Horizons

This is how we do things…

by Magdalena Pencheva
Consultant, Human Synergistics, Bulgaria

The first Bulgarian conference on organizational culture was held on 28.10.2008.

It was a transfer of information for the experience of Bulgarian managers as well as of Romanian and Australian ones.

Adrian Stanchiu – Managing partner of Human Synergistics Balkans shared the opinion that a proactive approach, as a part of the organizational culture on the Balkan Peninsula, is not lacking at all, but it is most commonly observed among employees. The Management is inclined to resistance and retention of the status quo.

Bozidar Kolev’s lecture, the President and Owner of Technopolis, attracted attention by explaining how the managers of a company, founded by students and friends, reached the conclusion that the system for human resources managing is not only essential but even obligatory for keeping and motivating talents.

Andris Bariss told us about the organizational culture in Schneider Electric Bulgaria – availability of managers not only for employees but also for clients. The director for the South Danube countries shared that the introduction of a manager into his work is a long process – from six months to a year. Stressful and agressive style is not an effective approach. Thus employees develop fear of mistakes and therefore stop working at all. To the question what a manager does when he makes a mistake, he answers simply “apologize”.

Kirko Kirkov, country manager of Sandoz, also shares the opinion that transfer of practices (successful and not so much) contributes to the company’s development. The organizational culture of a company is the way it is. When a person starts working in a new company, he should have in mind that he will not change the organizational culture but it will probably change him. In case the organizational culture’s shared values are unacceptable for the new person, the employee should not be treated as if he is of poor quality. A better strategy is to find company with similar values and respectively with a similar organizational culture.

Like it or not, this is how we do things…