– Even if you have a long-term vision, you have to adapt quickly. Act boldly now, in the short term, because otherwise you will be left out and left behind, said Dorota Żurkowska, Group Senior Vice President Revenue at Warner Bros., during a panel at Impact Bucharest 2024. Discovery in Poland.
During one of the discussion panels during Impact Bucharest 2024 – the first international edition of Impact – the issue of openness to changes in business, technology and ways of dealing with crises was raised.
Dorota Żurkowska, Group Senior Vice President Revenue at Warner Bros. Discovery in Poland, pointed out that trust is the basis for introducing changes.
– There is one important element for us, for people who run companies or teams. It's trust. We can create an environment, share values (…), but if we have trust, it will be much easier to cope with change – noted Żurkowska.
– For us, as leaders and managers, it is important to walk with the team or make these teams go through changes, challenges, any situation. It's not about talking, but about acting appropriately and being a role model, she added.
Żurkowska emphasized that business and changes are often accompanied by fears. She added that building trust and the ability to explain the purpose of implementing innovations can help overcome this.
Bartosz Ciołkowski, General Director for Southeastern Europe at Mastercard, referred to these words, recalling the moment of implementation of contactless payments in Poland.
– We knew that (contactless payments – ed.) was the Holy Grail. So it was easy to get the team aligned with the concept, with the strategy. There was no internal resistance. Everyone was ready to do it, but you have 3 billion users, you have 100 million terminals and you want to change it overnight. It's very convenient, very easy, but there are many people who say that if you take the bus, someone can steal all your money by scanning all your cards with a big antenna. You know it's not true, but you really need to address it. So these concerns when it comes to technology are very strong and we spend a lot of time trying to convince the public that it is safe, he said.
During the panel, Żurkowska noted that people by nature initially feel fear and lack of readiness for change. – A moment of panic is very dangerous. If we can make people feel faith or feel somehow more confident in what we do, how we act, then that's probably the magic moment where we can make the panic go away, she said.
Responding to reality
Tsiolkovsky, speaking about the issue of long-term planning, also drew attention to the need for ongoing adaptation to the changing reality.
– Recently I participated in a discussion about a great vision for a new project and we talked about the long term. We said that in 10 years we will be rich, (the project) will bring a nice return. I've seen top management actually laugh at us, adding that we should evaluate the results first after a year, two or three, and then possibly change direction if it doesn't work. Therefore, good long-term planning is important, but with high adaptability, he said.
– Even if you have a long-term vision, you have to adapt quickly – admitted Dorota Żurkowska. – You have to act boldly now, in the short term, to launch streaming, to launch the first programs, because otherwise you will be left behind, you will be left behind. If you have a long-term plan, everything is ready, said and done, but suddenly something happens, you need to be agile, she said.
Impact Bucharest 2024
On Wednesday, October 23, the first edition of Impact Bucharest, one of the most important economic and technological events of this year, started. During the event, experts from the world of business and politics share their knowledge, discuss events, and present solutions that define the future of the economy Romaniabut also throughout Central and Eastern Europe.
According to forecasts, the event in Bucharest will gather 200 speakers from around the world, 300 of the largest and most important companies in the region, 100 representatives of local and international media and over 1,000 participants.
Impact is a Polish event that already has the status of a European brand. Its 10th edition will be held next year in Poznań.
Main photo source: Impact Bucharest 2024