Today's Guest: Gerhard Ihnofeld
What drives our employees? Where do they come from, what motivates them and what is life actually like at objective partner? Questions upon questions that are answered in our #EmployeeVoices series. It is particularly important to us to capture our employees' voices and tell the world out there what makes us tick as a company.
I think you are the employee who has been with us the longest. How did your journey begin?
I started studying computer science at the TH Darmstadt in 1983. However, I wouldn't describe myself as an ambitious student, so I quickly started working as a student trainee. After 16 semesters, I finally had my diploma and 6 years of professional experience!
Where did you work back then?
At a company in Bensheim that produced software for mainframe computers and banks. I first got involved with Java in 2000 and took part in a course. Unfortunately, there were no Java tasks at my old employer. That's why I started looking for a job.
And how did you come up with objective partner?
At that time, there were no cell phones and no platform for job advertisements. By chance, I came across a job advertisement in the newspaper "Objekt Spektrum" that was completely different to anything I had seen before. From the very first sentence: "We're not looking for astronauts or train drivers, but...", I knew I had to take a look at it.
The IT industry is characterized by constant change. Many people therefore continue to develop professionally, often changing companies. But you stayed. Why?
There are several reasons for this. But mainly because I was always given the opportunity to work on new and interesting projects at objective partner. I started with system testing, then at some point I "slipped" into business process modeling and in the meantime I was team leader of a development team at Phoenics. Then I worked in the system integration team and set up a department that dealt with basic data, until I finally ended up in the field of business analysis. And here, too, I have since become acquainted with two new specialist areas. So why change when you can always do something new?
You're right about that! Of the countless projects you've already done: Where do you put your motivation and passion?
I've never really had the typical sales gene. That's never been my thing, unlike with internal projects. Leading employees and bringing them together, teamwork and developing a team are topics that motivate me a lot. For example, our bi-weekly 6W sessions, in which colleagues can present their topics, projects and challenges to everyone else. You always learn exciting new things here.
You were also involved in the sponsorship program. What is your role here?
Yes, that's right. I had a hand in that too! I always say it's my hobby. As a sponsor, you are a companion. It's fun to pass on your experience, and that's exactly why we set up the sponsorship and mentoring program. We also want to provide everyone in our company with an anchor point.
So you have a lot to do with younger people. What is your experience here?
We are all getting on well. Sometimes it's a challenge, but I find it exciting to see how the younger generations are developing. And also to learn and benefit from them. After all, I used to be one of the younger ones and then I smile about it because some things seem familiar to me.
Further development is an important topic. How do you keep yourself up to date?
I used to take part in training courses more often, for example. Now I'm so broadly based that I hardly ever attend training courses anymore. To keep up to date, I watch short videos on the internet or read a book. At the moment, I'm reading books about leadership, feedback and agile transformation.
We are always going through phases of transformation. What do you see as the biggest challenge for objective partner so far?
Throughout the years, we have repeatedly looked at our unique selling point. It is difficult to stand out from other companies. Every IT company claims to do everything best. And then to identify precisely those points that make us stand out from the market is no mean feat. Especially with the aim of being an innovative pioneer that all other companies then follow. We are constantly working on this and I believe it will keep us busy for a while yet. It will definitely remain exciting.
Definitely that! Can you describe your day-to-day work in two sentences?
Yes, that's fast! My day actually consists mainly of customer meetings. At the moment, I'm in the office about once a week and I want to keep that up so that I can talk to people in person.
How do you tackle a newly created project? Which steps are decisive for you?
Clear answer: That depends! No two projects are the same, so I start by gathering as much information as possible to get a comprehensive picture. Only when I know which way the wind is blowing can I adjust the sail so that the boat moves in the desired direction. So first clarify the context:
- What does the project aim to achieve?
- Why is this important?
- Who is involved?
- What are the expectations and requirements of those involved?
- What "natural constants" need to be taken into account?
- What system status can we build on?
And anything else that seems necessary!
The more information you have, the better you can determine the right course of action and the next steps. And then, very importantly, keep checking and realigning the boat's course in order to reach the optimum destination.
What challenges have you already faced in customer projects and how were they solved?
In 2004, I once sat down with a few colleagues. We wanted to solve a problem together with a few patterns. We put a lot of effort into it and it became so complex that it could no longer be developed further. It became so multi-layered that it became really rigid, although we actually wanted to have a dynamic system. So we overshot the mark with our creativity. There's a well-known meme that describes this situation exactly:
From lowlight to highlight: What has been your greatest success to date?
On the one hand, I am proud to have been with the company for so long. Seeing the company grow from 7 to 107 employees was very exciting. And, of course, setting up and developing the mentoring and sponsorship program - something I always think to myself in retrospect: we did a really good job! I always try to strike a balance between customer and internal projects.
And how do you strike a balance in your private life?
I have a garden and a small lakeside property. I really enjoy working outside in the countryside and getting out of the house and away from the screen. It's not a competitive sport, but once you've trimmed three trees or tackled the brambles, you really notice it afterwards. I also love reading. Mainly fantasy and science fiction. Besides Teams and What'sApp, that's what I use most often on my cell phone. I think it's great to always have as many books as I want with me on my phone.
We are now almost at the end of our interview. What advice do you have for someone just starting out in this industry?
In my opinion, the most important method in our industry is: "Inspect & Adapt", or as I like to freely translate it: "be curious and learn from it". The world is changing at breakneck speed and we have to constantly adapt to these changes in order not to be left behind. But that's why it never gets boring. That has always been important to me and is my biggest motivator.
And after more than 30 years of professional experience, what is your motto in life?
That makes me think of the Flintstones. Fred Flintstone always had a motto in life: Yabba Dabba Doo! I think that's really good. For me, that means: just get going and have fun. Because nothing works for me without fun.
Thank you very much for your insights, which were really exciting for me, especially because I'm still at the beginning. I hope that I will still be able to talk about having fun at work in 30 years' time.
Stay tuned for our upcoming employee story. After all, they build the foundation of objective partner.
