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Important questions that set the course for the future
She asks herself: What do I actually want, how do I want to shape my career until I retire in 2024? Her decision: to hand over responsibility, reduce her workload and leave the management field to others.
What questions, doubts and compromises were involved in this decision, what did her colleagues say about it and what does she think about the decision today? Silvia told us about this in an interview.
Silvia, you have been working in the field of occupational pensions for well over 30 years and have spent the last 13.5 years at Zürcher Kantonalbank. Can you tell us about your beginnings there?
I arrived very quickly and well in the new team and immediately felt at home. This was partly due to my colleagues and the corporate culture, but also to my tasks and areas of responsibility. The mix of customer consulting and leadership tasks was just right for me. Even back then, I was not only passionate about the topic of occupational pensions, but I was also interested in what makes different people tick, how they tick and how to ensure that everyone works together successfully and benefits from each other. Characters and their differences still fascinate me today.
You say the mix of leadership and specialist topics was ideal for you. So why are you thinking of giving up one of them?
Yes, that's a good question. I think several factors came together. I've been working full-time since I started working in my early 20s. That gave me the impetus to consider whether I should perhaps take a little more time for private things after all. Then, with retirement on the horizon, it seemed sensible to simply "take the steam out" a little beforehand and give other people the chance to grow into management positions. And then, in general, I think it's important to question existing structures and models and to consider new possibilities and perspectives. Whether you pursue them afterwards is another matter, but I think it's extremely important to remain open to new things.
Now you have made the decision and implemented it promptly. How are you doing today?
Very, very good. I haven't regretted the decision - on the contrary, I'm glad that I went through with it. And of course it was my own decision, but it was enormously helpful that my team and my boss supported me and that we were able to "get into the groove" together. On the one hand, I was encouraged by the fact that my boss reacted openly to my proposal, and on the other hand, we had a colleague in our team who was qualified and keen to take on a new challenge as a manager. That made the project easier. Yes, and now of course I'm enjoying the free time I've gained to the full.
Nevertheless, you don't make a decision like that overnight. What were the questions that particularly concerned you?
Yes, several question marks "popped up" in my head. I realized that if I took this step, I would lose my "status" as a manager. However, this fact alone wasn't what concerned me, but I asked myself how it would feel for me to take a step back and how I would deal with it personally. Linked to this was the question: can I hold back and leave decisions to my successor and how do I react if he does things differently to me? Then I thought about what people and perhaps my team in general would think about this and whether I would still be accepted in my new role. After a few conversations in private, I put these doubts to one side and focused not on what others might think, but on what I want and how I want to shape my future. This Mindset helped a lot. I was also aware that part-time work and less responsibility also meant earning less money. I simply asked myself what I valued more, and the decision was made in favor of free time.
How did your environment, especially your work colleagues, react?
Very surprising - and in a positive way! Some people from the bank even came up to me and congratulated me on my decision. That was a nice moment and reinforced my belief that it's good to take paths that are perhaps not (yet) so popular.
Finally, what tips and food for thought would you like to give to people who are perhaps also facing such a decision or are generally thinking about alternative career models ?
Of course, everyone deals with such a decision individually, but from my point of view, two things are definitely needed. You have to have the courage to jump over your own shadow and you have to trust yourself. You have to come to terms with yourself and listen to yourself - ask yourself: is what I'm currently doing really what I want or would I be happier with a change, even if it seems painful or uncomfortable at first, in the end.
And finally, a tip for those who still have 10 or 20 years until retirement: here too, it is worth thinking further into the future and already considering how the last years of your career should be organized. Because if you already know at the age of 40 or 50 that you could imagine moving to bow career , for example, it makes sense to think this through holistically and make appropriate financial provisions, talk to your line manager about succession planning and prepare yourself mentally for this.
