Cum se asigura un antreprenor care se pregateste sa-si lanseze un business ca si-a ales partenerul potrivit? am fost intrebat de Allan Kahoya din Kenia.

Cum ii ajutati pe angajatii in varsta sa se adapteze unui mediu de lucru tot mai schimbator si sa faca fata noilor cerinte pe care le impune munca? Ce pot face angajatorii, in genere, ca sa ii valorifice mai bine pe acesti seniori?

„Grupul pe care il detineti are sute de companii diferite – cum reusiti sa le tineti in frau si sa le faceti sa produca rezultatele scontate?“ Aceasta intrebare mi-a fost expediata de Robert Cheng, din Taiwan. Raspunsul scurt este ca ma bazez pe o echipa grozava de directori si de top manageri, precum si pe toti angajatii care lucreaza pentru Virgin in intreaga lume. Dar cum construirea grupului a fost un proces de durata, pentru raspunsul pe larg s-ar cere sa aruncam o privire asupra modului in care echipa a ajuns in acest punct.

Tincuta Baltag, Raluca van Staden, Hanna Derer sunt trei femei remarcabile care, cu spirit de daruire, ca in legenda Mesterului Manole, s-au pus la temelia unei societati romanesti a viitorului.

Q Your company has hundreds of different businesses in operation – how do you manage to keep them on track and achieve expected output?

Robert Cheng, Taiwan
A: The short answer is that I rely on a terrific team of CEOs and top managers, and on the great people around the world who work for Virgin. But building this group was a long process, so let’s look at how our team arrived at this point.

„Cum poate proprietarul unei afaceri mici sa puna bazele unei culturi de corporatie asa cum are grupul Virgin?“

The conventional wisdom at business school is that you stick with what you know. Of the top 20 brands in the world, 19 ply a well-defined trade. Coca-Cola specializes in soft drinks, Microsoft in computers, Nike in sports shoes and gear. The exception in this list is Virgin – and the fact that we’re worth several billion dollars really bothers people who believe that they know “the rules of business” (whatever they are). 

So you have an idea for a business – one that you believe has the potential to alter the industry. You have put together a simple, straightforward proposition that potential customers find easy to understand. You have raised the necessary capital, gathered a team and publicized your new venture by every means available. What happens next?

Q: How can a manager empower employees to use their common sense?
Kellen Kiambati, Nairobi, Kenya
A: It takes an engaged, motivated and committed work force to deliver a first-class product or service and build a successful, sustainable enterprise. Empowering employees so that they can make good decisions is one of an entrepreneur’s most important tasks.

My motivations have changed a lot over the past 40 years. In retrospect, it’s clear that this has been a long-term process, and I acquired new motivations as time went on.

After an entrepreneur has expanded his successful new company or a chief executive has been promoted to the large corner office, he may sooner or later find himself starting to lose touch with employees and customers.

One thing is certain in business: things will go wrong. So when you first start up a business, one of your priorities should be emergency planning.

Cum poate un manager sa-si imputerniceasca angajatii astfel incat acestia sa nu se simta niciodata incorsetati, ba mai mult, sa apeleze oricand la bunul simt? Intrebarea mi-a fost trimisa de Kiambati Kellen, din Nairobi, Kenya.

Timp de zece ani, Virgin Trains transportase in conditii de siguranta pe calea ferata milioane de pasageri pe intreg teritoriul Marii Britanii. Dar seara zilei de 23 februarie ne-a schimbat viata tuturor. Pasagera Margaret Masson a incetat din viata si alte cinci persoane au fost grav ranite cand trenul de mare viteza Pendolino a deraiat.

Dintre cei sapte romani care au impresionat publicul in anul de care ne-am despartit si pe care unii dintre voi i-au votat pe Facebook in cadrul campaniei „Descopera eroul din tine“, l-am ales pe stomatologul Roland Hermann. Datorita lui se poate vorbi la timpul prezent despre contributia romaneasca la voluntariatul in tinuturi indepartate.

De regula, din momentul in care afacerea se extinde si CEO-ul (ori antreprenorul) ajunge sa isi mute biroul la ultimul etaj al cladirii, mai devreme sau mai tarziu incepe sa piarda contactul cu angajatii si clientii. 

Lucrurile care ma motiveaza pe mine s-au schimbat foarte mult in ultimii 40 de ani. Privind retrospectiv, este clar ca e un proces continuu si ca pe masura ce trece timpul capat noi si noi motivatii.

In scoala de afaceri vi se spune sa intrati in businessul pe care-l cunoasteti cel mai bine si ca din cele 20 de branduri aflate in topul mondial, 19 activeaza intr-un singur domeniu.

Sa zicem ca aveti o idee de afacere – despre care credeti ca are potentialul de a schimba cu adevarat industria. Ati formulat o promisiune de business catre potentialii clienti, cat mai pe intelesul lor. Ati strans capitalul necesar, ati adunat echipa si ati mediatizat noua voastra afacere prin toate mijloacele disponibile. Ce urmeaza sa faceti?

Q: I recently became my own boss, joining forces with my brother, who has an established operation. I am very much enjoying this experience, but the challenges of finding ways to draw attention to our business and earn customers’ trust are extremely tough.