WE MAKE OUR COLLEAGUES STRONG.
IN THIS INTERVIEW, THREE COLLEAGUES REPORT ON THEIR EXPERIENCE.
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Preassembly, engine assembly, line manager and now group leader – since Jens
joined the AMG in 2012, he’s already held several positions in Plant 4. Meanwhile,
the 27-year-old also acts as a PE Manager.
“We make our colleagues strong” – what does that mean to you?
It underscores exactly what I expect from a good team. The only way to succeed
in the end is to mutually reinforce and support one another. I also believe that’s
true from more than just the technical perspective. It’s important that we exchange
information, of course, and make work results available to each other. But there’s
so much more to it than that.
You mean the interpersonal aspect?
Exactly. In my opinion, good interpersonal “chemistry” is just as important, if not more so. There are various elements that play a role in my view. What conversational tone predominates, both within your own team and between groups? Is the mutual esteem apparent? I think these are questions that you have to ask in this context. In addition, it also includes an appropriate amount of feedback. The way I see it, praise for a job well done is just as effective as constructive criticism. It takes the right interaction at the professional in interpersonal level to build a good team and achieve the established objectives together.
Can you give us an example from your day-to-day work that illustrates your point?
A situation during my time as group leader comes to mind. There were three of us working in the office back then. Suddenly, one of us switched to another area. Shortly thereafter, the second colleague – my direct supervisor at the time – took vacation as planned. As a result, a lot of responsibility fell on my shoulders in a short period of time and there was nobody there to help. Or so you might think! Sure, the amount of work was many times greater. But I immediately noticed that most of my colleagues were there for me from the very first moment. Many came to me and said: “Jens, if you need anything, just let me know. We’re here to support you.” When something went particularly well, I got positive feedback. In such situations, solidarity like that really builds you up. It’s good to know that your colleagues have your back.
How do you try to personally help make the statement a part of everyday life?
Besides the interpersonal aspects, which I consider to be self-evident, I always try to go through my daily routine with open eyes and open ears. That includes listening carefully and thinking outside the box. What I mean by that is that I do not focus exclusively on my own area of expertise. If there’s news that needs to be communicated, then I pass it along to my team and beyond. In so doing, I ask myself whether the information might also be useful for someone in my periphery, although it doesn’t directly concern that person at all.
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Michael has been working for AMG since 2008. The 55-year-old has no doubt:
In his function as head of IT Consulting, empathy for employees is just as impor-
tant as actual technical Knowledge.
What does the statement “We make our colleagues strong” mean to you?
IT is essentially an “enabler function” and that’s why the statement “Make your
colleagues strong” is a key point for us from my perspective. But we cannot make
others strong unless we’re strong ourselves. The only way we can strengthen
others is to work as a good IT team internally and be well integrated within AMG.
In your opinion, how can we support our colleagues in their day-to-day work?
I believe the most important thing is to discuss with one another topics and conflicts with transparency, trust and a solutions-oriented approach. Among other things, I also try to serve as a role model, clearly admitting that I, too, don’t always have a solution ready at the drop of a hat. In situations where I don’t know what the next step is right away, I try to make that transparent. That creates a work climate where people can deal more openly with such situations. That means a climate where I can say “I don’t really know where we go from here, but I’ll make sure we find a solution.”
How would you like to see AMG bring the statement more into practice in everyday life?
We’re not all that strong in what we call end-to-end processes. As soon as it goes beyond a given area, I often have the impression that we don’t talk nearly enough with one another. We limit ourselves – understandably enough – to our own part of the task, and too few colleagues become involved in the overall process. We should develop greater understanding for what occurs “before and after us.” What does our colleague need in order to carry on the work? What do I have to provide to make that possible? In other word, looking beyond one’s own area of expertise. We’d have an easier time of it if we had a common understanding more often of the overall picture. Processes that span our company are a good yardstick for how well we function.
What does the statement mean for you as manager?
I’d like to use an image from soccer. I often see myself as a trainer. I have to deploy the team well tactically, understand how the game works, how to win, and what the team needs at any given moment in order to win. Once the match begins, in certain respects I’m powerless. You set up the right strategy and optimize your players’ preparation in advance. But whenever things go wrong and you lose 7:0, you’re responsible for building the team back up and figuring out what we have to do together to win the next match. That also how I feel about my job. That means I can’t just deal exclusively with technical topics, but rather I must also be able to recognize what my employee needs to be effective. But I also consider the protection and support of colleagues in difficulty to be no less meaningful. The longer I do my job, the clearer I can see that although technical competence is a very necessary prerequisite, the empathetic side of my management responsibility is every bit as important.
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Katrin has been working at AMG as a secretary since 2013. The 42-year-old Looks
back now on more than 20 years of experience in this profession. She has a very clear
opinion regarding the Inner Force 2.0 statement “We make our colleagues strong.”
Katrin, what does the statement “We make our colleagues strong” mean to you?
To me, it goes without saying – in on our profession as secretary, it’s basically already
a core skill. That’s why, personally, I need no Inner Force. I think it's only normal for a
secretary to have an open ear for everyone and to support them as well as they can. It
simply comes with the territory. I’ve been a secretary for more than 20 years now, and
I say it’s just part of the job. You have to recognize the needs of others and also ask
from time to time, when a colleague isn’t feeling well. Because you’re really also a social
hub.
When do you try to bring the statement to life and anchor it in your everyday routine?
Every day. Even if it’s just making sure that my boss gets something to eat. In that moment, I'm strengthening him because I'm meeting one of his basic needs. I’m the central contact point, the nurse, the organizer and the kindergarten teacher. You have to try to provide support. I try to do it by keeping social factors in mind. When scheduling meetings, for example. When a colleague tell me in advance that he hardly ever gets to see his girlfriend, wife or child, then I try to avoid saddling him with another late-night meeting, even when it’s usually not that easy. That’s how I make my colleagues strong.
Thanks Jens, Michael and Katrin!
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