Adaptation in business - the art of flexibility

Date: 18.09.2023

Interviewees: Michał Wasielewski and Piotr Baradziej

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Transcription: Summary

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Getting to know the client's perspective

Michał Wasielewski: Piotr, what are you planning as Head of Hicron Software House? Are planning a revolution? Or are you focusing on a steady growth?

Piotr Baradziej: Well, revolution is not the option. I mean, is not the option at any time, because you need to listen carefully what is happening on the floor. Well, the first steps from our perspective is to understand business as usual. So I'm listening to the people trying to understand how we deliver to clients what we perceive as a quality delivery, what we value the most in terms of our values in the organization. But also what are our value proposition and how this value proposition is perceived by our clients. And this is one of the perspectives that I'm trying also to understand. I visited one already and planning to visit a few more. So just listening the interesting perspective and their opinions is something that would give me definitely a benefits and a quick glance to be able to start doing some tweaks on the things that are not necessarily working correctly, but keep continuing doing the stuff that is working well. One of the other areas is that I'm identifying the areas of expertise from the organization. This is crucial because I need to understand what we are able to deliver and what we are able to deliver in this excellence mode for our clients. And I think working slowly but consequently, it's the thing that I'm I've been doing for the entire professional career. And this is the also plan for Hicron organization.

Development map, mission and vision

Michał Wasielewski: You said you plan to work slowly, but the business environment is changing rapidly, very fast. What's your plan, when it comes to business? Where do you want to sail? Is it even possible to draw a map for this journey that you're starting right now?

Piotr Baradziej: Well, slowly is a very gray word. And this word doesn't mean that I will be waiting for half a year to do anything. But this rather to plan and orchestrate all the changes in the organization to not to make like a huge impact that is not correctly understood by the people that are working in the Hicron Software House. Is it possible to create a road map? I think it is, and this is a style I'm operating each and every time. But again, the steps that I've mentioned in the first question are the correct steps to start drawing them or refreshing the business model canvas. And I think that this will be the starting point for anything to start from scratch. Well, then the next step will be to think of the vision or to think of mission and vision of the organization. I mean, by organization, I mean, not the entire Hicron, but just the Software House. And then think what behaviours and what values will be appreciated to support that vision and to support that mission in going forward. And I think that's it. So and based on those factors, I'm going to map the areas that I think are important are the most important for our business to succeed. And in this difficult changing environment where we do have a recession in the market and the inflation goes high, not only in Poland, but also Europe and the entire globe.

Digital transformation

Piotr Baradziej: I don't think that there is a there is an, you know, scarce or an a symptom for its business to stop or to stop performing like it used to be. Of course, there can be a hiccup similarly visible, like the beginning of COVID. But I think over time businesses are going to adapt and the digital transformation started the minute Internet showed up and it will not stop. So some of the organizations are already in the process of digital transformation, this continuous process, some are about to start. Some are not even in knowing that there is a need for that to happen. And I think that the fact that we live in a digital world where information is everything, where the data is available for everyone will only enhance and increase the need of having IT and skilled IT productive people. And this is something that I'm going to base my strategy on.

Hicron and roots in SAP

Michał Wasielewski: It's worth mentioning that you have an SAP experience yourself. You used to work with SAP in the past. Do you want to take advantage of this experience with such unusual Software House as Hicrons? Because Hicron itself is a SAP company and you said that you want to help clients with their digital transformation. Do you think this experience will be beneficial to your role?

Piotr Baradziej: Well, I would say... So, my understanding is different. So I would say that Hicron is a company with the roots in SAP, and now we are a company that brings the value and is able to do the digital transformation for our clients using different tools. And of course, since our roots are in SAP, we have a great team and empowerment in SAP, but also we can't forget and we won't forget about the second business unit that is constantly growing, which is software house services. So the digital services that SAP is not able to cover and how they treat my experience.

Pragmatic problem solving

Piotr Baradziej: I think every single experience from every single vertical is valid and everyone should take an advantage of having their experiences. And I well, technology is something to solve problems and not to be the only solution for problems. So the usual way I was taught to do and I was doing is to do the pragmatic problem solving and then identify the best possible solution, which is not always the implementing the application. But sometimes it's simply about doing some processes, tweaks, improve people behavior, work with people. So the strong leadership, but also from several aspects. There is this need for doing the new stuff on application and implementing the technology and then we kick in.
So learning from the different businesses because my experience was associated with the logistic organization, global logistic organization, and I think this knowledge is helpful not only in the SAP world but also in the digital world, simply understanding and being able to give any valids the clients and looking at the market vertically rather than horizontally. So not looking for a solution, having a single solution for everything, but trying to adapt and think of the best way to bring a value for clients.

Gallup test

Michał Wasielewski: We have mentioned your experience, your attitude, and right before our time in studio we were discussing your personality, your Gallup strengths, as you said, and I think they are very interesting. Can you tell us more about them, how this can affect your relations with clients and what can your future, your current employees can expect from you?

Piotr Baradziej:So I like tools like Gallup. It's not like the oracle for myself and the guidance and the path that I follow. It's rather something that they look at it and trying to figure out whether or not it can be beneficial for me, my behavior from a person or business perspective and trying to improve on every area. And Gallup is the methodology about working on your strengths. Not to discourage you for the items that you are not necessarily the best at. And I think that's something that there was definitely and an evolution regarding my strengths. So I did a Gallup three times already, and for the third time I did the entire Gallup, that shows you all the strengths that are possible and the sequencing. And it evolved along with evolution of my role. So I start that very operationally and focus on delivery. But in previous jobs, I also got this additional piece of strategic engagement, and I observed an evolution in my Gallup strengths as well. So in some of the operational and executive roles dropped from the top five and some… some strategic growth kicked in. And I think this is definitely interesting.

Gallup Test: Learning

Piotr Baradziej: But what I think I'm proud of the most is the fact that the first place was always reserved for one. And it's about learning and I simply understood my entire life because the minute I didn't know anything or didn't know the thing about we discussed with my friends, the first thing that I did was to check it up, look it up in the Internet, and just not to discuss and think and intuition and who might have right. But I just wanted to confirm and check what is happening.
And this is what I'm doing actually with everything. So the minute I do not understand a problem or a circumstance, I'm just trying to ask my friends for appropriate books. And I read I read a lot, and my other strengths are about the people. So I have two strategic strengths in top five, which is learning and futuristic and futuristic is about the fact that I tend to focus more on the future rather than on now and as a situation. But I have a tendency also to work on a floor with my people. So I definitely, as a restorative person and my fifth strength, I'm a problem solver. I like identifying the root causes, using different lean methodologies and all the available the market support by the different books that I read. And two skills that are about relationship building. So the first one in the second place is the individualization, which is about thinking of the person as a great individual and identifying the strengths and simply being able not to looked at the person as a group, but just as an individual.

Gallup Test: Building Relationships

Piotr Baradziej: And the fourth skill is, as far as I'm concerned, that was relator. And the relator is about the factor which I build relation with people. And if that relation starts to work or is getting stronger, then I think we are getting the most significance out of it. So we are getting stronger together and delivering the better results and that simply works not only for the internal teams but also the cooperation with the clients. So my skills are about about the business. So the great focus on business, but also the great focus on people that I manage, that I work with and I'm building relation with every single day.

Michał Wasielewski: Thank you for this conversation.