How do you really measure corporate culture?
By the fruit basket?
By the number of team events?
Or by how someone is welcomed on their first day?
All of these can be clues. But if you truly want to understand it, it’s worth looking at a different moment:
👉 The last working day.
Because this is precisely where what was previously often just claimed becomes visible.
Culture becomes visible when someone leaves
How do you say goodbye to someone who was part of the company for many years?
Formally and briefly?
Or in a way that makes you feel there was more than just an employment relationship?
This question determines whether corporate culture is just a buzzword—or actually lived out.
A farewell to remember
For us, this moment fell on a special day:
Roland’s last working day was also his 66th birthday.
Instead of a classic “all the best and much success,” we consciously chose a different path.
We sang for him—”At 66 years old, life is just beginning,” accompanied by Bernd’s trumpet.
And we invited the owner of the spirits museum from Bönnigheim to curate this day together with us.
It wasn’t about a quick gesture or a symbolic toast.
It was about time.
Time for conversations, for stories, and for memories.
A 77-year-old museum owner shared anecdotes from his life while we shared our own memories of Roland.
There was laughter, listening, and looking back together—over several hours.
Why moments like this matter
In situations like these, corporate culture becomes tangible.
Not in glossy brochures.
Not in benefits or promises.
But in what people do for one another when it counts.
When someone leaves the company and you consciously take the time, it becomes clear how much that person was truly valued.
Conclusion
The first day shows how well a company is organized.
The last day shows what it felt like to be a part of it.
And that is precisely where the true meaning of corporate culture is decided.
Thank you, Roland—for your time, your commitment, and the many years together.
You are and remain a great catch!
