Stefan Schnietz

"In everything I do, I’ve got maximum leeway to act - the focus is on reaching the goals and the right result" says Stefan Schnietz, Human Resources Developer at Vattenfall Europe Business Services in Germany. 

Please describe in short what you are working with

As service providers to our - mainly internal - customers from other Business Units, my co-workers and me mainly provide change management support to senior executives at all levels, for example recognizing where their people are and taking them along in the process of the manifold changes going on. Most of the time, this is done through common workshops which I conceive, agree with the clients and facilitate.

The aim always is, in some form, to allow for, and improve, cooperation. A second major field of duties is to coordinate the My Opinion surveys for three large Business Units in Germany. And thirdly, collaboration in small to large-sized projects and conceptual work wants to be mentioned.

What do you enjoy most in your work?

What I like best in my work is that it is so varied, and that I enjoy a high measure of independence. The contents of my work range from conceptual work and the creation of PowerPoint presentations to giving talks and facilitating events and workshops. This implies that, on the one hand, I work alone in the office in front of my computer screen, and on the other hand, I appear before small to large-sized audiences and closely collaborate with other people.

The places of work are varied, too. While working most of the time in Berlin, I frequently also go to other locations of the group, meeting different people at all levels of the hierarchy - from management board members to doormen. Some job tasks require a high level of precision, while others need spontaneous ideas and a lot of creativity to quickly score a success. In everything I do, I’ve got maximum leeway to act - the focus is on reaching the goals and the right result.

How would you describe your typical day at work?

There is actually no typical day, it's rather a typical week. Such a typical week will be a mix of a one- or two-day event staged together with a manager and his or her employees, which frequently takes place at a different location or in a hotel. Furthermore of a day exclusively spent in the office, and days for which meetings with co-workers from my own function or talks with clients have been scheduled. No matter where I am, I always “stay on the ball“ by being continuously accessible through my notebook and mobile phone. No e-mail will remain unanswered for long, and there's no one who would not be called back soon.

What do you consider most important for ensuring that your work will produce good results?

Achieving good results is based on a mix of one's own aspirations, a clear agreement with the client, for example an exact definition of what is intended to be achieved, and close contact with the client to allow early detection of potential variations.