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Meet Heather
How do you work differently with the Allianz Ways of Working compared to before?
Getting things done is a lot faster and more flexible now. While I still use email for most of my work, our integrated digital tools and chat features make it easy to get quick answers during my day. In addition, I’ve started to work on broadening my horizons and look forward to enjoying my first experience working abroad from sunny Croatia!
Your WOW Tip:
The global standard to have meetings start with a five-minute delay after the hour has been a lifesaver. In the past, having back-to-back meetings meant being late to every call if something ran long or if I needed a coffee refill or bio-break. Planning in those five minutes using the default option in Outlook for seamless integration into your workflow makes the day much less stressful and I haven’t noticed any negative impact on meeting effectiveness at all.
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Meet Paul
What is your favorite part about our Ways of Working?
I really enjoy the flexibility that our Ways of Working (WOW) allow—the tech setup makes it quite seamless to alternate between working from home or in the office and the digital tools available for us have increased productivity.
How do our Ways of Working impact you personally?
I appreciate how the Ways of Working are designed to care for my work-life balance which makes me feel that my mental health is preserved and catered to.
What is one way that you've grown or done something differently regarding our Ways of Working? How do you work differently with the Allianz Ways of Working compared to before?
For the first time in my life, I have done hybrid meetings and I was really impressed by how it positively impacts the team´s communication and efficiency. I feel like our WOW has contributed to my empowerment thanks to digital tools, skills, and training and I am now more resilient and prepared for change.
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Meet Redeat
What is your favorite part about our Ways of Working?
My favorite part of Allianz's Ways of Working is that I am empowered to work in a way that suits my individual needs.
How do our Ways of Working impact you personally?
In my role as Scrum Master of global teams, our WOW impacts me personally because collaboration and continuous delivery to our customers is crucial. Among other things, our Ways of Working fosters two pillars which provide tools and structure that enable me to conduct my tasks efficiently.
What is one way that you've grown or done something differently regarding our Ways of Working?
Better work-life balance
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Meet Marie
What is one way that you've grown or done something differently regarding our Ways of Working?
Being given the possibility to work from abroad for up to 25 days a year has been a fantastic benefit. It personally allowed me to spend a couple of days in France, taking care of my mom after a surgery she went through. Being able to stay longer and balance home office and days off was a fantastic way to give me the flexibility I needed then. Now that she is doing better, I am again looking forward to returning there thanks to the cross-border remote working policy and assessment tool.
How do you work differently with the Allianz Ways of Working compared to before?
Our flexible work approach at Allianz allowed me to be way more intentional in choosing the right activities to be performed either from home or at the office. I enjoy having the possibility to define with my team the perfect balance, ensuring we never disconnect completely from the whole organization that is Allianz. The pandemic demonstrated the fantastic resilience we are all capable of and I am thrilled to see the impacts it is having on our work environment. I have a huge trust in the hybrid model that we are constructing.
Your WOW Tip:
Make sure to define your non-negotiables to foresee a balance between your private and your professional life. You have the right to disconnect from work. Obtain support from your manager and your team, and prioritize your activities keeping in mind the impact you wish to make. Getting rid of time-consuming activities that do not bring that much value is one of the first steps to take.
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Meet Yung Chien Chee (Nelvin)
What is your favorite part about our Ways of Working?
Hybrid working – having the flexibility to work remotely when needed is definitely game-changing in terms of work-life balance!
What is something you now do differently with our Ways of Working?
I’ve implemented regular dedicated focus times in my calendar. It is surely inevitable that now one can get into an unending loop of calls and meetings, so blocking time to focus on work is really helpful!
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Meet Claudia
What is your favorite part about our Ways of Working?
My favorite part is that we took a step back and really thought about how we want to work in a healthy and sustainable way. I’ve found that we’re empowered to make better personal choices that also improve how we connect and deal with others.
How do our Ways of Working impact you personally?
It is much easier now to explain that I’m doing something differently than before since there are more options to pick from than just one standard setup that everyone is supposed to follow.
What is one way that you've grown or done something differently regarding our Ways of Working?
I have completely let go of the (unnecessary and unhelpful) bad conscience when I need to take a break during the work day or need to start later than usual – I know that I am not pushing my workload on others and that I will be delivering much better results in shorter actual working time than when I’m exhausted or unfocussed.
How do you work differently with the Allianz Ways of Working compared to before?
For me, it is in the little things. Since we are all now on this journey together, reminding ourselves and others that we want to work in specific ways (and very much how we do not want to work) is key. I often say to colleagues “this is a prime example of WOW” to highlight how much more Agile we’ve become.
Your WOW Tip:
Be completely honest with things that you know are very low priority. If they have been pushed out or delegated 2-3 times, they are likely neither urgent nor in the whole context valuable—be aware and make conscious decisions to focus on what’s most meaningful.
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Meet Julia
What is your favorite part about our Ways of Working?
My favorite part about our new Ways of Working is the holistic approach. We do not only focus on one specific area but develop global standards in the five top dimensions: flexible work & travel, digital tools, health and well-being, learning, organization & culture. By doing so, we really make a joint effort across functions to collaborate and lift synergies, one key element for success, I believe.
How do you work differently with the Allianz Ways of Working compared to before?
I personally enjoy the high level of flexibility we have with the Ways of Working. I can decide for myself when to start and when to take breaks. I try to make sure to block time for a proper lunch break when working remotely. Quite frequently, I use the breaks to go outside for a run. By doing so, I can very effectively disconnect during my lunch break, catch some fresh air, get my regular workout and then come back to my computer energized and motivated for the tasks to come.
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Meet Anja
What is your favorite part about our Ways of Working?
Flexible working and digital tools. Now, the collaboration between different departments and regions is much easier and more efficient.
How do our Ways of Working impact you personally?
The last two years have been a booster for remote and flexible working. With the increased flexibility in working location (office or home), I can balance my health & well-being much better.
What is one way that you've grown or done something differently regarding our Ways of Working?
I’ve taken advantage of the flexible arrangements and learned to be much more efficient.
How do you work differently with the Allianz Ways of Working compared to before?
Transparency has increased with our digital tools, chats, and efficient file sharing. Communication is much more open.
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Meet Mauro
What is your favorite part about our Ways of Working?
To me, flexible work and reduced travel really became the new normal and we shall keep evolving with it. I learned how much more productive we can be while remaining flexible. It doesn’t matter where you are when digital tools are greatly supporting our hybrid Ways of Working.
How do you work differently with the Allianz Ways of Working compared to before?
My working life has completely changed. Years ago I had to commute and travel on a weekly basis, as being onsite was required and somehow the standard way… looking back I can smile at it. An early wake-up to catch a 7 am flight is a thing of the past, and a much more effective and balanced work-life is the present.
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Meet Caitlin
How have our Ways of Working impacted your personal life?
In addition to helping me set better work-life balance boundaries, I’m thrilled about the possibilities offered in our WOW to work across borders. I live far away from my home country, making visits more challenging and infrequent. But because of our cross-border remote work policy and self-assessment tool, I received an easy approval to spend time working abroad. With the help of my dad, I kept my first trip a surprise for my mom and best friend who I haven’t seen in nearly a year due to the pandemic. You can see where I surprised my mom in the video (she really had no idea). The ability to make up for lost time—while still getting my work done––meant an incredible amount to me. I’ve already taken two trips using this in less than a year, and am planning for a third coming soon, all while keeping business as usual.
What’s something you’re looking forward to with the Allianz WOW?
In our WOW, we’re encouraged to spend one hour of our working time each week just for learning. I haven’t taken full advantage of this offer but would like to in the future to ensure my skills stay sharp and future-focused.
What’s your hybrid hack?
My hybrid hack is to make more time for the moments that make us human. In my hybrid set-up, I’ve noticed it’s easy for me to slip into deep focus modes, especially when working from home with less distractions. However, it can be hard to notice when I need a boost from the in-person interactions I'd normally have with colleagues—or when it's them who may need to be uplifted. In response, I've found it meaningful to proactively schedule lunches or coffees with my colleagues or manager when at the office, and to simply be more intentional during my hybrid meetings to ask with genuine interest how someone is really doing and create a space for them to respond without feeling rushed.
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Meet Christoph
What is your favorite part about our Ways of Working?
I very much like the holistic approach that it is not only about tools and policies but also about our mindset and behavior which actually makes the difference. The standards set in our WOW help us to shape a more appealing and successful hybrid working environment once we have the courage to take opportunities, allow for personal development and also let go of some beliefs of the past.
Your WOW Tip:
Flexibility comes with responsibility and that is not always easy. As I have a lot more opportunities through our flexible Ways of Working, I also have that many more decisions to make. For me, the most important decision is to be present and care for myself. One of the easy ways I can do this, is by following our global meeting etiquette to start my calls 5 minutes past (and use default settings to integrate this automatically). Now, I have quick breaks between meetings to take a step back, re-center, and proceed with a fresh mind. I have found that using these breaks for a deep cycle of mindful breathing can do wonders!
