- How would you describe the base line?
- Ms. Irma Horváth: Mr. Hubert Abt, head of NEW WORK Serviced Offices, was looking for me when the team consisted of 10 people - there is nothing extraordinary so far - and all employees were very satisfied according a satisfaction survey. This is rather rare: I'll be needed when a problem turns up. This time the task was more about how the staff could be further developed.
- Mr. Hubert Abt: When nine out of ten staff members say that everything is fine, it is simply unrealistic. I called Irma to help analyze the situation and to figure out how staff could be supported individually. So I did not ask for a simple training, but a complex organizational development process.
- What was your first step?
- Ms. Irma Horváth: We mapped each other's strengths; we defined our own roles, and set goals. As long as a team is small, it is easier to "stretch" to try new things. We set "emergent goals" – these are developing and refining on the way. In addition we have prepared our people how to accept newcomers and we have worked hard to consolidate the core values as well. We did not leave new colleagues alone. We have checked what abilities they have, how we could integrate them for common goals. We have learned a lot each other's "operation" and even new friendships emerged. One more important thing: All I said was solution-focused.
- What does this mean in practice?
- Ms. Irma Horváth: What works does not have to be repaired. And should have to be utilized more from the operable and well-tried things. In other words, we have been constantly investigating what we are doing well and based on this. When the size of the team reached the critical mass, we created a young, enthusiastic, ambitious leadership team. We organized a separate leadership training based on practice case studies: next day they could try out they learned theoretically. Worked? - We use more of it; didn’t? - We changed it to something else.
- NEW WORK Serviced Offices is a comet of real estate industry. How do you think it depends on the service they provide, and/or on the team?
- Ms. Irma Horváth: I know that the instant office services they offer are very much needed, but as an organizational developer I also see that the successes are not generated by themselves. Speaking of Success: an important part of NWSO's organizational culture is that we always find a way to celebrate success. This is a part of the appreciation - which is very pronounced in corporate culture – and shows what is really works on the market actually.
- How would you describe company culture now as you are a team of 30?
- Ms. Irma Horváth: The core values have been preserved: the homely and professional atmosphere still remained and the ownership attitude invariably remains very strong. I often look at them and see that they really feel as the company like being their own. One example: if the meeting room has to be cleaned, no one is waiting for the other or the cleaning lady; they simply make order, because that's natural. I can see it in their eyes as they look back: everything is fine now, next mission can come. Proactivity is accentual. Mr. Hubert Abt and I have encouraged them to become initiators, experimenters, and leave their comfort zone. Our company’s mission - where we are going - is very precisely defined, but can be realized in many ways. All of them know that they have a very safe harbour when mistakes are taken as a new opportunity to learn and where they are constantly receiving feedbacks.
- Do you train the new management generation exclusively from internal resources?
- Ms. Irma Horváth: Yes and the participants of the New Work Academy are also involved to develop the syllabus of the program. They are working on the "field" with customers; they are very clear about what and how to develop. If you enter a new market - such as Poland in December - they go out and collect all useful and important information, then share their freshly acquired knowledge with others. I'm proud to take part of the creation of a leadership team that would be able to manage a multinational company too. I stand for it: this team is in the bottom of my heart, and I'm glad to be part of their last 18 months. I also see that this work has spectacular result.
- Mr. Hubert Abt: The story has no end yet. Soon we will be sixty, but the continuation of organizational development is important for other reasons as well: we have been able to preserve basic values, but we are now conquering a new level of business. We are becoming an international company and need to be able to bring these values to Warsaw, Prague and Kiev. We all know that this is not an easy task as these countries have different circumstances. However the needs of staff are very similar everywhere. With Irma, we are able to preserve and "export" the values in which we believe. That's where our secret lies.
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