Good advice from Goodyear's chief
Globally, it is a leading performer within the Goodyear family and their third largest factory worldwide. It is also the leader in tires on the Polish market.
What are the key differences between Polish and U.S. business culture?
U.S. companies are business-thinking oriented. The most important thing for them is creating value, and they are constantly thinking about the future. And they conduct business with urgency-'time is money' is not only a proverb.
On the other hand, many Polish companies have problems with the proper definition of their business goals and strategy. They waste a lot of time trying to define business goals and then change them too often.
Another issue is that many Polish companies don't understand that the majority of businesses are global businesses. Many think locally or regionally, overlooking the impact of the global marketplace. It is not so easy for them to understand how the global market affects the future of their businesses. Global thinking, on the other hand, is the reason behind the success of U.S. companies (of course, not all U.S. companies are successful).
How often do you revise strategy? Isn't it also important to have operational excellence?
We prepare a multiyear business strategy and review it annually. Operationally, we review results quarterly, monthly and even more often depending on the result and situation. Once you have a strategy and build the right team, operations are not so difficult.
So what do you value most in a senior manager?
Four things: business thinking, market orientation, passion and a high level of capability. Business thinking means orientation towards final results and drive for constant improvement. Market orientation means an understanding of the sector in detail as well as both local and global reference points. Passion and competence are obvious.
It is important that every senior manager already has higher capabilities than they use today. To be really excellent, management needs to be ready for the next challenges-not just the ones they face today.
Who has had the most positive influence on your career?
It has to be the founder and former CEO of Kwik-Fit (Sir Tom Farmer) for two reasons. He is the best example of business success that I've personally met. Secondly, he was open enough to teach and show me the background of his success: a relentless focus on customers and value.
What expectations do foreign investors have regarding Poland that are unrealistic?
Many multinational companies understand Poland pretty well now. But in the past Poland was only a low cost source of products for foreign investors. Now, more and more they see it as a market with a future and 40 million people.
I think that the biggest misconception may be that Poland is much closer to Western Europe than many investors think in every sense: culturally, in business terms and in terms of competitiveness. The implication is that they should not have lower expectations of business results.
What are the key challenges for the Polish economy in the future?
Euro zone entry will be a business challenge. Right now currency stability is a big issue for exporters to the U.S. and EU markets. Also, tax reform and tax policy (especially tax stability) are issues in Poland. Finally, there is the issue of legal enforcement (contracts, etc.). n
What are the key differences between Polish and U.S. business culture?
U.S. companies are business-thinking oriented. The most important thing for them is creating value, and they are constantly thinking about the future. And they conduct business with urgency-'time is money' is not only a proverb.
On the other hand, many Polish companies have problems with the proper definition of their business goals and strategy. They waste a lot of time trying to define business goals and then change them too often.
Another issue is that many Polish companies don't understand that the majority of businesses are global businesses. Many think locally or regionally, overlooking the impact of the global marketplace. It is not so easy for them to understand how the global market affects the future of their businesses. Global thinking, on the other hand, is the reason behind the success of U.S. companies (of course, not all U.S. companies are successful).
How often do you revise strategy? Isn't it also important to have operational excellence?
We prepare a multiyear business strategy and review it annually. Operationally, we review results quarterly, monthly and even more often depending on the result and situation. Once you have a strategy and build the right team, operations are not so difficult.
So what do you value most in a senior manager?
Four things: business thinking, market orientation, passion and a high level of capability. Business thinking means orientation towards final results and drive for constant improvement. Market orientation means an understanding of the sector in detail as well as both local and global reference points. Passion and competence are obvious.
It is important that every senior manager already has higher capabilities than they use today. To be really excellent, management needs to be ready for the next challenges-not just the ones they face today.
Who has had the most positive influence on your career?
It has to be the founder and former CEO of Kwik-Fit (Sir Tom Farmer) for two reasons. He is the best example of business success that I've personally met. Secondly, he was open enough to teach and show me the background of his success: a relentless focus on customers and value.
What expectations do foreign investors have regarding Poland that are unrealistic?
Many multinational companies understand Poland pretty well now. But in the past Poland was only a low cost source of products for foreign investors. Now, more and more they see it as a market with a future and 40 million people.
I think that the biggest misconception may be that Poland is much closer to Western Europe than many investors think in every sense: culturally, in business terms and in terms of competitiveness. The implication is that they should not have lower expectations of business results.
What are the key challenges for the Polish economy in the future?
Euro zone entry will be a business challenge. Right now currency stability is a big issue for exporters to the U.S. and EU markets. Also, tax reform and tax policy (especially tax stability) are issues in Poland. Finally, there is the issue of legal enforcement (contracts, etc.). n
