The General Manager of MK Group, Mihailo Janković, within the “AmChamps” mentoring program of the American Chamber of Commerce in Serbia (AmCham), which is traditionally held at the Hotel Grand Kopaonik, talked to twenty students and their mentors, young managers of AmCham members. During the lecture on “Change Management”, Janković shared his rich experience in the field of strategic transformation of companies whose goal is sustainable growth and business development.
„Changes are the only constant in in the world we live and they will be more frequent and more intense, which is best illustrated by the recent crises – the pandemic and the Ukrainian conflict. In addition, people are more demanding and want more, while they themselves are willing to give less, both money and time and attention. If we add the pace of modern life and the general impact of technology, there is a need to accept changes as a reality and learn to manage them. Here, only agile, flexible and adaptable companies will be successful and the leaders of the future are those who are able to head changes. For leaders, change is the same as training of muscles – they develop, strengthen and become more resilient “, said the General Manager of MK Group. He concluded that there are no serious and lasting changes in the organization without a change in organizational culture, and therefore they should not be viewed as a project, but as a movement that subsists in the “long run”.
Speaking about what is needed for the change to be successfully implemented, Mihailo Janković pointed out that resistance is a natural thing, and that is why it is important to recognize people who can be ambassadors of change and mobilize a critical mass. “Constant communication has an extremely important role in this process. We reduce the insecurity that a large number of employees feel by explaining the goals of the changes, the strategy as well as the benefits that both the individual and the company will have. When people recognize the need for change, they will be willing to join, and when they see the first concrete results and “small victories”, space will be established for the development of corporate culture where constant innovation and development are fostered, ” said Janković.
The annual educational program AMCHAMPS – Young Leaders of Change, AmCham launched in 2014 and it is a great example of how the economy can become involved in the process of training young people who will be future leaders and head the business community in Serbia.
This program enables students and managers to gain new knowledge, develop business skills and abilities that will help them in their future work through working in mentoring pairs. Throughout the program, participants work on tasks and projects, either in their mentoring pairs or as part of larger teams, developing together their mentoring relationships and team spirit.
About 400 young people – managers and students – passed the professional development of AmChamps, and MK Group has been supporting this mentoring program for years.
