Changing a running system – a thoughtful lesson by the Green Alley Award
For a whole year and with great enthusiasm, Kristina Schneider worked for Landbell Group and supported our team in organising and promoting the Green Alley Award. Unfortunately, it is now time for us to say goodbye and let her look for new horizons. In her guest blog, Kristina writes about her working experience with us.
In the 21st century, the necessity of sustainability is undeniable. On a personal level, every one of us has different approaches to a sustainable lifestyle, but when it comes to businesses, there is one thing we know for sure: We need the shift towards a Circular Economy – better sooner than later. I have always been fascinated by people who put their energy into questioning renowned solutions. The saying “never change a running system” couldn’t be more questionable in times like these.
When I moved to Mainz for my master’s degree one of the first tasks on my to do list was to find a job. I ran from interview to interview, never reaching the final goal of finding the perfect match. I was about to give up. Then I came across the Green Alley Award job opening, and it was the best that could have happened to me in that situation.
Start-up mindset within a corporate environment
The Green Alley Award is a startup prize hosted by Landbell Group, a Mainz-based company with an international focus. What I liked about the working environment is that you basically get the best of both worlds: reasonable working hours combined with a start-up atmosphere. The most attractive part about working for the Green Alley Award is that you feel like actively contributing to establishing a Circular Economy. I’ve learned a lot about various Circular Economy approaches and dived deep into the world of sustainability.
2020 – what a year to learn something new
There’s no doubt that 2020 disrupted all our lives. I started working for the Green Alley Award in March 2020, right before the first lockdown was announced. I was glad that at least I got to know all of my colleagues before we started working from home. I sometimes wished that I could have had a regular working student experience, because working from home is sometimes lonely. More than ever I had to rely on myself and the communication with the team. Furthermore, we had to postpone the award which usually takes place in Berlin and move the entire event online. That was only possible by pulling together and being flexible and spontaneous.
Working for the Green Alley Award entails enough room for creativity and responsibility, while always having a helping hand pointing in the right direction. I always felt as if I could share my (sometimes crazy) ideas with the team. We would then together discuss the different options and try out new approaches.
Hablas español?
One of my favourite moments while working for the Green Alley Award was when I had to call European network partners to inform them about the award and ask them to share information about the application phase with their respective network.
Most of the time, my English language skills were sufficient to communicate with the network partners. Since I also had to call universities and sustainability organizations in Spain, I translated what I wanted to say into Spanish to make it easier for the person on the other end of the line. When I started to fire away in Spanish, obviously the respondents expected me to be fluent in Spanish, as I’ve made such a good start. However, with following inquiries, the conversation often ended in: “Perdon, no hablo español, en realidad” and heartful laughs on the other end of the line.
Would I recommend working for the Green Alley Award?
Absolutely. I loved the startup spirit, I enjoyed the tasks I got to work on and I was especially fond of the team, with whom I had a great time.
When you become part of the Green Alley Award, you also become part of Landbell Group and I have rarely ever seen such an open minded group that is interested in getting to know their colleagues and sometimes also meet for a beer after work (if Covid allows it, of course). All in all, working for the Green Alley Award taught me that sometimes, it is just right to change a running system.