Small businesses in particular can quickly get stuck in their own organization and fail to meet their own or their customers’ expectations. Acting proactively, delegating effectively and taking an honest stock of how you manage your own time can help you overcome these challenges. Working around the clock for customers and the company feels like part of being an entrepreneur for many […]

Small businesses in particular can quickly get stuck in their own organization and fail to meet their own or their customers’ expectations. Acting proactively, delegating effectively and taking an honest stock of how you manage your own time can help you to overcome these challenges.

Working around the clock for customers and the company – for many, this is part of being an entrepreneur. Especially as customers today expect a completely different level of service. Katja Hobler, Natursteine Glöckner, puts it in a nutshell: “The expectation today is Amazon.” The list of operational requirements is long. Small businesses in particular are often stuck in their own organization when it comes to meeting current customer needs. A lack of employee involvement, unclear or outdated processes and structures are the main reasons for owners being overworked, for dissatisfaction within the team or a lack of focus on the customer. “I really need to change something urgently, but I don’t have the resources.”

If this thought often plagues you, you should pull the ripcord. At least that’s what organizational expert Cordula Nussbaum recommends to avoid becoming a slave in your own company. Companies have to renegotiate who does what, for what and why when they themselves or the market changes. The rules and processes of cooperation often no longer match the quantity, scope or type of orders. Customer requirements also change.

New business areas are added, employees go on vacation or are ill, not to mention their own demands for relaxation. Added to this is the generational change, which is far from being satisfactorily resolved everywhere. The potential for growth, customer orientation and personal freedom comes from within and cannot be bought in. When bosses are irreplaceable and hardly have a moment’s peace even when on vacation, it often has a lot to do with themselves.

Experienced managers know the value of having the freedom to think about the future and allow innovations to mature. Glöckner Natursteine is a prime example of what future-oriented company management in the trade sector can look like and how the management team can remain relaxed. We spoke to Katja Hobler, who runs the company together with her husband Markus Glöckner, about their award-winning approach to sustainable resource and time management.

One art that not everyone has mastered is the art of delegation. Many people find it difficult to delegate certain tasks to others. However, if too many decisions are made and driven by a single person, the hamster wheel is inevitable. Management legend Stephen R. Covey (“The 7 Ways to Be Effective”) writes: “Delegating effectively to others is probably the activity that will have the most impact on your personal and professional success. It pays off when you delegate responsibility to other well-trained and capable people. Delegating means growing. This applies not only to every person, but also to all organizations.”

Those who are good at delegating always make the success of their work a joint effort. Delegation distinguishes managers from doers. If customers only want to talk to the boss and vice versa, they are talking to a successful doer. If there are numerous competent contacts in the company for customer projects, the company is being managed successfully. Delegation is often limited to delegating partial steps. However, the faster companies have to react and the more complex and uncertain the information situation is, the more important it becomes to spread not only the work but also the responsibility over several shoulders. Natursteine Glöckner also involves the entire team closely in the company’s decision-making processes. An approach that takes a lot of pressure off the management, as Katja Hobler confirms in an interview with STEIN.

Read more in STEIN 2/2020.

On November 9, 1918, the politicians Philipp Scheidemann and Karl Liebknecht proclaimed the republic, Baden and Württemberg became democracies, residential palaces became museums and thus places that now belonged to everyone. The State Palaces and Gardens of Baden-Württemberg are celebrating this on November 10 and 11 with the “Storm your palaces!” campaign, which means free entry to […]

On November 9, 1918, the politicians Philipp Scheidemann and Karl Liebknecht proclaimed the republic, Baden and Württemberg became democracies, residential palaces became museums and thus places that now belonged to everyone. The State Palaces and Gardens of Baden-Württemberg are celebrating this on November 10 and 11 with the “Storm your palaces!” campaign, which offers free admission to nine selected palaces

… under this title, the State Palaces and Gardens of Baden-Württemberg are calling for a hands-on campaign. The occasion is the proclamation of the republic 100 years ago, on November 9, 1918 to be precise. From Saturday, November 10 to Sunday, November 11, 2018, visitors will receive free admission to selected castles. Taking part are:

Bruchsal Palace
Ludwigsburg Residential Palace
Meersburg New Palace
Mannheim Baroque Palace
Rastatt Residential Palace
Schwetzingen Palace and Palace Gardens
Solitude Palace
Tettnang New Palace
Weikersheim Palace and Palace Gardens

Take part and win

As an extra on this weekend of open palace portals, there is also a photo campaign: everyone who uploads their selfie from one of the nine participating palaces to Facebook or Instagram with the hashtag #StürmteureSchlösser will be entered into a prize draw. To make the photos particularly atmospheric, there are hats, caps and other accessories in the castles to dress up in, reminiscent of the turbulent time 100 years ago when the republic began – as a citizen, revolutionary, republican or monarchist. Photos can be posted until Tuesday, November 13, 2018. A winner will be drawn from all the photos for the rent-free use of a castle room for a private celebration. Visitors can find all information about the campaign, the prize and the conditions of participation at www.stuermteureschloesser.de.

100 years of the castle experience

Even 100 years ago, many castles were no longer residences or even seats of government. The centuries had passed by the many representative buildings and many castles had long since become museums. With the end of the monarchy, the move became final. With the exception of the palaces that belonged to the private property of the former rulers and became apartments, all monuments with a monarchical tradition were now owned by the state. Today, the State Palaces and Gardens of Baden-Württemberg look after these monuments.