Women – and also men –
with families are well
organised.
BN: Nobody in this office goes into part-time employment for reasons of complacency or laziness. It is a contemporary method to combine your private life with your job. And this job should still be fun and ensure that you can work to a high qualitative standard. In part-time employment, I also demand of myself that I stay tuned in to developments in my profession, I have to make sure that I schedule my time really well and don’t burn out, because I am trying to juggle too many things at the same time. There is a fixed timeframe, in which I organize my work, exchange with colleagues and can handle my external contacts confidently.
So is it true, that women with families are the best managers?
BN: I wouldn’t go that far, that would be presumptuous. What is true, however: there is no afterwards, as you don’t have any spare time. Working part-time requires excellent time management, just as managing a family does. To decide quickly and correctly on different requirements at a multitude of levels, to spontaneously find new solutions, to keep calm in times of stress, these are the things that my combined roles as project manager and mother possibly equip me more with than other people. This has made me more relaxed and confident over time.
Which working hour models do you consider useful for the employee and effective for the employer?
MB: I believe that 30 hours are an ideal timeframe for part-time staff. A project leader can handle this easily, can be present in the office and externally, possibly even advance his or her career. I also believe that possible future models could include senior managers or junior managers working part-time. This allows us to keep the experience on the project and to multiply the knowledge in the office. Building owners are quite comfortable with having two persons of contact during a project.
BN: For the customer, it is the output which counts. First and foremost, we are doing a normal, professional job. At the same time, we are noticing how important friendly human interaction is in the projects, which often span several years. It requires understanding and a certain willingness to accommodate the new situation of the other person. A bit of family life can be very beneficial in different ways here.