"While training for a leadership position last year, I observed what I took to be inefficiencies in our weekend scheduling that resulted in overtime. Analyzing our staff size and shift distribution, I believed a different structure could eliminate overtime and reduce payroll costs.

Before proposing any change, I recognize that my superiors have far more experience and broader responsibilities. Therefore, I always preface any suggestion with questions, sharing my thoughts and inviting their input. This allows them to share their past considerations and rationale, and we can collaborate further if they find merit in my idea.

In this specific instance, my manager appreciated my inquiry, validated its value, and explained why they hadn't pursued my proposed avenue. Their reasoning was sound, and with this new insight, I returned to work with a deeper understanding and increased value as a resource for my team."

Zalando advertises that they take pride in the fact that theirs is a collaboratively innovative environment where everyone's voices are heard, and all ideas are worth something. But, they also place great emphasis on the high-level communication skills their employees possess as well. "We offer formats for feedback and participation for all Zalandos. We support direct dialogue between leaders and all employee groups. We actively listen and are willing to learn from each other, irrespective of position, background, age, or experience. We want to default to transparency and so we communicate openly and share often, listen, and encourage participation. We provide context and share information by default to enable informed decision making and to flag problems early."