navigation

Bernd Söllner at the headquarters of Mibelle in Buchs AG

Working in the Migros Group

The boss on sabbatical – no problem at Migros

Bernd Söllner, 53, from Lörrach (DE) and department head at Mibelle, took a few weeks off. We discover why the boss did this and how his team reacted.

Text
Barbara Scherer
Image
Barbara Scherer
Date
Format
Story

As head of research and development and quality assurance, you have quite a lot of responsibility, yet you still allowed yourself a break of several weeks?

«Yes, I manage around 155 people at four locations in Europe. Nevertheless, I was able to be away for seven weeks. I just went to the office once briefly after two weeks to check with my deputy and the leadership team. For me, it was also a kind of test to see how far along the team was and whether the work processes would work without me. It worked – I left my computer at home and was only contacted three times by my deputy for minor questions.»

How did your team react to your absence?

«At first, some employees were a bit surprised. But then everyone supported me and assured me that they could run the place without me. That’s also the goal of any good leader: to make themselves redundant so that they can move on to new tasks.»

And were you able to really switch off during your sabbatical?

«Absolutely. I used the time to visit family, go on camping trips and do some renovations around the house. I also helped in a crossing of the Alps with horses with my life partner. So I not only had a rest, but also experienced something totally new. This has given me new perspectives that I can use on the job.»

Are your employees now also allowed to take a sabbatical?

«If it’s possible somehow and everyone doesn’t want to go at the same time, of course! I can recommend a longer break to anyone and everyone. One should definitely tackle new challenges in that time. It gives you a bit of distance from the job and you can gain new impressions, recharge your batteries and gain experience – which then helps you later on the job.»

Are you thinking about joining the Migros Group? You can look forward to the following benefits.

Stories from our work environment

Whether at a desk, in a store or in a laboratory – our work environment is diverse, just like the people behind it. Discover their stories.

All Stories