What's work like at the club?
Interview
What is your name and what is your place of work?
Marcel Weber My name is Marcel Weber and I am the managing director at SchwuZ. I work as part of a two-person management team.
What is your position in the club and what defines it?
Marcel Weber Together with my colleague Florian, I oversee all aspects of SchwuZ's operations. Primarily, we lead a team of executives. Additionally, I am especially responsible for marketing and corporate IT. Together, Florian and I represent SchwuZ to the public. Since SchwuZ is owned by an association, we’re also working closely with our board. It is made up by volunteers and sets the guidelines for SchwuZ, our job then is to implement them with the team.
How does the start of your usual working day look like?
Marcel Weber On a typical day, I wake up around 7 a.m. and get ready for the day. Then I cycle from Prenzlauer Allee to Schillerkiez in Neukölln where our office is located. I usually have time for a coffee, which I enjoy at my favorite café in Neukölln. I like to observe the activity on the street and let my thoughts wander. I usually arrive at the office between 9 and 10 a.m. and start the day by getting an overview of all tasks ahead. This includes reading my emails and exchanging with other colleagues in the office. Checking my calendar regularly is also vital. This then often results in a fairly tight schedule with various tasks to be completed.
Please roughly sketch out day-to-day work routines, that you face in your job.
Marcel Weber Roughly speaking, I usually delegate all tasks that cannot be done by myself, to then tend to several meetings a day in which we coordinate schedules between different people within the team and with external individuals. This could be, for example, for maintenance of technical systems in the club. These are mostly followed up by meetings with colleagues or external individuals. These appointments are often in the office or club and sometimes outside. The phone often rings, and I am confronted with all sorts of questions, which I try to answer as comprehensively and conclusively as possible. Colleagues regularly come to me with questions, and we discuss them. There are also frequently representative events in the evening in various contexts. I usually head home around 7 p.m., often later.
How is your contact with other workers from the same area of work? How is your contact with other working areas (production, reproduction or administration)?
Marcel Weber I see my co-managing director, Florian, almost every day. We share an office and frequently consult with each other. The other colleagues in the office are there at different times, and I talk to them about various matters several times a day. I am also in the club several times a week, so there is an opportunity to interact directly with the teams on site. Communicating, listening, and taking time are crucial in fostering relationships within the team. Occasionally, I also manage the night during an event. There, I am in contact with the people working at SchwuZ at night, as well as with the artists, which brings me a lot of joy.
