When Verena Hammer walks through the PENNY logistics centre in Norderstedt in the morning, her working day does not begin with figures, reports or meetings. It begins with the people who receive goods here, put together orders for the shops or load lorries. By six o’clock at the latest, she begins her round of the site.

It’s not just about processes and organisation. Verena Hammer is interested in the people behind the tasks. “I walk through the site every day, shaking hands with everyone. I make a mental note of who’s got married, who’s become a father.”

Just how much her approach to leadership is shaped by appreciation is also evident in the conversations during the video shoot. Time and again, she talks about how important it is to motivate people and show them that their work is recognised. “I’m always thinking about how I can motivate my team and show them my appreciation. In my view, that’s one of the most important skills a senior manager can have.”

That this attitude is more than just lip service becomes clear when she talks about her management team: one divisional manager has just become a father. A long-serving colleague is retiring soon. Unfortunately. And regarding the new fleet manager, she says she is “happy that he’s here.”

Authenticity plays a central role in this. “I’m open in my communication. I’m genuine. Because there’s no point in copying other people’s leadership styles. You can sense that straight away,” she says. That’s why praise must always be sincere: “If I tell an employee they’re doing a great job, they have to feel it. Otherwise, I’ll lose them.”

Her path to becoming an operations manager wasn’t a foregone conclusion. Originally, the 48-year-old wanted to become an automotive mechatronics technician. However, the company where she did her apprenticeship – a petrol station – saw “the pretty young woman” as being better suited to sales. So she completed an apprenticeship as a retail sales assistant, later joined the Hamburg-based chemist’s chain Budnikowski, where she took on her first managerial responsibilities at just under 20 years of age, and subsequently found her way into logistics. She has been managing the PENNY branch in Norderstedt for seven years.

Just how tough was the transition from the female-dominated drugstore sector to the more male-dominated world of logistics? “Some colleagues said: ‘Gosh, how’s that little girl going to manage?’” Verena, who addressed everyone informally when she started, recalls the comment: “She’ll stop laughing soon enough.” But after about a year, I’d won the trust of the vast majority.”

Just how important personal contact is to her is still evident in her day-to-day work. “I pop in everywhere, ask how things are going. If I sense someone’s not in a good mood, I leave them in peace for a while.”

The success of her approach is also evident in the staff surveys: under her leadership, Norderstedt has gone from being one of the lowest-rated to one of the best-rated PENNY logistics sites.

This was also evident during the site relocation, which was only recently completed. It was a massive undertaking in which everyone pitched in – on top of their actual jobs. The manager is very aware of the strain this placed on her team. “It really took its toll on my staff. I’ve been thinking all the time about how I can thank them. I’m sure I’ll think of something.” The appreciation she shows her staff is reciprocated. In the form of a jar of honey from an amateur beekeeper amongst the workforce, or a “We’ve missed you” when she does her first morning round after returning from holiday. “So if you ask me what motivates me: it’s the appreciation and trust my staff show in me.”