In this blog post, I talk about my experiences as a new team member at digitalwerk and why I believe that mutual trust can be the best feeling in the world.
Trust must be earned?
In my career to date, I had become accustomed to the traditional idea that you form an "informed" opinion of new employees during the trial month. You get to know workflows and weigh up whether the newest member will integrate into the team and established processes. They should be able to cope with the expected tasks and make a meaningful contribution. Only when a positive impression is made will you be rewarded with more flexibility (working from home) and responsibility (pitching).
But what happens when we start from a position of trust?
Let's assume that new employees are trustworthy before we really get to know them, before we look over their shoulder for a month. Is it even possible to trust a new team member almost blindly? And how does the leap of faith affect employees? Let's take a deep dive into my first month at digitalwerk.
An unconventional start
Day one was characterized by onboarding appointments, first insights into projects and, of course, getting to know the digitalwerk brand. The usual routine, which even gives the impression of being taken seriously here. On my second day as a Creative Concepter and Copywriter at digitalwerk, I was immediately surprised: I was to assist with a pitch the very next week. A task that is usually reserved for management positions in large agencies, but things are different here: existing conventions are questioned in order to discover potential. The result? From day one, you are on an equal footing with the others and a team member who can make a meaningful contribution with a fresh mind.
Just do it
Faster than expected, I was now in the middle of the agency business. And that can be described in a nutshell as follows: Here, tasks are not only assigned, but also responsibility. And with this responsibility and the trust that comes with it, an environment is created in which each individual is motivated to think creatively and actively participate. The result: my personal learning curve was definitely steep, but honestly also awesome. It taught me that independence and flexibility can be the key to good ideas. At the same time, I've noticed that my fear of "bad" ideas is diminishing, because the trust given from outside also strengthens my confidence in myself and in finding golden ideas.
Teamwork really makes the dream work
It quickly became clear: People stick together here. There is no competition, it doesn't matter that you have the groundbreaking idea. On the contrary: we exchange ideas, support each other and create an almost absurdly harmonious working environment. Without competition and without pressure. The cross-team mentality is designed for joint creation. External input is a positive thing, as are feedback loops. You can see that: The network of trust is spreading and comes not only from your superiors, but from every person in the team.
My conclusion
The trust placed in me from day 1 transformed not only the way I work, but also my personal growth. I believe that trust can be the most valuable foundation for a successful and fulfilling career. Because with this leap of faith, agencies not only harvest loyal employees, but also shape a working environment that is characterized by creativity, collaboration and continuous growth. And that's also what digitalwerk is all about: we don't do advertising, we design communication. No matter with whom, the main thing is to be on an equal footing.
