Pointless? Not at all! Here's why Jenny Mangold relies on regular jour fixe meetings
Published on 14.05.2024
Meetings, team discussions, jour fixe: regular, recurring appointments for work-related dialogue are (theoretically) part of everyday company life – whether weekly or monthly. We spoke to Jenny Mangold, Head of Marketing at Kalfany Süße Werbung, about the reasons why ‘workload’ should not be an excuse for cancelling such appointments and why she prioritises communication with and among employees.
Dear Mrs Mangold, what do you do for a living?
Jenny Mangold: ‘I’ve been working in marketing at Kalfany Süße Werbung for almost two years. I became the head of the marketing team in July 2023. It’s my first position as a leading manager.’
What were the challenges in your first time as a manager? How did you overcome them?
Jenny Mangold: ‘I believe the main priority was to bring more structure to our work. It was and still is very important to me that we get together as a marketing team once a week for an hour to share updates on current tasks and projects. In the past, the weekly meeting was often cancelled due to the high workload, but it turned out that a regular exchange is extremely important and helpful for the whole team. This way, everyone is always informed and overlaps or tips from others, that might otherwise have gone unnoticed, come up much more frequently. In addition, communication between the marketing and sales departments was not going particularly well before. We also set up a monthly jour fixe in order to create more transparency in the work of the two teams, which should actually be working hand in hand.’
What do you consider to be leadership skills?
Jenny Mangold: ‘For me, leadership skills have a lot to do with communication. It’s important to me that we can communicate openly with each other and thus support each other. I want to motivate and inspire my team. In marketing in particular, it’s crucial to think out of the box, to let your mind wander, to brainstorm and definitely to discuss and ask critical questions. This is often how the best ideas come about! Everyone should have the confidence to speak openly about their ideas or suggestions. I also think it’s very important to listen to every team member, because each person is different, works differently and has different expectations. But in the end, we can only succeed together. I see it as my job to always have an overview of each person’s tasks and projects, but also of the well-being of each individual. Honesty and transparency are also important factors for me.’
From your perspective, what should women focus on in their career planning to prepare for a top position?
Jenny Mangold: “I believe it’s important not to be discouraged. There are still far more men in leadership positions than women. That shouldn’t deter you.“
What are you particularly proud of when you look back on your career so far?
Jenny Mangold: “At the beginning, it was difficult to even get started. Through various internships, my trainee year, and jobs in different areas, I really found out what my strengths are and what truly interests me. Fresh out of high school, I also didn’t know exactly which direction to go in. It’s important to take the time to try things out and not to put pressure on yourself just because others have found their way and dream job more quickly. I’m just glad that everything has turned out the way it is now, and I have found a great employer at Kalfany Süße Werbung who promotes its employees, is open to new ideas, and is simply a place where you enjoy going to work.“
Keyword New Work: Let’s talk about digital and location-independent work, job sharing, mentoring, and work-life balance at Kalfany Süße Werbung…
Jenny Mangold: “In our marketing department, there’s always the option to work from home. One colleague works completely remotely as he is based in Munich while our company is in Herbolzheim. Thanks to tools like Microsoft Teams, location-independent work in our field is no longer a problem.“
What role do sweets play for you in team building?
Jenny Mangold: “Since we deal with confectionery every day, there’s naturally a lot of snacking going on. Luckily, we’re all little sweet tooths and always look forward to trying out new gummy creations.“
Do you have any development programs in place?
Jenny Mangold: “Kalfany Süße Werbung is always open to further education and training. That also helped me a lot. Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to participate in a pilot project of our ‘parent company,’ the Zertus Group, in the form of a training program for young executives.“
What motivates you every day?
Jenny Mangold: “The entire team, but also the work itself. Every day is different, and there are always spontaneous and new activities that we can quickly implement through informal channels. I enjoy the advertising materials industry and especially our products – I’m a huge fan of our own bear-shaped Company gummies.“
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