By Natascha de Raad
reading time: 6 Minutes
This is the second blog post since we launched this format on September 13. In the days that followed, I received a lot of positive feedback from various directions. Friends, business partners and customers alike have indicated how successful they thought this launch was.
I was particularly pleased: Many of our more than 300 employees have also written to me or approached me personally about the blog. They are particularly pleased that we are becoming as modern and progressive on the outside as we already are - or think we are - on the inside.
This brings me to one of my favorite topics: The management and motivation of employees. Our company party last Friday showed me once again: Med-X-Press is way ahead as an employer when it comes to this topic. The atmosphere was good all round, and the communication across all departments was harmonious on the whole. My conclusion: since our foundation 17 years ago, we have grown together into a powerful team. There's no denying that there are still occasional hiccups here and there. But we are on the right track. To have come this far makes me proud (although I use this word very sparingly). There is still room for improvement. "Team spirit", "mutual appreciation" and a "values-based corporate culture" should be an integral part of our management culture in future, even more so than before. As will the targeted development of our employees.
We are well advised to do so. At present, even the most ignorant companies find themselves engaging in employer branding, i.e. enticing employees with particularly attractive working conditions or lavish social benefits in order to present themselves as a top employer. We did not and do not need this cosmetic approach. This can be seen in several examples, which I would like to briefly discuss here.
We focus on teamwork and individual support
At Med-X-Press, we established a group-based, team-oriented management style 17 years ago that is geared towards goals and tasks. Everyone is deployed within the scope of their skills and capabilities - in other words, exactly where they currently stand in terms of their professional and personal development. Anyone new to our team is integrated and trained, and anyone who wants to be particularly challenged is given their own project. And there are always phases in a person's life when they need encouragement and motivation. Here too, our managers - myself included - always try to find a solution.
Allow me to digress here (if you don't want to read on, you can skip the next three paragraphs in italics).
I keep asking myself the question. What does good leadership actually mean? Many managers (myself included) have internalized the St. Gallen management model, which was developed back in the 1960s, in their business studies or at seminars. It sees companies as multi-dimensional, open systems. They are exposed to numerous external influences in the form of society, nature, technology and the economy as well as the expectations of so-called "stakeholders".
This is where it gets interesting. Stakeholders are all groups that have certain expectations of the company because its value creation has a direct impact on them. For example, there is the state (it wants to tax us), the investor (expects its return), the media (wants to know a lot) or the employees. However, their expectations are hardly defined in this model - except that they want to be paid on time every month.
In my opinion, this is precisely the major weakness of this otherwise coherent model. Even in the 1960s, employees' expectations probably went far beyond regular pay - they just couldn't formulate or enforce them. What I mean are all the things that should be a matter of course in modern companies today (but often are far from it). Above all, I include appreciation of every employee.
We believe in appreciation - without it, leadership is worthless
Appreciation is the most important key for any good manager to inspire the people entrusted to them to achieve the company's goals in the long term.
This is especially true for the "Z" generation that we are dealing with as employers today. These digitally socialized "Zoomers" are the exact opposite of the career-oriented baby boomer generation that is currently leaving the workforce across the board. They want one thing above all else, as I find time and again in job interviews: to see a greater purpose in their work, to which they devote a large part of their lives. And that's exactly what they find with us, without us having to pretend anything: By creating identification with our company and its goals, we strengthen the "we-feeling" and motivation of each individual right from the start.
Our mission statement is also based on appreciation
But what should they identify with at Med-X-Press? We have defined two main goals in our mission statement, which have been internalized by almost every one of our 300 employees and are lived convincingly: Customer satisfaction and service quality. In other words: Med-X-Press is the best and most reliable partner in the pharmaceutical industry.
The fact that almost every employee now identifies with these values is not something I take for granted. This acceptance out of conviction is above all the result of an appreciative management culture. This is the only way to create a working relationship characterized by respect and friendliness, which is also reflected in our dealings with our numerous partners, customers and suppliers.
Further training strengthens self-efficacy, motivates and inspires
Appreciation also means encouraging everyone according to their talents. We don't want anyone to fall short of their potential. For me, it is always a particular pleasure to see how a person develops not only professionally but also personally with the help of targeted further training and literally "blossoms".
Because nothing is more satisfying than the feeling of being able to fully develop your potential and personality in the workplace. I know this from my own experience. Anyone who feels this self-efficacy - in other words, the feeling that their actions are contributing to a common goal - does not perceive work as a burden, but as an essential part of their life from which they draw strength and reassurance.
It is precisely this inspiring and satisfying experience that we at Med-X-Press want to make possible for our employees. We focus on the targeted promotion of their talents. We hold regular feedback meetings to find out where their particular skills lie - and how we can develop them with appropriate training opportunities.
We have developed a Med-X-Press bible for new employees. Here we have listed, in alphabetical order, everything they need to know for their orientation and induction. With this guide, we give them an initial overview and a feeling of security in the face of the wealth of new impressions and many question marks. For me, this proactive care is also a crucial facet of appreciation.
We attach great importance to the advancement of women
Let's move on to the women: The fact that we have been able to recruit so many qualified employees in such a short time in many areas - such as syringe screening (they are largely responsible for the success of this department) - is also due to our involvement in the inter-company association Frau und Wirtschaft e.V. in the district of Goslar. Here we show our appreciation by fulfilling our responsibility as an employer for the region. I am personally actively committed to the professional and workplace advancement of women. As we experience, it pays off for both sides.
A small digression: To avoid any misunderstandings here: I am not a supporter of quotas, on the contrary. Every woman has the opportunity to assert herself with her knowledge and talents - if she wants to. This topic is controversial - we can start a discussion on this at another time...
Flexible working models and numerous benefits optimize the work-life balance
We also show our appreciation in the form of flexible working models and employee benefits. Since the fall of 2013, we have offered our mothers a company childcare service. There are shopping benefits and employee discounts at regional retailers such as expert-Fachmarkt, Roller, Sixt, Cineplex and Sonnenhotels. With our in-house physiotherapy studio, employees can receive treatment by appointment. And with R+V supplementary dental insurance, we provide a high degree of security against being confronted with the horrendous costs of dentures at some point.
And with 30 days' vacation from January 2023, we are well above what other employers offer. I actually wanted to avoid using the word work-life balance in this article, but with this generous arrangement, we should satisfy many employees who want more free time for their family or other interests.
Appreciation is also shown in small gestures
So much for the big picture of appreciation. But it also takes place on a small scale at our company. For example, we gave our employees free ice cream several times during this hot summer. Sometimes we have had three ice cream chests delivered. Fresh fruit, coffee and water are always available anyway.
Have I forgotten anything else? I don't think so. In any case, this blog post has made me realize how many facets the term "appreciation" can have in the area of employee management. I look forward to receiving many comments and suggestions from all employees on how our corporate and leadership culture should continue to develop.
Every BLOG thrives on communication. We therefore look forward to your suggestions (e.g. for new topics), criticism and, of course, praise.As always, you can reach me at vertrieb(at)med-x-press.de
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