I’ve been working at Anton Paar for many years in a series of different functions. In my early years, I had the opportunity to learn about precision, both in mechanical and electronic production. In quality assurance I learned about the real meaning of “measurement”. After I completed my technical degrees I was able to establish a product department and managed a development department. Today I’m responsible for the development, production, product management, and support of about one third of Anton Paar’s products. In our Business Unit it’s our daily job to provide our sales force with measuring instruments that are always one step ahead of our competitors’ solutions. We offer application support as well as quick solutions when technical problems occur. At the same time we are already developing tomorrow’s instruments today, in order to be economically successful for many years to come.
To me, management means taking responsibility, making decisions, and solving problems. It also means achieving ambitious goals together with my team, something which cannot be done alone. It means working hard, consistently, and in a disciplined manner during the good times so that we can endure through the bad times.
At Anton Paar, management is down to earth. We are unconditionally specific and detail-oriented instead of indulging in high-flown half-knowledge or hollow consulting phrases. We solve conflicts in an objective manner and appreciate a diversity of opinions, experiences, and ideas. Political motivations are entirely unwelcome. We want the technically and objectively best solution to prevail and not the one with the most powerful lobby behind it.
For me, management is also associated with providing a culture of learning within an organization so that we can become better together. We learn from our own mistakes as well as from new and experienced colleagues equally, and we also learn from the new technologies we acquire in order to create an advantage for the future. For all this to work out, managers also have to be curious and willing to learn, they have to accept the fact that, no matter where, there will always be someone who can do something better and from whom they can learn.
Last but not least, a manager is simply a human being who manages other human beings so that they can achieve something together. We listen to our employees’ concerns. We engage in tough discussions, but always in a friendly and respectful way. We maintain a culture of trust. Not least because of this working environment I really enjoy doing my job.