Regina: Building a team as a coach

What has been your greatest personal development during your time as a coach at business@school?

Letting go! As a coach, you are there to advise the students but not to take over. It's not always easy to motivate the team to perform at their best without becoming actively involved. For example, it is not our job to create the presentations but to guide the team on what a good presentation should look like. I also see team building as a significant area of development. Not every team starts out as a cohesive unit. I find great joy in working to transform individuals into a team.

You have been volunteering as a coach every year since 2022. What's your motivation?

Every year, the collaboration and the specific challenges within the team are different. I enjoy getting to know new teams and accompanying them on their journey. I find it very exciting to see what ideas the teams have for phase three with their own business concept. It's fascinating to watch them develop their initial thoughts into projects in such a short time. Additionally, I have found a wonderful professional complement in my tandem partner from Commerzbank, and collaborating with him is a great pleasure!

How have you been able to develop your skills through coaching?

We had regular exchanges with the students, which often brought up topics like teamwork, communication, and conflict management. Each team is different, and you must adapt to the team to apply the right methods. Personally, I have greatly benefited from the exchange with my tandem partner from Commerzbank. He often brought a different perspective, enriching all of us.

As an Evonik employee, how do you understand your role as a coach?

I see myself as an ambassador for Evonik in my role as a coach. I try to share insights about Evonik and working in a corporation with the next generation. They know that they can always approach me if they are interested in an internship.

Evonik has been a partner of business@school, the educational initiative of Boston Consulting Group (BCG), for many years. This educational initiative gives students a close-up, hands-on look at business and entrepreneurship over the course of one school year.