One position, two strong managers, limitless opportunities

How to gain more knowledge, know-how and leadership by sharing management responsibilities

An interview with Julia Binder and Luise Titze, working at Infineon Technologies AG, a German DAX40 company, on their leadership tandem, preparing for success, navigating challenges, and fostering trust and recognition.

What is TopSharing? In TopSharing, two individuals share a management responsibility. This innovative leadership approach promotes equal opportunities and a diversity of perspectives. By embracing this new work model, companies get the invaluable benefit of 200 percent brain power in one leadership role while individuals have increased flexibility and a better work-life balance.

Interviewer: First, thank you very much for taking the time for this interview.

Julia & Luise (both answering): Thanks for having us!

Interviewer: You work in JobSharing and are jointly responsible for a management position. What are your tasks?

Luise: We are part of the corporate supply chain organization of one of the top 10 semiconductor companies and lead an international team of experts.

Julia: Our team plays a pivotal role in guiding, steering, and overseeing the seamless integration and harmonization of end-to-end supply chain processes.

Interviewer: You have been working as a tandem for almost half a year. How did this come about?

Julia: Both of us were highly motivated to explore JobSharing opportunities, driven by the desire to continue our professional growth while maintaining a balance with our family responsibilities. At the same time, our manager, Konstanze Knoblich, recognized the need for new working models. Knowing us both well, she saw the potential of leveraging our extensive experience and complementary skills. We both bring strong networks and diverse professional backgrounds, which is particularly interesting for our current position.

Luise: We quickly realized that we are on the same wavelength: We like each other and built up on a foundation of trust. We spoke openly about all topics right from the start, which is very important for both of us. I trust Julia completely and she is my limit of trust to the outside world.

“We spoke openly about all topics right from the start, which is very important for both of us.”

Interviewer: What is your assessment so far regarding TopSharing?

Luise: The last months have been incredibly intense. We experience the benefits of JobSharing every day: we are ONE team. We share ideas openly and intensively, sparring each other in a space of trust and cooperation. Our strengths complement each other, which makes us more creative and our decisions more comprehensive. Together we are more resilient: we share responsibility and tackle challenges jointly.

Julia: At the same time, we are TWO individuals and combine diverse knowledge, perspectives, and networks. And what is very important to us: we have more attention for our team and its development.

Interviewer: How do you share responsibilities and tasks? Is there a specialization?

Julia: We equally share the responsibility for the team, the content, successes, and failures. During the onboarding phase, we held most of the meetings together to quickly understand the team and its issues.

Luise: After the first 100 days, we made a conscious decision to divide up the topics and the employee meetings to fully exploit the efficiency of joint leadership. In doing so, we use our individual strengths and even expand our competencies.

Interviewer: What is important in your collaboration?

Julia: Our collaboration is based on shared values and a unified approach to leadership. Trust and mutual respect form the foundation and enable us to rely on each other with confidence. We strive for common goals and embrace diversity as a source of strength. We are aware of our individual strengths and the collective superpower that comes from our collaboration.

Interviewer: What challenges do you face?

Luise: We ensure good and efficient coordination with each other so that those around us don’t have to worry about who is the right contact person for which topic. However, this also means that we are practically interchangeable. And that’s a good thing! Our successes are joint successes; there is no room, or better to say, no need for competition in JobSharing.

Julia: That’s right, the basis of our collaboration is absolute trust. We know each other very well and can anticipate how the other would act and decide, even if she is not present.

“Our successes are joint successes; there is no room […] for competition in JobSharing.”

Interviewer: Do you see synchronization as a challenge? How do you deal with it?

Julia: We have designed our IT infrastructure to support seamless collaboration, featuring tools such as a shared email address, synchronized calendars, and collaborative platforms like OneNote and shared to-do lists. Our daily 15-minute check-ins provide a space for quick discussions and short chats and calls in between ensure, that we stay connected even during busy days.

Luise: In our regular meetings with employees, we rotate topics and people, adding a dynamic touch to our jour fixe. This approach has resulted in a cohesive tandem identity that strengthens our collaboration and productivity.

Interviewer: What are the advantages of the tandem concept?

Luise: Working in a tandem not only offers advantages for us, but also for the company. We tackle every challenge with combined forces: we bring 200 percent of our joint expertise and merge two professional careers, different backgrounds and networks into one powerful collaboration. This allows us to bring a broad range of skills, abilities and perspectives to the table. The result is a rare and valuable combination.

“We tackle every challenge with combined forces: we bring 200 percent of our joint expertise […] into one powerful collaboration”

Interviewer: In your opinion, what skills and characteristics are particularly important for working successfully in JobSharing?

Luise: The values of openness, trust, courage, and respect form the basis for our collaboration. In JobSharing, you must be able to share successes and failures and take responsibility together. This requires good communication and a culture in which the “we” is more important than the “I”.

“The WE is more important than the I”

Julia: You must be open to feedback and reflection. Tandems tend to constantly coach each other, which is not a gift for everyone. We have developed our shared values – including those for our leadership role – through intensive coaching.

Luise: And of course, you need the trust and the commitment by your manager and the company.

Interviewer: Thank you very much for this insight into a new, innovative leadership model!