Creative evening of Russian business

So the organizers determined the format of the next event of the “Platform”. A topical question was raised for discussion by top managers of Russian business structures - “Where is everything going?”.

The main speakers were Promsvyazbank Vice President Anna Belyaeva, Alfa Bank Deputy Chairman, USAID President Vladimir Senin and President of Ward Howell Executive Consulting Company Sergey Vorobyov. Businessmen entered the stage of the Platform not only in connection with the unfolding economic drama. After moving to one of the Red October lofts, the Center for Research in Public Practices found a new serious partner - the Association of Russian Managers (USAID). The "platform" continues to support the business structure of Volga group Gennady Timchenko.

The permanent moderator of the events and the head of the recently created Platform Social Center, Alexey Firsov, explained that the discussion was experimental in view of the vastness of the topic proposed. “We understand that business is in a“ black swan ”situation, as it is fashionable to say, and therefore we do not expect in-depth analysis, but we want to understand how top managers of Russian companies feel today,” the moderator said.

“A discussion of such a topic cannot have a concrete result, because no one really knows where we will all come,” Anna Belyaeva began. - Recently, we have been in a constant sense that it cannot be worse, but every day we turn on the TV and see what it can. And no one understands what level we will fall. ”

The vice president of Promsvyazbank admitted that almost all the forecasting analytics of domestic banking structures last year was unsuccessful. “The current situation in Russia does not fit into any economic models. We live in uncertainty and must get used to it. Let’s assume that this is our new reality. We must think about how we can exist in this reality, we must look at what each of us can do, what depends on us. ”

Vladimir Senin confirmed that the current crisis is significantly different from the situation in 2008, “but then acquired skills of quick decision-making are in demand today. For example, we learned how to quickly cut costs. ” As an illustration of the operational response, the top manager cited the restoration of overdue debt committees in banks, also called the bullpen. “Problems can be listed for a long time, but recipes are much more important. The key recipe is commonplace: you need to focus on improving the efficiency and quality of your business. It will be somewhat strange to try to influence what we cannot influence. I don’t want to engage in alarmism either, ”Vladimir Senin explained.

“When answering the question“ Where are we going ”, one must understand that this very“ we ”consists of many“ I ”. Therefore, let those who wish better tell me where they are going. Let everyone draw their own personal positive and negative script, ”Sergey Vorobyov began his speech.

President Ward Howell said that he recently spent several months in North America and a week at Harvard, once again making sure that the Western world is not at all concerned about the problems of "building the Russian world" or "containing Russia." “Just tell me what you want to do with Ukraine, my western colleagues asked me. Nobody wants to discuss the global conspiracy against the Russians, the world government and the like. They say that everything on the Internet has been published for a long time, - Sergey Vorobyev shared. - And I heard another interesting thought from a Western colleague. He asked: “Maybe the farther east, the less people believe that they see the eye?”

According to the top manager, in any ideological construct, whether it be “freedom / democracy” or “empire / mystical grace” there is only one recipe for economic success: “work hard and learn.” Sergey Vorobyov suggested that our problems are not in uncertainty, but in the tradition of finding answers to the challenges of the future in the past. At this time, the world’s leading economies look beyond the horizon, offer more and more impressive projects and mechanisms for managing the business, motivating people and unlocking their potential. There are many examples: from Elon Musk with his Tesla electric vehicle and aerospace projects, American stubbornness in the development of shale gas to the successful Japanese practice of reducing the work time of the brigade for cleaning a high-speed train from seven minutes to four.

“We do not need to look for ourselves in the experience of Belarus or Iran. Do not scare yourself with emigration. The current crisis presents an opportunity to really tackle labor productivity and operational efficiency, ”said Sergey Vorobyov. - We already have top managers who work a lot and quietly, do not "hang out", are constantly growing and actually love "not themselves in art, but art in themselves." We will find our place in the world division of labor, but "on the ball" this will not work. "

Sergey Vorobyov proposed a rich association between top managers who are in demand today and ants. Such leaders do not have to be “visionaries,” but they must have a good understanding of the “visionary” of their organization and be able to do a lot “do-it-yourself”. However, opposing opinions were voiced: high labor costs do not always mean activity efficiency. Moreover, many processes that are obviously negative for the economy, for example, corruption, are also a kind of business that requires a lot of labor and a certain talent.

“Should we so strive in this shining world of efficient business, what if it crashes for some mystical reasons, for example?”, Said the director of VTsIOM Valery Fedorov. “This is not a reason for us to lose a couple of generations in anticipation when this world will crash. We will all die someday, ”Sergey Vorobyev answered.

A bright speech by President Ward Howell raised many questions. How to increase business efficiency in the context of legislative and tax regulation and infrastructure underdevelopment. Where to get frames? How to change the minds of those who are used to in a decade, who live in a rich country and make good money without much labor? Is there a solution to the problem of a huge number of inefficient jobs?

“For an economy to be effective, it is not necessary that 100% of the population work efficiently. A certain percentage of people will create effective companies. They already exist, but the conditions for their work and development have not been created. How will effective managers begin to appear if they have so many restrictions? ”Anna Belyaeva asked.

“Always, in any conditions, spend 50% of your time and money on the development of people, including yourself. The main enemy of learning and development is fear. But when you start to study, the fear goes away, ”Sergey Vorobyev advised.