We caught up with Nevena Nikolova, from our office in Sofia, who is a prize-winning film maker and a hugely successful head-hunter. Clearly there are parallels between casting the lead and supporting roles for a film and identifying the best possible hires for a corporate client.

• How are Directing and Consultancy complementary professions?

Both professions are all about recognizing talent and making the best use of it, making the talent really shine to its fullest potential.  The job of a Head-hunter and Management Consultant helps develop transferable skills like influential communication (capacity to convince and inspire) as well project management capability that are very useful for me as a filmmaker.

On the other hand the Directing boosts my creativity, helps me build out-of-the box solutions and support clients and candidates in finding new perspectives and changing their way of thinking or acting. What I experience is a kind of a cross-pollination between the two professions and I find it very enriching. I discover a certain Work-Art balance as the one activity is helping me recover from the other and vice-versa.

• How did you first move into Directing?

My artistic journey started as an actress with stage performances of various fringe shows, but I felt I needed more so the second step was a smooth transition to stage directing and afterwards I jumped into film directing. 

• What is it about directing films that appeals to you so much?

My mind naturally produces multiple ideas, images, stories, small pieces of the universe, so writing and directing a movie is a way to share my internal world with thousands of people all over the globe. To feel 'seen' from inside, to experience other people`s reactions, to be able to touch so many souls and minds - this is really powerful and exciting; it makes me feel complete and fulfilled.

Movie Directing is great for upgrading my own leadership skills and style. It requires vision, determination and capacity to balance, align and synchronize the ideas and the input of very diverse professionals, who are often quite opinionated, very emotional and expressive - sometimes ego-driven. When you are an aspiring director, you are full of doubts and it is a huge challenge to keep your authenticity and allow yourself to show vulnerability while nurturing the faith in the project among the crew members. What I discovered while film-making is that it is not necessary to have all the answers and the full picture in order to lead the team, it is enough to be just a couple of steps in front of them.

• You have had lots of success with your films – can you tell me about the awards you have won?

My first movie MORNING won multiple awards for Best Debut, Best Student Short, Best Silent Film, Best Dance (dedicated to Dance) Film, Best choreography in a Short film, Best actor, Best aspiring filmmaker etc. from international festivals in Cannes, Italy, UK, Mexico, Israel, Chile among others.

The second movie ROOFTOP was recognized for Best Dark comedy, Best lead actor, Best young actress, Best female director ect. Couple of months ago the movie won the Best Independent Short Film award in Silk Road Film Festival Cannes.

• Who are your influences in film and who are your influences in business?

Some of my favourite directors are Yorgos Lanthimos, Christopher Nolan, Lars von Trier, Quentin Tarantino, Pedro Almodovar, Daren Aronofsky, Krzusztof Kieslowski, Jane Campion, Wong Kar-Wai and many others. All of them have inspired my love of cinema but I`m still searching for my very own style as a director.

My business understanding and thinking was influenced by David Ogilvy, Richard Branson, Steve Jobs, Ray Dalio, Patric Lencioni, and Simon Sinek.

• In the film of your life, who would you like to play you?

Lovely question! For the younger me I would cast Anna Tayor Joy and Juliette Binoche would be my first choice for the middle aged me.

Árpád Németh is named amongst the leading Human Resource professionals in Hungary.

The Top HR Business Executives in Hungary magazine is a special annual publication of the Budapest Business Journal. It focuses on outstanding achievements and how the Hungarian HR market is developing. It looks at leading HR organizations, the challenges of a tight labour market and the trends shaping the market in Hungary today. The selection is unashamedly subjective, having been made by the editorial team of the Book of Lists and the BBJ, and draws on a 30-year-history of providing unparalleled business news and analysis. The readership of Top HR Business Executives mirrors much of that of the BBJ, including many of the country’s leading business executives, diplomats, and decision-makers.

Read Árpád's full interview in the BBJ:

Last week Friisberg & Partners International was privileged to be invited to participate in the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2023 (URC23) in London from 21^st – 23^rd June. It is an annual global conference and was this year organized and hosted by the governments of the United Kingdom and, of course, Ukraine. URC23 brought together a coalition of thousands of representatives from civil society, businesses and governments from 59 countries to discuss and commit to support for Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction.

Elena Maysyura, who leads our office in Kyiv, was joined by Lorri Lowe and Andrew Guy from our office in London. Speakers at the conference included Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, his Ukrainian counterpart, Denys Shmyhal, as well as President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen (who confirmed that Ukraine’s accession to the EU is imminent), US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, foreign ministers of EU countries, and others.

We know that Ukraine has significant economic potential. The international community came together at the conference to unlock the potential of the private sector to help Ukraine’s economic recovery. This, in turn, will support the country to come back stronger, as a modern, stable and resilient democracy.

"By building Ukraine, we are building much more than one country, we are building the world.

"Will it be peaceful? Will it be stable? Will it be democratic? It depends on each and every one of us."

President Zelenskyy (video remarks)

The focus of day three of this year’s conference was to advance private sector participation in the Ukrainian recovery and for this URC23 was hailed a great success, with one of the largest international financial commitments for reconstruction since the Second World War. By the end of the event, a total of some US$60 billion in international commitments had been made.

It was noteworthy that a recurring theme at URC2023 was the strength of human capital already in Ukraine and the willingness of the Ukrainian diaspora to rebuild the economy back home - not just after the war, but now.

With our office in Kyiv and many more in other cities in Europe and around the world, Friisberg & Partners International is ideally placed to identify and secure the right leadership for Ukraine's revived businesses and FDI projects.

Friisberg stands with Elena, her team in Kyiv, and her country - we remain united in our support for Ukraine.

Professionals now have a much lower threshold for leaving behind their employer.

Due to remote working, many organisations have hired employees who are only tied to their working community by virtual means. This makes it easier for employees to leave their working community behind.

No one can yet say for certain how society will open up during the coming months or whether there will be new setbacks. There is an ongoing discussion at workplaces and especially in expert organisations on how to proceed as the remote work recommendation is removed after the long period of uncertainty we have all faced.

Most think that there will be increased flexibility. 

There are certainly more choices available: the employee is allowed to come to the workplace and there are different quotas as well as other models based on alternation, individual preference and common expectations. The need for automation in one’s own work may well have been increased and organisational hierarchies reduced. Everything will slowly fall into place, which may take months, maybe even years.

There is one thing of note that has seen very little discussion:

Organisational culture plays a key role

Organisational culture plays a key role in an employee’s commitment to their organisation, especially as things stand currently.  It lays the foundation for the operations of the entire organisation and constitutes a part of the employee’s work performance - even when working alone.

Organisations have not stopped hiring new employees during this exceptional period. Many newly employed people have been a part of their new working community only by virtual means. Many companies have invested an enormous amount of time and resources in personnel well-being and commitment during the pandemic.

We have also discussed these issues extensively in our own company, pondering whether we have made the right decisions. It is hard for me to say, but I naturally hope that we have.

I like to believe that an ideal working community provides its members with opportunities to work flexibly, respecting different approaches. Workplaces are now trying to find the balance between freedom and, on the other hand, approaches that relate to the needs of the clients. If a client wishes to meet the team in person instead of through virtual means, this should be weighed against one’s own individual wishes.

Leaving a company is easier now than in the past

If the employee does not have real workplace relationships, physical and intimate working community and thereby the experience that humans need as social beings, they are unlikely to be as committed to their current position as before the start of the pandemic. In this case, they will have an easier time leaving their employer and working community behind and simply working remotely.

Of course, there will be exceptions. In such a case, something has been done differently – perhaps intuitively, or maybe the interaction between the employees and management has been very successful. I believe that the new guidelines for organisational culture during the pandemic are not enough for management to keep its organisation functional. Simply giving orders from above will not do either, as there is likely to be a backlash.

Growth in the importance of the employee experience

The appreciation of the employee experience is growing. A strong feeling of commitment to the work and organisation can better motivate people to stay than salary or other financial benefits. A high degree of commitment to one’s work not only maintains continuity, but also decreases sick leave rates and improves performance and efficiency at work.

Now is the time to invest in listening to the teams and allowing them to participate. We need to take measures through which our personnel can be brought together at the workplace in a safe manner as soon as possible, and give everyone the chance to become part of the working community instead of just working remotely. There is value in being present at the workplace at least from time to time.

Employees now have a lower threshold for leaving their current job, which is something that should not be taken lightly.

Mika Rossi
Managing Partner, Helsinki

What does it take to be a top leader?

Top management positions, mainly in multinational companies, represent a goal for 83% of the employees within the age group of 23 – 40, according to a study made by Friisberg & Partners Romania, of 150 Bucharest-based subjects.

The career path towards a top management position invariably goes through middle management ones, yet the abilities and knowledge necessary for a top management role can be different.

Which are the differences between a middle management position and a top management one?

Following a study on a focus group of 52 middle and top managers, as well as from our own experience in the market, we came to the following conclusions:

• A middle manager must be both, people and result oriented, proficient in a specific field of activity, as well as a good manager. He/she must pay attention to details, know how to build up and motivate a team, be able to transmit to the people they lead the vision, values and organization culture communicated by the top management, as well as to offer support and coaching. A middle manager should be more focused towards increasing the efficiency of processes and results.
• In order to reach the next level, a top manager position, the middle manager must be able to detach from the details and see the big picture. At this stage, the big picture’s importance is higher than the details’. An excellent understanding of all processes within the company is compulsory, no matter the field one comes from.
• In order to move forward to a top management position, one needs strategic vision, an exquisite understanding of the economical, political and social macro-climate, a detailed know-how of the market in which the company activates, its competitors and market trends, in general. Data interpretation, correlation and solution identification have a vital impact on the company.
• A top manager takes part at the board meetings, participates in creating the company’s strategy, sets medium and long term goals. As the top manager must have a long term vision and strategy, the middle manager is concerned with short to medium term goals. In short, the top manager creates strategy and the middle manager implements it. The top manager defines results while the middle manager insures that these results are achieved.
• At top management level it does not matter that much the field you are active in, the focus is on result, P&L and strategy creation. A top management position offers multiple advantages, as financial ones, recognition and visibility, access to information, working with more professional and experienced people, but it also implies certain risks.
• A top management position translates into higher visibility, which also applies to any made mistake. On the one hand it’s a position that offers more recognition for achievements, on the other hand, any decision that fails to reach set goals or brings any form of prejudice to the company is as easily seen by co-workers and superiors (ex: share holders).
• The power of decision increases at an exponential level, as higher one is set in the company structure. Thus, any mistake made has a stronger impact. But it is a risk worth being taken as a top management position allows more liberty in using one’s experience and years’ long accumulated know-how. In a multinational company this is generally the case. In smaller size companies the General Manager takes the majority of high level decisions.

In the end it is a personal decision, one makes in his/her career path.

Aiming to become a top manager means more than education, experience and data accumulation. It means even more than long work hours and sacrifices made. Becoming a top manager also means a higher degree of decision making in regards to putting to work one’s business vision.

Our study reveals not only the aspirations and goals of professionals in the market, but also a deeper understanding of what it takes to be a top manager.

Although native abilities are important, in order to successfully walk in the shoes of a top manager, one needs years of experience, a profound market understanding and, most of all, a business vision.

Floriana Enescu
Partner, Romania

 

 

Burcin Ressamoglu

CEO of Sodexo Employee & Consumer Engagement

Talks with: Lorri Lowe, Partner, Friisberg & Partners UK

Employee Engagement is now more important than ever. What changes have you seen over the past year and what are your expectations for the future?

The change to remote working has for many companies meant a dynamic acceleration and a rapid embedding of digital ways of working. Without physical interaction and positive reinforcement of an office culture, it is too easy for people to feel isolated and undervalued – this is the challenge for many employers. There is a tendency for some people to work too hard, to burn out - perhaps to over compensate for not being visible on a daily basis and maybe some, who have been hiding behind others, are suddenly exposed.

Employers want different and instant ways of connecting with and rewarding their remote teams to keep productivity and engagement high and not lose the value of a shared work ethic. Increasingly digitised ways of working are undoubtedly the future and similarly access to ways of incentivising teams will be through readily accessible and easily usable digital platforms.

I believe leaders need to find ways to show they care in order to maintain productivity, focus and engagement of their team. Digital Benefit platforms are increasingly important and we have seen more employers turn to these to better take care of employees to ensure their wellbeing.

Leadership teams are focusing less on the long-term strategy of the company, perhaps less overtly on the financials, instead spending more time connecting with their people to ensure they know and understand what is expected of them. If someone feels isolated, knowing what steps can quickly be taken to re-focus them is vital.

What would you encourage CEOs and Boards to do to maximise engagement from remote workers?

This is undoubtedly the biggest challenge - not just in terms of maintaining employee engagement, but also their overall efficiency. I believe that at this time the leadership team must be more visible and accessible than ever.

It is important to celebrate and encourage a better work/life balance. In the past leaders were understandably focused on the best ways of transacting the company strategy, but now it is more about having the right mindset and the right tools to effectively manage their teams remotely. Being mindful of your people’s needs, not expecting everyone to always be available 24/7, ensuring the team has regular breaks, communicating a shared understanding of the KPIs and ensuring everyone feels supported – in summary, looking after your employees’ wellbeing has never been so important.

As leaders we must take care of ourselves too. It is all too easy to be so concerned about the team that it is easy to forget about yourself. Being a role model to promote wellbeing for the Board and leadership team is essential.

Transparency of feelings and open communication are also vital. At Sodexo, we meet formally and informally, virtually of course, to check in and discuss where we are, how we are feeling about home, about the office, and what might we need. This means any action can be taken promptly and everyone feels they have a voice and are heard. Informal communication is very important – e.g. quizzes, late afternoon drinks in smaller teams promote easier conversations, so if there is a problem we can immediately help.

As a CEO, how have you changed how you run your business over the past 6-9 months?

Socially and economically the world has changed. Previously we worked collaboratively in our office and I knew working remotely would not replace the daily physical interactions. Of course, the general principles stay the same in terms of how employees bring potential to the business, how they can best contribute and how we can all engender trust. But I took the time to do lots of research on remote working and I reviewed our communication strategy straight away adjusting my daily focus from addressing the long term goals to being more agile and nimble – we had to evolve and quickly. We introduced a temporary program , we identified targets over 6 months rather than a year, and with shorter term objectives we can be more agile, reactive and proactive in response to change from the impacts of COVID19.

What changes have you seen in consumer behaviours and their relationship with brands and business?

One million business consumers interact and use our products daily, so we genuinely understand consumer behaviours. It was vital that our platform was totally digital and incredibly user friendly. Consumers now demand short lead times – not 3 days anymore, but immediate. They also want more for their money and want to shop with trusted brands. Demands for our discount platform (engagement of consumers is positive where there are good discounts) is high – people are more focused on their earnings and household budgets.

What advice would you give to other CEOs now that would never have crossed your mind a year ago?

Never underestimate what you and your team can achieve. In 120 hours we moved from being office based to 100% remote working. We embraced the technical, adjusted the infrastructure, aligned our collective mindset, and ensured all our processes were in line. I might never have thought that possible - after years of discussions, in just two months we were 100% digital – this as a result of external pressures to adapt to unforeseen change. We achieved this together and now we know we can achieve anything. It is important to share ambition and to look for the potential in people - the real potential. Taking the time to reflect on what you have achieved is paramount and, of course, never underestimating anyone.

Leadership is a combination of example and inspiration. Has recent experience changed your views on what makes a good manager and if so, what do you need from your senior leadership team now?

Being a positive leader means caring for your team, engaging with them openly, finding different ways of communicating and listening to what they need.  This can mean you have to stretch yourself to demonstrate effective leadership skills - and that isn’t always easy. It is vital that those on the leadership team adapt quickly to new technologies and lead on this efficiently to best communicate with teams in the right way. Building and maintaining trust is essential. Finally, never underestimate the importance of a ‘thank you’ - and meaning it. Many people are understandably concerned about their observable performance; they are worried about their perceived contribution to the success of the business. Employee recognition has never been so vital and recognition platforms drive positive culture and best practice.

Friisberg & Partners International is proud to be a preferred supplier of executive search to Sodexo in the UK.