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Episode 0044 Shownotes

Mixing business & technology with a human touch, with Pamela Maruschke

In this episode of the PostdocTransformation show, you will be inspired by Pamela Maruschke, an appreciated mentor and leadership role model. We discuss Pamela's journey from a managing director at Accenture, with experience as a partner at IBM, to her current role at Slalom. 

Our personal conversation highlights her values for life, her four-day workweek due to social responsibilities, and her mentorship principles. Let her way of integrating business and technology with a human touch guide you for your future of work.

Subscribe to our weekly show on your favorite podcast platforms: Why? Postdoc scientists & PhD students / candidates will learn the basics for their career transition from research into business & industries AND will get to know a company that hires early career scientists! 

About our PostdocTransformation show

Invest in your PostdocTransformation. Welcome to the seasonal show for scientists leaping into business. In every sponsored episode, we are happy to recommend employers of choice for you. Make sure to check your readiness to leap out of science with us for free, as linked in the show notes. For your career transition, we offer customized career transition e-courses and memberships, also at graduate schools all over the world.

Maybe yours too. And if your university isn't yet our customer, enroll in your free email course for career transition made simple as linked in the show notes. I'm your host, Professor Dr. Eleonore Soei Winkels, with my team who is rooting for you. And let's build your PostdocTransformation with this episode. 

[00:01:05] Meet the Mentor: Pamela Maruschke  

Dear Postdoc Transformers, 

this is a very special episode because I am today interviewing one of my mentors who I absolutely admire as a leadership role model. I met Pamela Maruschke at Accenture at an occasion where we prepared The International Women's Day. She introduced herself as the granny on the block because we were all new to the company, but she came as a managing director. Because she had the experience at IBM as a partner. 

Today she is a managing director at Slalom and please listen until the end of this interview, because I believe that she will be talking about her four day week at Slalom because of her social responsibilities and she is a mentor. I can't wait to hear about what she has created for her own life, according to her values. And for that, Pamela Maruschke is really a role model for myself. When I was young, she spontaneously also mentored me when I felt down in my career. When she left the company, she reached out to me and sent me her mobile phone number. And that time when I got that message and was like, Pamela Maruschke remembers my name? And that really is so special. She embodies the type of leader that I want to be. I can't wait, Pam, to share my stage with you.

Welcome to the PostdocTransformation Show, the show for scientists leaping into business. 

[00:02:41] Pamela's Career Journey and Insights

Pamela Maruschke: 

Thanks so much, Elli. I'm really honored to be here today. And thanks a lot for inviting me to your podcast. I'm also embarrassed about the things that you said about me, because I don't think that I'm really that special. I care about people. that's the most important thing, and I want to see them grow on the career and as well on the personal side. Introducing myself, I'm Pamela Maruschke, as Elli already said, I studied business information systems over 25 years ago already. And I always loved the mixture between business and technology and bring that all together, and just as well, proof that technology is also something for women. I traveled a lot. I've been 14 months in Russia, as well as 10 months in South Africa for short time assignments, and I really loved it. Since 2022, I'm, with Slalom, and I'm leading the business advisory services, with a team of 23 people and in my team, we cover all aspects of, organizational change, digital transformation, customer experiences. and as well overall program management. for the ones who do not know Slalom, we are a global business and technology consultancy company, we grow organically in 45 offices in eight countries.

And we are in the German market since October 2022 and the overall global revenue is 3 billion. We have thousands of customers and they really love to work with us because we always bring our heart and soul on the projects. 

[00:04:20] Navigating Global Events in Consulting

Eleonore: 

So talking about your industry, you are in high tech and telecommunication and you've seen a lot of the world and. From your experience, can you let us, the scientists leaping into business, know, how your industry has been impacted by recent global events? 

Pamela Maruschke: 

Whenever I talk about the industry, like consulting in the technology industry, for the global events that we've seen recently, there has been a lot of challenges and then on the other side, a lot of opportunities. We needed to adapt new ways of working as well with our clients That means we needed to find a way, how do we do the workshops in a different way because we were not onsite anymore. We were not allowed to travel. 

As you said, you met me. There is no meeting, that means you need to ensure that you build a relationship with people remotely via video and it's not that easy. At least for me, it was a big, I'm a very in person person, but I want to see people. I want to kind of still do the hugging and the handshaking and things like that.

For me, it was really, kind of weird to build relationships with your clients in a virtual way. Then, with the global events, the crisis management, was just something new and doing more resilient consulting. That means you needed to work with your clients because they were seeking guidance on how to navigate for these challenges and how to just like change their priorities as well and adapt their strategies and build as well resilience for whatever comes as well in the future. I think that's what we've seen. And for us as consultants, it was a challenge on one side, but then on the other side, as clients needed help, it was for us as well, a super opportunity to position ourselves and support them on their next steps and bringing in as well, our expertise, supporting them on their digital transformations bringing in more technology, understand that their people need as well support on how to handle the situation from the home office.

Because for as a consultant, we got used to work remote as well, be at the home office every once in a while. For some of the other clients, they've never worked in home offices. That means. being at home and in challenge to say, okay, do I need to do the laundry now?

Or can I do the meeting? Is it allowed? What's allowed in the home office or not? You know, how do I get myself organized in a remote way? That was just a huge challenge. And for us, it was just an opportunity to train and conduct trainings as well and how to be successful still remotely. And it worked out.

Eleonore: And I can absolutely attest to that. the years at Accenture had really changed my way of working in the sense that I learned how to organize myself working from home and then the leap into lecturing from home with two kids at home, doing all the things that you have to do when you have a kid with diapers and the other one, five year old and wanting to prepare for primary school. That really was a challenge for me. And I was so glad that I had this Accenture experience because as someone who is loving using technology for work, that was really a good time. And I think that we had to step up. 

[00:08:56] Essential Skills for Success in Consulting

Eleonore: 

When you look at skills and experience in your high tech telecommunication industry, what are specific skills or certifications needed that are essential for a success? 

Pamela Maruschke: 

As I said before, it's have the empathy and be a good listener. It's one thing in consulting because you can bring a lot of experience, but you know, if you don't really listen to the client, what, what, The vision, what is his mission?

You know, why is he calling you? Why do you sit there? I think if you do not really care about that, it doesn't help. Therefore, this listening, really listen and not just knowing. This is, this is something quite key. You need to be interested as well in solving problems, what you hear, where are the challenges and, for, for the client and analyze as well the, the complex problems he might have, or she might have on the table.

I think this is something analytical skills, whenever you get data from the client, can you interpret it in the way that it's required that you, you know? Just like, ensure that you make informed decisions for them or good recommendations as well. communication skills, like talking to your client, adapting your language towards the client and aligning on the language as well, because you can use a lot of language that is not really understood by your client.

And then, the client would sit there and would say, like, I don't really know what she's asking for, and that happens, if you go, to the client side, and there are the blue workers, you need to just align your language towards the blue worker as well, if you want to understand the process, and you need to be open.

And that comes back to the empathy that you need to bring to the table. You need to have the leadership skills. You need to work in teams. If you're a leader, you need to be interested in your people. You need to understand where are their values, strengths and weaknesses. And you need to as well see, you know, how do you train them and prepare them for the future, whatever the future will bring you. 

Be open as well. If they want to leave, let them leave and just like conquer the world. It's, it's something, you know, you can't just keep your people always for yourself. 

with your clients, with your colleagues, with people, people as well, and experts on the market, being capable to do that, that's also one of the things. There are probably 10, 12 that you should have as a consultant, but these are the things that I see most and be open as well.

You know, be open for something new. It's not our daily work always changes because there is a new request from the client popping in. You just need to run. you need to care about it. You need to solve it. And it's not that you can only have like one ball in the air. You need to kind of Maneuver a few balls in the air and still be successful on the day.

Eleonore:

Thank you for this answer. When it comes to having many balls in the air, it really is sort of like understanding where the client is in what they're doing. Stage he is, or she is the client, the company that you are serving, if it's a production side, like a plant, or if it's a white collar company that wants to change the ways of working in the office, that has a lot of topics that are domains, where a consultant needs to be experienced at, or at least skilled. 

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[00:12:54] Embracing Lifelong Learning and AI

Eleonore: 

So, when we're talking about the latest developments in your industry. How can you stay up to date? Is there any tip that you have for a new scientist leaping into business or for consultants who are already seasoned? How do you stay up to date with the latest developments so that for every client request, you feel equipped to deliver the right guidance? 

Pamela Maruschke: 

Yeah. I think, you know, embrace a mindset of long life learning. I think this continuous learning is key. You know, you can learn out of a different ways. You can be at conference as well, you know, doing workshops, webinars, just like use online e learning trainings, things like that.

Talk to your experts, find the people who you admire or you think that, you know, they are really experts, you know, having, building the network there as well with them and like just learn from them because, learning is not just something that you do in the back. It's also something that you do together and learn on a daily business as well from the colleagues where you said, wow, that was kind of a conflict situation.

And that was really handled in the proper way. I think this is on one side, the real industry specific and technology changes that are ongoing in the market. And then on the other side, having a mindset as well on, Your personal development, taking care of that, really take care of yourself, reflect yourself because also over the years and with the ranks you might, envision and, with the higher positions, you might lose just the connection to the ground as well every once in a while and ensure that this won't happen and get the feedback as well.

Actively seek for feedback, how you're doing, even as a managing director. you know, this is something that is quite key. And, I'm happy that I just got some feedback, which was for me, something where I need to work on. And, it's great to be able To hear that, of course, you know, nobody is probably perfect in getting and, like getting the feedback where you say like, Hmm, it's weird because I thought that I'm doing that quite well and I'm reachable.

And, sometimes you're in the daily business and you don't have time for your talents, for all the talents in an equal way. And therefore, you know, that's where you need to focus on. And, this is one thing and. stay really informed about, new technologies. For instance, we all talk about, chat GPT and, you know, all the AI, activities.

It's just, this is a huge topic and it won't be just a cold that will be gone in two years, it will stay with us. 

Eleonore:

Talked about lessons that you have learned from feedback, working with people who see you from a different perspective, I can assure you that I'm one of those who were at the ground, sort of like the young talents, and whatever you have experienced there is probably just one voice.

Like I said, in the introduction, that handout to understand the personal development and the personal values etc., I haven't seen this from another leader. I have seen many leaders, many managing directors, many partners who did not do it, which I probably just did one or 10%, maybe. So that's one voice. And I'm sure there will be other voices as well. You cannot, like I said, nobody is perfect and it always is a question, sort of like of also the personal bandwidth at the moment. And I think that we'll be also talking about the four day week where you have sort of like, Prioritize maybe something in your own personal life that maybe also has an impact on how you are working with other people. But when I see that from hindsight, I can say that relationships with people at work evolve over time. And there are some time windows where I don't need someone. And then there are time windows where I need someone. When I did reach out to you, you always had time.

So that's my feedback for you live in the show. 

Pamela Maruschke: 

I really, I love that we are still in contact over more than 12 years now. And I think it's just amazing that, we still, and that comes back to the thing, you know, key is, keeping the network, keeping the relationship, know who is doing what. And even if you're not in the same company anymore, just like, find your, candidates and, the kind of, mates, you know, where you feel related to and that will help you as well in the future.

And, it's, it's just, I think it's like both ways, you know, what you've done is just amazing. what you, your success now with the PostdocTransformation Show. It's just amazing. And I really, I'm proud to know you as well. 

Eleonore:

Okay. So this interview is not about me, but instead I loop back to what you just said about ChatGPT. And now that I have someone with an IT background, what is your take on ethical considerations? AI. 

Pamela Maruschke: 

All the AI discussions, it's just huge in the market. There is not even one day where I'm not talking on the one or other side, about, AI. Or using it as well.

There are a lot of clients outside who want to understand what is the impact on their organization. We have lots of discussions with workers councils. we have discussions with people who say like, is it really something that will stay there? Or is it something which is kind of just the cold?

It will impact our daily work life and private life. I do understand that people are scared about what will happen in the future. But I do see that there is a big chance as well where we all can work more effective in the future. we can, use the technology in a way, that is really good for us.

Pamela Maruschke:

Yeah. Of course there are considerations, what are the data that are used? How do you set up the data in a proper way? That's also a big topic where we are consulting our clients on, the technology is one thing, but having the right data, available and interpreting the data in a proper way, and providing the data to the ones that should have this information. I think this is just a topic that it's, it's, it's just huge. Yeah. And, I understand the concerns, but I love as well, you know, the positive sides and be more effective and, you know, seeing that the world will change. and I'm really looking forward, in which direction because everybody has some ideas, we all have some use cases in our heads probably.

Eleonore:

Thank you, Pam. And I've, I absolutely agree. I cannot think about doing my podcast without AI . The solo episodes I've recorded myself and the content is all mine, but it takes a long time to prepare all the solo episodes. But the moment when I saw that content is quite cheap then I can ask, but I don't want to ask just a conglomeration of all people's knowledge within the internet, but instead I want to understand how real people have done. Dr. Eleonore Soei Winkels, Podbean, ActiveCampaign, Descript, Squadcast, TypeForm, Dr. Eleonore Soei Winkels, Transcribe and create social media clips and whatever, then of course will help me to sort of like get back the time that I have invested in finding the right people like you to interview, but also to work on the, on the assets that we create for the PostdocTransformation Show.

So I think that from a production process, streamlining effort, I cannot think without AI anymore. Because that really is a huge difference and that really helps me to be more productive at the end of the day 

Eleonore: 

But now when we're talking about your industry, the consulting industry, but also the high tech and telecommunication, are there any misconceptions that you see job applicants have?

Pamela Maruschke: 

I think if you're working in consultants in a consultancy and if you're a consultant, there is like, On one side, the positive thing is like consultants know everything. Yeah, which is like, yes, I think in general, we do have a huge, like a pool of information. And there are quite experienced people who also know a lot.

Yeah, but we don't really have all the answers. But the thing is that we have, the connection to experts. We have a network within the company. we do have, enough information just to support in, different ways. I think, some of the misconceptions as well, they are just like working in a theory.

They don't have any actual, like practical experiences. and that's quite interesting if you see that, you know, when you are, and I come back to the example of being in the, like in the plant and in the production side, you know, and, if you're there and you talk to a blue worker, they're quite scared because whenever a consultancy is at the production side, they think, they cause job losses.

Whenever they are there, everything will be automated. And then, you know, they're losing their job, and they don't really understand what we're doing. And, it's interesting because some of us already worked, in the production sides, their work shifts, you know, they, they do have some experience as well and just, and can align to the language.

And that's why, you know, then, you know, they don't really understand that as soon as you. You align to their language as soon as you know that, you know, I've done that job already a few times. It's interesting to see how it changes. And then the conception of consultants is a bit different, but it's, it's not like, of course it's not there for everybody and not for all the consultants, but it's, it's just, you know, this, this kind of fear of, chop loss.

Consultants are only focusing on their financial goals and financial outcomes. they're just reducing the budget whenever they are there. These are some of the topics that are there. And consultants only for big clients, they're only there for big companies, for big enterprise clients, but not really for the mid market.

And if I look into the German market, the mid market is quite big and we call it as well, the gold mid market. And there are quite a lot of companies. who also have consultants in place and need them as well for the future growth and for some of the transformations they have on place.

I think, another misconception probably is consultants are only required if there is a crisis and it's not the case. It's just something, where I would say, no, we're in a consultant that consultants or on always help you already in developing the next, like the next generation of technology, initiatives that you need to have, 

supporting you on your vision and your strategy, how to deal with the clients in the future, how to position yourself whenever you go and move towards the cloud, you know, what is required there? How do you need to set up your company in a different way? It's, there are lots of pros.

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Looking forward when you have more option

Eleonore: 

Thank you, Pam, for this vast area of misconception, but also advantages of being in consulting. And I just want to pick out one of the things because that is really important also for my own bachelor and master students, because I'm a professor for industrial and occupational psychology.

I'm also teaching, you know, business psychology. And in that, in that topic I'm talking about, analysis of work, and also reorganizing your work. And I always tell my students, you have to analyze your work, not when is there a crisis, but instead, you have to also reassess your opportunities when it's going well, because then you have the budget, then you have the energy, then you still have options.

When you are standing with the Back to the wall, then you just have one way forward. But instead, if you're looking at it from a different perspective of everything goes well, is there anything that we, Can change Are there any other opportunities that we can now figure out so that we have a pipeline to prepare? Then you don't need to work out a solution panically. And then you don't also have to fear that it's not working out. When I teach my students job crafting their own way, their own career aspirations, I always try to make them see that they are the creators of their own opportunities, not crisis managers. 

So now I want to look at your own career aspirations because I've been talking about career aspirations of my audience. Do you want to share them? 

Pamela Maruschke: 

I just joined, in 2022, at Slalom. And therefore, for me, it's just key to further position Slalom in the German speaking countries. And then as well grow with the accounts and with my global team and the global peers together, grow the business for Slalom in general.

 Looking into the German market. we, at Slalom Germany, we are very proud that we just received three awards, for the great place to work. we got number two, the rank number two, in the list of, best employees in consulting in Germany in the category of 50 to 250 employees. Then we also got number three and best employees in Germany, in that category and in Bavaria, in the region Bavaria, we even were ranked as number one as best employees

Pamela Maruschke:: and we are so proud about that because for us, in Slalom, Awards are quite important because we get, anonymous feedback from our employees and, that's quite key. And, with that result, we came from zero and this position in the German market, it's so amazing. And we're so proud about that.

Eleonore:

Pam, I can certainly hear, and I know that you care a lot about your team members. I'm just curious, what is your main driver that makes you a great people developer? 

Pamela Maruschke:

Looking into the next generation leaders, develop the next generation leaders because it's also a passion because I'm 51 years old. That means, you know, I'm more in the last years of my big career. And therefore it's more like moving the next generation in the right direction, spots, you know, growing them and just like, and do as well interesting projects with the team. 

Get them skilled, get them motivated and inspired on what's there as a consultant on the market, because I love consulting. I joined in 2004 as as a consultant and before that, I worked in the technology space.

Consulting, it's just amazing, and I probably will stay there. And then in addition, what I could imagine is having a role, on a supervisory board and parallel to my existing, job right now, getting a seat in the technology or digital transformation, areas of a company, because I do still see that, there are not that many jobs in general for the supervisory board in that area and especially not that many women.

And I want to just like, use as well the flag of being a woman in a supervisory board, in the technology space. That's key. And I think in general, also, motivate people to think about their career doing further on like, mentoring. coaching and because I do believe that there is a super, interesting, talent pool outside and, it's great to see them grow.

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Is the technology consulting industry diverse?

Eleonore: 

Talking about growth, when you are looking at the C suite level, from your perspective within the industry of consulting, do you think that the industry is diverse and inclusive already regarding, all the diversity aspects like age, like neurodiversity, educational background, the nationality, gender, sexual preferences or religions, do you think that it really is inclusive? I have my two cents on that, but I want to know yours because you've seen more in this industry from many more places and also many more power levels.

Pamela Maruschke:

I think I can't speak about the whole industry and all the markets. I can say that Slanum is quite diverse and very inclusive and that's actually also the reason why I joined. In the consulting industry in general, and as well as many other industries. there has been progress in the recent years towards more like diversity and inclusive activities.

However, I think we are still not there where we should be. I think it's quite clear. the need is understood. And it's, especially in the consulting, they reprioritize a few activities and they recognize as well the importance of diversity and inclusion, driving more innovation as well as creativity and just have, have everybody can have a seat at the table, and therefore I do see lots of initiatives in the different consultancies.

I also see it at the client side, I have to say, because we are quite often called in at client sides on what kind of, you know, what are you doing to attract more talent? And it's not just the women initiatives, it's also the racial, it's the ethnic minorities that are taken care of and the individuals from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds.

It'sjust the whole spectrum and the variety of diversity is seen. and you know, we often called in, to support them on their initiatives and, or at least provide some, ideas on how can they improve as well, their, their numbers as well. And, I'm not happy where we are, I would say from a global perspective, butI think we're still on the way.

It's still a journey. And we can probably expect more in the future as well.

Eleonore:

Would say it's hopeful for every scientist, because what you have seen in industry is what I see in reality in industry for many years, but the perspective is even worse in academia. So everything that you have said is there is nothing like that in academia. 

How open is the consulting industry for career transitioners?

Eleonore:

So when we're talking about scientists who want to leap into industries or business, do you think that consulting is a great place to start the industry journey? Or is it less receptive of career transitions? 

Pamela Maruschke:

What I can only say is that the consultancies are open for career transitioners. If you bring in your skill set, if you're open to learn from different industries, if you're open to learn more methodologies on how to align on a project, how to set up a new customer journey, for instance, how to understand and interpret data, how you apply technology. There are so many things and, I think as an academic person, You always proved already that you can go through material that is probably not always your, the best strength of yourself and always fun and sometimes you just learn to get yourself through quite complex, documents and projects as well. And therefore, whenever you apply to consultancy, understand within your network, how the company ticks. if that fits to you as well, personally, because I think, the theory is always clear.

But the problem is, you know, does it really fit into your way of working? does it fit to you? And, looking into some of the scientists, most of you are very proud of your doctor's title. And, you know, it could be that your title is not really, the biggest thing, it's your personal interaction, it's your personality, it's your way how to deal with people and how to deal with complex situations and therefore forget about the title, find something for you that really gives you the chance to grow.

Eleonore:

These last two minutes are really important. If you haven't listened to it, come back to this, rewind it, because really that is important about having the doctor title in industries, facing clients. It's not about the title. It's about the impact that you can make.

Pamela Maruschke:

Just one addition. in the consultancy, you can imagine that it's a kind of playground. You can play in the sand, you can also be on a swing, there are so many different places and I think for you, even with the doctor title, it's just a great place to bring yourself in.

Eleonore:

Absolutely. I have joined Accenture also as a lateral hire and I started in a corporate setting I love my work there. I absolutely am grateful for the opportunities that I had, but it was a role that was fixed and I did not have this freedom that I was used to have in science. And I Learned that at Accenture, I would have had these opportunities. 

So yeah, a lot of more creative job crafting opportunities than anywhere else. 

[00:41:28] Pamela's Personal and Professional Balance

Eleonore: 

I have already alluded to in the introduction that. Pamela is actually working in a four day week.

So, how can you do this as a managing director? Because I haven't heard someone sharing about this so publicly. And you said that you want to mention that. So why do you do that? And I know the part of the answer, but I'm really curious how you want to share that with us. 

Eleonore: 

Well, Elli, as my father died like five and a half years ago, I just recognized that there is more in life than just business. And therefore I implemented for myself, the free Friday where I said, okay, I want to take care of, the loved ones. And that was at that time, of course my mom, because she was a brand new widow.

Pamela Maruschke: 

And I said, I want to be there. And then I started to support my father in law, then he died as well. Nowadays my Friday is a social Friday. You know, today is as well a Friday. I take care of kids in the children's home. And for me, it's just an important gift back to the community.

We also have a foster child right now just for a few weeks with us, a 16 year old girl that we support right now on her next, level as well on growing up. the social side is really important for me. It's something, I have the feeling that it's not just about donating some money.

Pamela Maruschke: 

It's really bringing yourself inside and try to make the world a bit better. Can I do it fully? No, of course not. But at least my little piece that I want to just position in this world to make the world a bit better. And be there for my mom because she's now 74 and I want to spend as much as time with her to, as long as she's now fit and she can travel and we can talk with each other and I still learn from my mom and, I really love her.

Eleonore: I really do hope that your mom will also listen to this episode because I can imagine that she will learn more about you and I can provide a transcription for your mom so that she sees what a remarkable role model you have become for many people. I would also say men, but certainly for women to sort of like understand and we have options. We choose wisely, ideally based on our values of life, not the society's values or whoever it is, but according to what is important to you, to me, and whoever is at the junction of a life should also think of what is lying ahead.     

Women on board / Frauen in den Aufsichtsräten e. V.

Eleonore: 

Pam, you are also engaged at FidAR, so what is FidAR?

Pamela Maruschke:

FidAR is Frauen in den Aufsichtsräten. It's like women in supervisory boards. we do meet on a regular basis. We are aligned in the network. There is, this women's network ongoing. There are also some men who support the FidAR, activities.

It's great to meet, women on different levels of their career path who are interested having a seat as well in a supervisory board in the future, or at least understand on what is, what are you doing in a supervisory board and what are, what are the directions?

What do I need to learn? What do I need to do? It's a great opportunity as well to care of the network and see, what's in for the future.     

[00:45:30] Closing Thoughts and Future Aspirations

Eleonore: 

Pam, this episode has been so eye opening for me because I know you, but I have learned a lot of things that make me understand even more why you are doing this. 

Now, I'm curious to ask, do you have any advice for my audience, scientists leaping into business, also students, fresh with a bachelor or master's degree? So is there anything that you want to share off the cuff? 

Pamela Maruschke:

I think the most important thing is that find your job that fulfills you. Don't really care about the title and the money you might earn. Find something that you really think it's the best for you and it's also fun. Because you spend far too much time at work to be in a job where you probably earn some more money. But you forget really yourself. Therefore this is key to stay as well curious and like, never stop learning because embracing the lifelong learning is really important for you. Another important thing is choose the right life partner, you know, in a proper way.

What do I mean with that? You need to have somebody who supports your business decisions and your professional decisions and as well be an equal partner at home. And especially to the women outside there, I still recognize that they have kind of men or partners with them who would support the career.

Yeah, she can do that. But on the other side, what I see, they don't really support you on your household. like in all the activities that you need to do at home with your kids, you know, and therefore, choose the right one and prioritize your work life balance because You should know, how to charge your batteries.

And it could be yoga, it could be, cooking, whatever. it's just find your personal way of charging your batteries. And, I'm always scared as a coach when I hear my kids are filling my batteries. find something for your own, which is just purely for yourself, you, and yourself.

That's my recommendation. Thanks a lot for listening.

Eleonore:

Okay, drop mic. I'm speechless. I'm so happy to have you and I'm so grateful for your time, Pam. I asked you spontaneously and you said yes. And then we even talked about this episode almost an hour. I should have recorded that session as well because that was really also speaking to my heart and this is just you. This is you. 

Pamela Maruschke:

Thanks so much Elli.

If you are a content creator, you can benefit, you can benefit from my IT strategy experience. You can use all my affiliate links as shared in the show notes. I can also consult you on the tech and also on your business strategy. It goes without saying as a former IT strategist, I really had a lot of fun to integrate all my tech behind the curtain. One of my strongest virtues that I'm still drawing on today is as an IT analyst, I was the one to train others to use the software of the day. 

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This PostdocTransformation show was brought to you by Prof. Dr. Eleonore Soei-Winkels

[00:47:12] Leveraging Podcasting for Internal Communication

Eleonore:

Hey, you're still here and you are a future HR or talent management leader. Well, I want to talk to you about a powerful tool that can transform the way organizations communicate internally. How about creating a podcast like this one in today's fast paced business world? Effective communication is the cornerstone of success, so how can you engage your employees, convey your company's culture and share knowledge in a dynamic, authentic, and accessible way?

Well, to me, the answer lies in podcasting, obviously. So picture this, a podcast tailor made for your organization, where you and your real employees and leaders share and updates in a conversational, engaging format. It's like having your own radio show, but with a corporate twist, absolutely branded. 

Now, why should you consider this as a future HR and talent management professional? Well, podcasts are accessible, so your employees can tune in during their daily commute while multitasking off screen or walking, and it's flexible and it can be easily repurposed in different formats and languages.You know what I'm talking about, right? 

So, it actually humanizes your organization and podcasts allow you to bring a company's culture to life. You can interview leaders, team members, and highlight what makes your workplace unique and connect with those team members who are far away or on parental leave when they are most receptive for your internal communication.

And in the era of AI generated communications, a podcast with your business leaders in real life is a real human way to reach your employees. You can inform your people every day, everywhere, on demand, and not just during the typical onboarding and promotion seasons.

Lastly, it's a platform for continuous learning, whether it's training materials, leadership insights, or industry trends. Podcasts keep your team informed and inspired. So as you prepare to step into the world of HR, talent management and leadership, consider the impact you can make by introducing a corporate podcast.

It's a game changer for internal communications and aligns perfectly with a modern work environment. So, are you ready to inform with a human touch create a podcast with me. I'm Eleonore Soei-Winkels, the host of the PostdocTransformation Show. Do you need inspiration? Well, you can get a list of free 30 sample episode titles to be customized for your company.

Thank you for reading our full transcript of this episode. 

For season 3 & 4 of the PostdocTransformation show, we will interview industry experts, leaders in the corporate world, but also companies serving early career scientists leaping into business. 

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All right, thanks for listening and I hope that you will watch our show and also listen to our show for the next episodes. And like I said, go back to the previous episodes. I think they have valuable insights for you.

Please ask away your career transition questions (connect with Eleonore on your preferred social), as we aim to create future episodes for our audience. We appreciate every one of you!

Until the next episode, 

Cheers, 

Eleonore & Team PostdocTransformation

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