Greetings from the home office - Episode 19: Dennis Lück, Jung von Matt/Limmat

Dennis Lück is Chief Creative Home Officer at Jung von Matt/Limmat. His home office is located in Wohlen, Aargau.

Werbewoche.ch: How long have you been in a home office?

Dennis Lück: Since March 1997, at least perceived. Factually since 13.03.2020.

Is your entire agency located in a home office?

Yes, the whole gang has been in home office mode ever since.

Did you face any technical issues while setting up your workstation?

After 30 runs, you have to descale the coffee machine. This is a massive challenge for me every time. If you kick the machine once on the left rear and simultaneously scream "shit" loudly four times, then it works again. I found that to be the case on the fourth or fifth day. That is the only technical obstacle. Otherwise, everything works perfectly.

Where have you set up?

In my music room, because I have nothing that could even be called Office. First I tried it in the living room, where I was beaten out with the help of three Playstation controllers. So down to the moshroom in the basement, wifi repeater set up and then all systems on full power.

What all do you need to be able to do your job?

30 cups of coffee a day. Heavens, how I miss the coffee machine in the office.

Is it difficult to separate yourself enough when the children are at home?

What delimitation? I have tried to create and define a boundary and establish a few rules. For example, when the door is closed, daddy has to work in peace. Total fail. Or have you ever seen a child let a closed door stop them? But honestly, I love it. If there's one nice thing to note about the situation, it's just that: the lack of boundaries. We're all in one pile, my kids experience what I do all day and vice versa. And in the meantime, for example, draw damage sketches for Mobi to support me. I think they'll soon be sawing away at my chair. (laughs)

Do you have home office experience or is this a first?

Experience yes, routine no. Of course, I have stayed at home once or twice because it was necessary. But several weeks at a stretch? What that does to you is already a first. Three weeks ago I had long, flowing hair. And now? Look at me. That's the effect of home office.

Based on previous experience: Which processes are difficult compared to the normal everyday life of an agency?

One of our hashtags describes it perfectly: #kreationtrotzisolation. How do you manage to maintain all the collaborative systems despite the distance? What's great is that everyone is now used to all the tools. Everyone zooms in, puts post-its on Miro, and everyone slacks off for all they're worth. So collaboration in isolation works very well.

Which jobs go smoothly?

Honestly, everything works out as well or as not well as it did before.

Is there anything that even works easier or more productively in the home office?

For me personally, the productive time of the day has been extended by two hours. I like to get up early anyway, and now that I no longer have to drive to Zurich, I can add the time gain. That's wonderful. And in general, I think meeting efficiency has improved dramatically across the entire industry. Virtual meetings seem to curb verbal excess.

What do they do about the ceiling falling on your head?

I'm in the music room, after all. My favorite guitar is only about two meters away from me. Then I rip the Eddie Van Halen amp up to 11 and delight the neighborhood with a virtuoso improvised Slayer-Metallica-Pantera mix.

What do you miss most about the physical day-to-day life at the agency?

There is almost the classic among the answers: I miss my colleagues. Cliché answer, sure. But what exactly do you miss? Everything works out, I see them all on the screen more often than ever before. So what exactly is it? Beautifully formulated: the natural exchange, the collision zones. Put crudely: the beer and the eye-to-eye trash talk to go with it. I really miss that.

Are you confident that your agency will come through the crisis unscathed?

No one survives the circus unscathed. Really no one. We as Jung von Matt are robust, big, creative and flexible enough, but we also get the scrapes of our customers directly indirectly.

As we all know, everything has its positive sides. What is it in your current home office situation?

I would like us to maintain the efficiency gain and the natural use of virtual tools. This creates more time and space for other things.

When and why did you last laugh in connection with the home office?

What category of laughter is meant? Hearty, sustained, childish laughter? That was last night in the virtual aperitif, when we all had English pubs as zoom background and everyone tipped a glass of schnapps. Hysterical laughter? Five minutes ago in the last call. The laughter rate is still very high with me, don't worry.

What would you like to give your colleagues in the industry to take with them through the crisis?

I am far from wanting to hand out smart advice here. Please just stay healthy. Oh yes, I do have a tip from a Saarland virologist. He recommended drinking more schnapps. Because hard alcohol destroys the protective shell of the virus. So, cheers, and hopefully see you soon, live and in color again.