Find the Working Culture That Keeps You Fit

I expected the initial “wow” feeling to dissipate but as March approaches, I’m still getting goosebumps.

I’m here to learn about communication, in particular what this means in the corporate world and I’m on the front line handling media and journalists on a daily basis. I quickly learn the key to a positive relationship with the press is very simple: ongoing communication. This “communication is everything” attitude was not only visible in our work with media, but also among my team. From focused but also relaxed weekly meetings, to playing table tennis after lunch with people twice my age… I really started to learn that a good working atmosphere is crucial for good results. Even remembering names, which was always a struggle for me, seems easier when you talk to everyone every day.

Communication went beyond my direct team to the adidas intern community as a whole. Catch-ups over coffee, group lunches and nights out in the surrounding towns meant I was never lonely. A word of warning though; a What’s App group with 200+ people can get quite chaotic!

During the next few months I started to feel more self-confident. I learned how things run, got my first projects to work on, started to grow my network outside my direct department and settled into a comfortable while challenging routine. I also started to realize what work-life balance really means. adidas and the campus itself gives you so many opportunities to stay fit. You can go to the gym early in the morning to start your day right. You can join the weekly team sport EXOS sessions during lunchtime. Or you can just meet some interns at the football pitch after work to clear your mind for the next day. If you want to be active, nothing holds you back. And the result of getting my work-life balance right? A fitter mindset for office tasks.

This communicative, open and fitness-orientated company culture quickly became the norm for me. I didn’t feel like just an intern when I proudly took visiting media on campus tours. These visitors regularly reminded me of myself on my first day at work; inquisitive eyes surprised by the tennis match taking place outside the employee restaurant or the beach volleyball training session underway between our two main buildings.

Feeling positively exhausted after work was something I rarely experienced before but now it’s the norm. There’s no more struggling to motivate myself to get out of bed in the morning. I’ve found a company culture that will keep me fit and it’s a life lesson I’ll take with me on whatever road I travel.