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FINDING OUR OWN WAY

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Finding our own way – modern consultancy

“Own Way“ – this down-to-earth name has more meaning than anyone would think at first. We find our own way both in our professional careers and elsewhere – relationships, family as well as in our private hobbies. Under this name you can also find an interesting Internet portal. It is a consultancy portal that aims to assist small and medium-scale businesses as well as individuals in development and achieving prostperity. The portal´s consultants want to do so particularly by taking up the route where an entrepreneur, a manager or a worker has left off. We were discussing finding own way with Jiří Střelec.

Why should we be finding our own way?

Mainly because everybody is different. We have been brought up in different environments and usually have different experience too. Losing unique approaches which people bring in would be a pity. In today´s times of dynamic changes, with the old established rules ceasing to apply, there is no universal road to success. Entrepreneurs themselves would surely confirm this by telling you how many original ideas of their own they had to put in to achieve success. They overcame narrow-minded views and models that once worked in decision-making, marketing, management, etc.

Nowadays, most forecasts fail to materialize, forecasts that regard the world economic crisis, for instance, and entrepreneurs have to employ their sense based on experience gained in a given locality, branch, line of business. Droping it all and trying to apply working models elsewhere under completely different circumstances would not be right. They work best in a particular locality, with local people, which is why they may not work one hundred per cent here. An experienced consultant should be able to follow in the successful road the entrepreneur has gone so far and, together, they should find a new direction. However, the entrepreneur needs to realize it is him or her who will be going down that new road and accept it as their own. This is also a reason why a consultant should not only give advice, but they should also show the possible roads to follow, complete with their advantages and disadvantages. He or she will then follow the one which fits them better.

So you assist people in finding their own way. How do you proceed in practice?

First, I try to find a quality consultant, one who specializes in more branches than one, for instance management systems, public relations and marketing. Such a person is very difficult to find on the Czech market. They can sometimes be substituted for with a team of consultants, this is a more costly alternative though, which is unacceptable for small firms and individuals.

Second, you need to create an atmosphere of trust. You usually manage to do so after you have successfully resolved the first problem and proved that your approach was fair and competent. Then an open dialog is begun on current issues, visions and ideas of the entrepreneur. Finding variant solutions based on professional methods and practical results follows next. After the entrepreneur has chosen what fits them best, the controlled execution may begin. The above makes the technique of finding own way. It looks pretty easy.

If fact, it is quite complex and takes a great deal of psychology and the right communication. Personally, I prefer concentrating on my client´s natural skills, because in them, implicitly, there is the personal benefit, and then I look for their suitable variants.

Can one ever be sure they have found the right own way?

Yes, they can. The best way of telling you have found it is when you are happy and surrounded by people you want. Such people like collaborating with you too. It is sometimes hard to tell, as we all have differing ideas, we do not know what we want and, also, we resolve lots of stressful problems every day and, on top of it, we encounter hypocrisy. However, hypocrisy is eliminated if rules and values are clearly defined and strictly adhered to. In such circumstances, then, it is easier to achieve positive economic results. In affluent societies it has become commonplace to hire an external impartial consultant. I hope consultancy in the Czech Republic will get a very high credit and form a natural part of companies´ management for further development. With that purpose in mind I have established the portal www.ownway.eu.

Compiled by Jiří Střelec, a consultant in an interview for PR 1 newsletter

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