 

Join us as we delve into Jonas' journey and glean insights into the transformative potential of modern work practices.

Jonas Thelandersson: I was introduced to Jonas Hurtigh Grabe through a good friend of whose company was working with V+C. I then had a really stimulating conversation with Jonas and Louis Lhoest about Veldhoen + Company's (non-hierarchical) approach to workplace strategy that resonated.

I'd been in the corporate world and in parallel, for many years I had been investigating several different holistic approaches to lifestyle.

I like to advocate for the common good and provide equitable access to employees.

In short, ABW blends the two paths I came from: on one hand, being in the business world, and on the other, self-seeking to introduce tools and mindsets into the business world to foster wellbeing. I like the experimental approach and this holistic approach was in alignment with my values.

JT: Everything is connected.

Where I was 10 years ago, is different to where I am now. Initially, my mindset was focused on productivity and performance mode. These days I continuously move away from teaching/preaching mode and gravitate to a process of inviting and sharing.

I have also shifted from the more tangible things being at the core of my work to instead using data and design as the entry point to expand on towards the cultural or behavioural change.

I'm much more comfortable embracing a holistic approach that incorporates intangible concepts that lead to more wellbeing.

JT: I talk about the office (the tangible element) to help people understand that it's a variable in a bigger equation. 

A brain-based approach really helps people to understand why they are stressed.

I've encountered workshop participants who say, "I was on burnout for two years, and now I understand what happened and can now see the light at the end of tunnel." Sometimes they even come up and personally thank me after a workshop and that really drives home how important this work is.

Understanding the patterns can help employers to focus on better workplace balance.

JT: In change processes we always refer to ADKAR which stands for Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability, and Reinforcement.

The awareness of how we are trying to teach something which we aren't built for physiologically - there's always more digital applications, more input, and stimuli all the time.

Most leaders are in the category of 'they don't know what they don't know.' We are seeking those open style leaders who are prepared to change the status quo.

The statistics are worrying– sick leave and burnout is always increasing.

In Sweden, while there are generous policies with 18 months maternity leave, 5 weeks holiday and with most organisations offering 500 euros stipend for a gym card – employees aren't using these gym memberships.

They will get one because it's free, but they don't go. It's a waste of resources.

If leaders were open to revisit how these wellness stipends could be used more intentionally and, in more brain-friendly ways, we can offer something that supports a wellbeing focused culture.

JT: The statistics show that we need a more integrated approach, and many of the leaders we work with are open to a holistic approach.

Take meditation for example; there are so many interpretations and version of it and in our business, we talk about focus work.

The connection can be made when we recognise that the brain works on different frequencies.

Like when you are anxiously waiting at airport security and boarding for your flight is in 15 minutes; you are tense, and brain is on Gamma waves.

Then there's Beta waves, which also indicate quite intense brain activity, whereas Alphas indicate a receptive brain state, like when reading, relaxing, or meditating.

Theta is deep relaxation, like when you go from an awake to sleep state, and finally when you reach deep sleep you are in Delta.

Science has proven that meditation gets your brain to the Alpha state. There are even playlists on Spotify called Deep Theta to effectively help with this.

My point is that it is very interesting to measure this practically in the workplace: what's your brain activity when you do focus work? 

I love to offer and encourage different tools to enter those brain stages. It could be as simple as everyone taking 5 minutes prior to a meeting to meditate to enter that more open, receptive, and creative brain-space.

This is what we teach.

JT: I certainly have the tools and the awareness.

I would never ever consider working for a traditional organisation where there was not space and a culture that supports healthy 5-minute breaks (to sing, dance, meditate, or do whatever feels right)!

JT: When we were visiting a major energy corporation with a global presence, we heard a team member say she is running weekly yoga sessions in the morning with ten people to blow off steam.

I am inspired by the clients that I'm attracting who see the value and dare to take small and big steps toward a more holistic way of working. We talk to leaders and help them connect these ambitious transformative goals within the boundaries of their organisational culture.

To get to that dialogue requires data. We talk a lot about data and how we use our digital tools.

Companies actively seek our support to connect the people data to their journeys because it's trickier and requires guidance and I feel lucky that I get to offer that support.

JT: Something that I've carried with me since the beginning was offered by a mentor who said, "Jonas you must remember that giving up the personal space, is never the objective, it's rather a consequence of giving people much more choice and freedom."

JT: To me, holistic is always going to be the strongest word.

JT: We're the dot connectors and the advocates.

It reminds me of the quote by Steve Jobs:

“You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So, you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something—your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.”

What I like about V+C's approach is that although we have defined process, we truly are curious and open to do things in a new way.