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20.03.2023

Along with the rapid development of digital products and the IT industry in general, Agile methodology is gaining popularity, which is an iterative and collaborative approach to project management and software development, focused on flexibility, customer satisfaction and continuous improvement. Agile is already a well established approach as it enables teams to create high quality products that meet customer needs in a rapidly changing marketplace. While Agile is most widely used in the IT industry, this approach can be applied to a wide range of businesses, including small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).


Given their size and specificity, it can be said that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) face unique challenges that require different and innovative approaches in their day-to-day operations. Such an approach can help the SME sector to better respond to a rapidly changing business environment and achieve better results, especially when organizations have limited resources and are forced to act at the pace of changing external environment.


In this article, we will introduce you to the best practices for using Agile for small and medium businesses.


Start with small steps


The best way to implement Agile in small and medium businesses is to start the process in small steps, because the entire organization cannot immediately migrate to a new operating system. Therefore, it is better to create an experience according to the Agile methodology, for this, choose one project or team that will be led by Agile. Gradually expand/share the experience gained with the rest of the company, which will give employees the opportunity to gradually and deeply comprehend the Agile methodology. This approach reduces the risk of disruption to the entire organization and allows team members to gain the necessary knowledge, practical experience, and generally increases their readiness to use innovative methodologies.



Involve all team members in the process


An integral part of the Agile methodology is collaboration and communication between team members, stakeholders, and users. Encouraging everyone to participate in the work process will help everyone get a clear idea of the project goals and their own vision of how they will contribute to the success of the project. This will also help minimize misunderstandings and improve the overall quality of the project.

 


“Individuals and interactions over processes and tools.


Give priority to flexibility


One of the core tenets of Agile is the ability to respond quickly to change – Responding to change over following a plan. Small and medium-sized enterprises often face drastic changes in environmental factors and need to be able to quickly and efficiently adapt to the new reality. It is often important for managers to create a “perfect” product/service, but in the face of constant change, focusing on excellence is not always an effective solution. In other words, the pursuit of excellence can prevent a company from creating value for its customers.


 “Done is Better Than Perfect."


Focus on "Creating Value"


Agile is an iterative-incremental and cyclical process - it is important to divide the workflow into time intervals (sprints), this process is continuous and with each iteration a part of the product is created. During each sprint, the team creates tangible value, albeit minimal, but still tangible. This focus on value allows small and medium-sized companies to better understand the needs of their customers and respond to them quickly and efficiently. This focus allows the project team to focus energy on collaborating with the client, - Customer collaboration over contract negotiation. 


Delivering a product or service in small chunks allows companies to avoid wasting time on features or services that do not provide value to the client, and instead focus on providing the most valuable features or services.



„Focus on what the customer needs, rather than what you think can be delivered.“



Be more simple


At first glance, the Agile methodology seems complicated, so it is important that the implementation process is simple and straightforward. Avoid overcomplicating the process with unnecessary bureaucracy and stick to the core principles of Agile. This will help minimize confusion among employees and ensure that the company's workflow is focused on creating value for the customer.



„Working software (product) over comprehensive documentation.“


Assess steps taken


It is very important to monitor progress regularly and make adjustments as necessary to ensure that everything is being done correctly to achieve the project goals. This will help to identify potential problems at an early stage and initiate the necessary actions. By using continuous measures of success, SMEs can better understand what approaches are working or not working for their organization and make the necessary changes to improve results.


Encourage an organizational culture focused on continuous development


Promoting a culture that values development and continuous improvement is critical to the successful implementation of Agile in small and medium-sized companies. This means giving team members the opportunity to develop their skills, get out of their comfort zone and not be afraid of new challenges. By encouraging a culture of continuous improvement, SMEs can even more professionally focus on delivering a product/service that delivers value to their customers.


In summary, the Agile methodology is a powerful approach for SMBs to better adapt to a rapidly changing and constantly changing business environment. By using this methodology, SMBs can deliver the most important value creation for their customers and increase the level of collaboration and collaboration within their team.


It is clear that Agile is most actively used in the IT sector, although the benefits of this approach can be used in other areas. This requires all companies to find their way through the agile transformation, which will help them strive for the right approach and continuous improvement to remain competitive and achieve their goals.

14.11.2022

As the new year approaches, I remember John Lewis's Christmas commercial and I think I'll dedicate an article to advertising with the emotions I've received.


Christmas and New Year, sometimes with snowflakes, sometimes without snow. Red cheeks from the cold and a feeling of pleasure from home warmth. Lighted streets, business people, quick steps and unexpected joy from colorful Coca-Cola cars.

A period when, if not everyone, then almost everyone, tries to celebrate Christmas and New Year in their ideal or close to ideal environment. To gain symbolic charm for the December holiday, people dress up as a fictional Santa and express their care and love to someone important to them. The impatience to give gifts is growing day by day, because this is a well-deserved adrenaline rush from long reflections, getting to know the wishes of the addressee and giving him pleasure. Why not? If a brand like John Levis can help us convey emotion. The Art of Attraction ad is a story about Christmas seen through the eyes of a little boy and an emotion that is hard not to translate into action.


Finding characteristics that are valuable to most people and then combining them into one small creative piece of content can make an ad attractive and special to the public. Since the starting point is a specific product, advertisers sometimes prefer to attract potential customers with humor, and sometimes the balance of aesthetic elements is crucial. They say that simplicity is perfect, but it's not easy to convince hundreds of thousands of unique people through advertising that using this particular product will satisfy at least one of a long list of needs.


Seligman and Peterson agree that curiosity is a valuable need, otherwise they would not have proposed curiosity as a subcategory of wisdom in the developed character strengths model (Peterson & Seligman, 2004). Naturally, the creator of the product and the consumer have a strong desire to understand, or to know - how does eating chocolate make a lady in a cafeteria feel? Maybe the girl prefers to walk with Frank Sinatra in cool weather in the evening in new shoes? What is the familiar environment for a person who wants to try a new whiskey? By responding to the interests of similar topics, advertising becomes a concept filled with value, and research becomes a key tool to help the product developer develop a new vision based on valid and reliable data.


We can say that a study conducted on hundreds of people is a kind of insurance that the product is successfully adopted in society. This is indicated by the fact that in addition to consumer research, the researcher receives information about what may be predisposing behavior before consuming the product, what hidden messages are best used in the process of communication with the target segment, and other valuable information. Details that become so important for understanding how people communicate through advertising. Analyzing consumer behavior gives companies the ability to understand what their audiences think and feel, and at the same time find an explanation for what drives existing attitudes. The valuable components that consumer research considers are:


Market Analysis - What is the existing market doing? What is the trend?


Product content. What are the key features that differentiate the product from other similar products?


The product in the eyes of the buyer - what value does the product create for the buyer? What is the motivating factor for the consumption of the product for the target segment?


Based on the information obtained as a result of the study, companies are given the opportunity to improve communication with buyers, which is directly related to a change in buyer behavior and, accordingly, to an increase in sales.


Research companies use a variety of traditional and modern methods to uncover consumer sentiment, but the ad creation process doesn't end there. The second, no less important step is to test it on a small group of the target segment before it becomes available to the general public. At this stage, the main work is completed (the concept and communicative messages are determined), however, based on the results of the study, it is possible to make small changes to the advertisement regarding sound, music, colors and other less important details.


Advertising testing is mainly carried out on focus groups. The moderator presents the advertisement to the target group, which is estimated by the respondents - conditionally, what is the initial impression of the advertisement, how effective is the visual side, musical arrangement and voice acting, how well the main message is perceived, what is attractive to them, what needs to be improved, and so on. Based on the information received, the analyst analyzes the results and issues appropriate recommendations based on valuable “insights”. In general, the feedback received from the user is also an indicator of the eventual success or failure of an advertisement. Defining the role of advertising testing, we see the main advantages:


1. Saving resources - advertising that has passed the testing stage gives some idea of the expected reaction of the public. This reduces the likelihood of creating ineffective advertising and saves time and financial resources spent on it.


2. Increasing efficiency - preliminary research of advertising is a means of correcting its shortcomings, which, in turn, increases the chance of conveying the message desired by advertising to the consumer.


In the ACT archive, you can find studies of commercials from many successful local and international companies, the purpose of which was to test them in several ways before launching on television. The results obtained allowed companies to take into account the opinion of potential customers and bring their advertisements as close as possible to the ideal.


One of the latest successful studies in the list of projects involved testing an advertisement for a new Liberty Bank credit card. As part of this project, Liberty Bank investigated what potential customers think about the video as a whole, its music, communication messages, etc. Based on the results of the study, the bank made a specific decision to voice the commercial.


“The study was very useful and interesting for us. The proposed research design and methodology helped us make the right decisions related to the planned campaign,” Nino Beridze, Head of Customer Experience at Liberty Bank.


The process of creating compelling ads links research data to a storytelling that sometimes activates the same areas of the brain enough to convince people to use the product. By understanding consumer behavior and visualizing their views in advertising, an emotional connection is established between the audience and the product, which becomes a crucial link for a committed relationship.


“Today is December 31st. A day of feeling special gratitude for the old year. It is a strange feeling to cope with the sadness and euphoria of waiting for the new year at the same time. I'm glad. 365 days ago, I had no idea what an interesting person I could be. I was able to believe in my own abilities.”

1. When a diary is more than just a word written on paper, 2022.



Watch the Christmas Ad

12.10.2022

Many years ago I started my career in one of the Georgian family businesses. The first emotional shock for me was that, despite the scale of the company, it did not have an executive director, and the founder fully combined the management function. When I say "management function" I don't just mean setting strategic priorities, but deciding which blinds to buy for a particular departmental space (Like, literally).


As a result of micromanaging, protracted decisions accumulated endlessly in the form of delays and tensions. Accumulated to do list on the desktops of employees, accumulated on our tables and in the rooms.


Then I discovered that the premise of micromanaging was not the desire to control all decisions as such, but the fear of failing a the "business raised like a child", which ultimately cost employees time, energy and nerves in daily work, and in the long run - the company's efficiency.


Then for the first time I had a question:

Where is the tipping point for the family business when the founders have to question the old ways and start thinking about institutionalizing the business?



What distinguishes a family business from other types of business?


Generally speaking, it's a business owned and operated by one or more family members (Handler, 1989; Hollander & Elman, 1988). In other definitions, a family business is “an organization in which one or two family members influence the direction of the organization through a combination of managerial roles and ownership” (Davis and Tagiuri, 1982).


Family business is one of the most widespread forms of business in the modern world. They make up a significant part of the GDP of different countries. For example, the share of family businesses in US GDP is 64%.


In Europe and the USA, there are many large family businesses that have gone through a difficult path of development and have become well-known and successful companies. The best examples of such business in Europe are wine companies from Italy and France such as Antinori, Frescobaldi, Bollinger and others.


What makes a family business successful?


Compared to other businesses, the main advantage of a family business is the strong personal ties between family members and the shared values that flow from them. These values, together with the sense of pride associated with the business, create a high degree of loyalty and are often the key to the success of these businesses in difficult times.


While managers of various businesses often have to implement complex and innovative initiatives to motivate employees, members of family businesses are very enthusiastic. Thanks to the feeling that the business is a symbol of the family and serves as a continuation of its name, even working overtime makes it enjoyable.


The "immortality" of the surname creates the basis for relative stability in the long term. However, it should be noted that the same factor can become an obstacle to a flexible response to changes in the external environment.

The success of these enterprises is also expressed in financial terms, in particular, such enterprises are often characterized by reduced costs, since, unlike other employees, family members often agree to financial “sacrifices” for their business and, if necessary, for example, in case of problems with cash flows, they accept relatively low wages.



What threatens the success of the family business?

 

The challenges facing today's family business are more complex than ever. In the face of fierce competition, rapidly changing political and economic conditions, they have to fight for their survival and success in the same way as their competitors, and in some cases even more painfully.


Family businesses must balance the psychological parameters that are characteristic of them, in which members of the same family work together. The main task in this dimension is to maintain a balance between business and family affairs - family conflicts affect everyday business decisions, and business problems are often discussed at the family dinner table.


Because most family businesses start with little human and financial resources, long-term strategic planning—the (re)formation of various systems, structures, and management styles—becomes vital at a certain stage of growth.


The need to reform management style often entails a change in business manager. For the owner of a family business, transferring control to a “successor” is a big problem.


However, founders are often "lone wolves" who face business challenges alone, no matter how serious they may be. They are often skeptical of people who come "from outside" and receive professional advice from them, as they tend to do business "within the family." While this approach is understandable, it can be misleading in some cases. External consultants with extensive experience in managing a complex business development process are an important support for a family business when it needs to transform and move to a new stage of development.


Relationship between founder and business


According to various studies, there are several types of founders depending on their attitude towards the family business.


(1) For the founder, the business is both his "child" and "mistress" - the main object of the founder's interest is the business and its "well-being", and all employees are perceived as tools to achieve this goal. Any decision arises only in the mind of the founder and is carried out only with his permission, since there is a fear that others may harm the interests of the business. Once an employee shows a desire for more power, he or she is likely to leave the company. Such enterprises most often cease to exist after the death of the founder, because no one but them knows what this business was created for.


(2) For the founder, the business is a continuation of himself, the realization of "I" - the entire success of the business is the personal success of the founder. In these cases, it is much more interesting that the business survives even after the death of the founder to perpetuate his name.


Statistics show that 30% of family businesses successfully make it to the second generation, 13% to the third generation, and only 3% to the fourth. Therefore, for the long-term success of a business, much more is needed than selfless care for the company, “raised like a child” by the founder, and making all decisions yourself.


The Path to Business Institutionalization


In the wake of business growth against the backdrop of complex family relationships, it is a wise decision to institutionalize it, which means managing a business in accordance with certain standards and rules and freeing the management process from specific individuals. Such a system allows the business to become more adapted to rapidly changing environmental factors.


It is important that family members trust each other and be ready to let go of the reins of day-to-day operations without fear of being sidelined.


Such a transition becomes much easier if appropriate strategic objectives are defined and roles and responsibilities are assigned. The new environment also defines the role of family members/founders, they remain in the role of owners and participate in making important strategic decisions, although they are much less or not involved in the day-to-day management of the company.


This situation creates an opportunity for managers in the face of declining personal interests to make the business more flexible and competitive.

16.09.2022

Have you ever thought that a cup of coffee with a colleague in the office in the morning, questions about yesterday evening's news or plans for the day can affect your efficiency during the day?


What answers do we get when we ask our team members about the behaviors and actions the company uses to improve the organizational environment and improve employee performance? Most of you will probably answer: team building that took place last year or is planned in the near future, monthly meetings to check the current status of projects, corporate events, trainings, etc.


Despite this, few employees will be able to name rituals that exist undeclared in the company. Using them, smart executives effortlessly:


  • Increase employee engagement and efficiency
  • Create strong bonds between company team members
  • Stimulate desired behavior
  • Reduce stress levels

Increasing Engagement

Rituals help team members translate values into their daily activities. Returning to the coffee cup example, having an honest conversation with a colleague early in the day about plans or tasks for the day can be an incentive to be more active and bold in group discussions throughout the day, as well as being more receptive to other people's opinions.

Organizations that incorporate their declared values into daily rituals attract people whose values these rituals correspond to. On the contrary, interaction problems often arise in organizations where declared values are not embodied in rituals.


Building Strong Relationships

People who feel connected work more effectively together. Shared rituals help bring together a diverse workforce and reinforce the culture of an organization.

Rituals increase the sense of belonging and trust between team members. This is especially important in organizations where there is relatively less communication between different departments and positions.

A well-known example of corporate culture is the Grundfos Olimpics Olympic Games, where Grundfos periodically brings 1,000 employees from 55 countries to Denmark to participate in the "Olympics". During this period, employees from different countries live with their Danish team members, which greatly contributes to the deepening of interpersonal relationships.

 

Stimulate desired behavior

The implementation of small, even insignificant rituals often has a significant impact on improving the effectiveness of the organization.

An example of such a ritual in the research and consulting company ACT is the so-called “Muda Competition” (Muda), which is based on the principles of Lean Management. This competition is held periodically and serves to reduce, and in the best case, eliminate unnecessary costs (including time, human resources, etc.) in the organization. Its main idea is to improve the existing system from the bottom up, at the initiative of those people who have to deal with this or that process in their daily activities and most objectively assess the shortcomings in them. Accordingly, all employees take part in the competition. The competition provides for various nominations - "The chosen Muda for exile", "The most original Muda name", "The most reasoned explanation" and "The simplest solution to the Muda issue".


The winning teams of the competition are rewarded with various prizes, and the reduction in identified costs is reflected in an increase in the overall efficiency of the company.


Reducing stress levels

In a rapidly changing environment, organizations need to remain as flexible as possible. Often this adversely affects their results. In the midst of ever-changing economic, political and other changes, it is important to maintain the strength of organizational culture.

Rituals help to ensure the internal stability and resilience of the organization. They help team members stay focused on the main goal, despite difficulties, and not fall into despair. Rituals have proven to be a guarantee of organizational health for many organizations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Examples of such rituals are virtual holidays and Happy Hour.


Organizational rituals are often found in the cultures of well-known companies such as Google, Zoom, Zappos and others.

For example, an example of such a ritual at Google is the weekly open meetings (so-called TGIF) with high-ranking executives, where company employees from all over the world can ask questions on topics of interest to them and get comprehensive answers.


Zoom's organizational culture is distinguished by its focus on people. The management encourages employees to bring family members to the office, which helps to preserve the health of the team, on the one hand, and the personal life of employees, on the other.


Zappos stands out for its creative organizational rituals. The “strange talent show”, which has become a symbol of the company, serves not to discover stars, but to reveal individualism. Each employee is given the opportunity to enjoy their uniqueness and share their strange or uncomfortable talents with team members.


At the end of this article, I will share with you some undeclared rituals, some of which may already exist in your company, and you can learn about the benefits they create for your company:


Morning coffee meetings - every day in the company should begin with the phrase - "Hi, how are you?". Each of us needs to relax and wake up, which allows us to talk on general topics. A 5-10 minute conversation with an employee often turns into a discussion of plans for the day. Such dialogues often end with the questions “What are you working on today, what are you going to do today?”, which creates a general idea of \u200b\u200byou or your colleague's plan for the day.


15-minute stand-up meetings with team members - sharing information about plans for the day and their projects - one of the most important rituals that creates a general idea of what stage the team is at, whether additional resources have been freed up somewhere or whether anyone needs Any help to complete the project on time.


Circle of acquaintance - the team forms a circle and shares with each other information about themselves that the rest of the team does not know. The existing ritual is often performed in conjunction with the coffee ritual, but in a relatively small circle, the latter requiring the participation of the entire team. This creates a kind of bond between team members, which helps in the coordinated execution of common projects.


Adaptation of a new employee. All new employees must adapt to the work environment and team. Change is not easy for everyone, so it makes sense to plan some type of team-initiated activity with a new employee, one of the simplest examples of which is organizing a Pub Crawl evening.


Knowledge sharing - team members periodically meet and share their experiences (mistakes and positive experiences), which contributes to the overall growth of team members. Also, team members realize that mistakes, to a greater or lesser extent, can make everything, which leads to a decrease in the level of stress caused by the fear of mistakes.


Perhaps some of these rituals have already entered your daily life. In addition, think about what other rituals exist in your company? How do they affect the efficiency of you and the company as a whole? When or who created them? The main thing to remember is that rituals are not created by themselves, but are created, strengthened and initiated by people.

09.08.2022


The seasonal concern of summer is to plan a vacation so that during the long-awaited vacation we can do more or less everything - have fun, relax, be active, visit new places, visit family members and friends. Since spring, many questions have arisen in our heads: where to relax? For how many days should we book a hotel? How to travel? How much money should I set aside for shopping while traveling? Do we have savings? And most importantly, where can we find peace of mind?


The only question we can answer without hesitation this year is that we definitely need a good rest. Waves of the Covid pandemic, economic turmoil, the Russian-Ukrainian war, a stressful work environment, and existentially charged personal relationships are the main causes of stress. For most people, tourism is the main source of relaxation and positive emotions.


Rest on Russian background


According to the National Tourism Administration of Georgia, 387,781 foreign visitors entered the country in June 2022. Compared to the same period last year, this figure increased by 164.4%. According to statistics, 90,239 visitors came from Russia and 62,192 from Turkey.


In June, 252,656 arrived by land, 131,534 by air, 2,122 by rail, and 1,469 by sea.


It is noteworthy in these data that the top ten countries included Russia (in first place), Armenia (in third place) and Belarus (in ninth place), and also that the increase in the number of visitors from these countries compared to the same period last year is the highest (502.9%, 364.5% and 222.5% respectively).


From Russia and Belarus, the increase in tourist flows raises many questions among the local population. Dissatisfied with this situation, especially those whose personal or family economic situation does not depend on the growth of the tourist flow (does not own a rental area or other commercial facility). For this part of the population, the abundance of tourists, on the contrary, brings more negative results than positive ones. This is due to the fact that prices for products, services and rental housing are rising in resort areas, which makes rest even more inaccessible for many of our compatriots.


A significant part of the surveyed population (84%) expects an increase in the flow of Russian tourists to the country (including resort areas) this year, which does not cause discomfort for 70%. 3 out of 10 citizens call the abundance of Russian tourists in resort areas the cause of personal discomfort.


Russian tourist - guest or host?

Although the majority of the population does not openly express dissatisfaction with the large number of Russian tourists vacationing in the resort areas of Georgia, the majority of them (57%) believe that the Georgian government should restrict Russian citizens from doing business. on the territory of Georgia (including tourist areas), because:


• Russia is an enemy of Georgia (40.6%);

• Companies founded by Russian citizens in Georgia compete with local firms and as a result reduce their income (37.9%);

• Russia is waging war against Ukraine (11.1%).


Creating a favorable business environment for Russian "tourists" in Georgia poses a direct economic threat to local businesses, as this fact significantly increases competition in the country's market and, therefore, negatively affects the expected financial well-being. The victims of the process are those businessmen who year after year wait for the tourist season and whose economic power is built on the principle of distributing seasonal income throughout the year.


ACT conducted a survey of the population on tourism issues from 11 to 16 June 2022. More than 800 randomly selected citizens of Georgia aged 18 and over took part in the study.


40% of the population's financial situation has deteriorated over the past year


To assess the financial readiness of the population of Georgia for the holiday season, it is first of all important to know that more than 40% of the population say that the economic situation of themselves and their families has worsened or significantly worsened over the past 1 year. As for the population's expectations regarding current events in the country, it is indicative that, according to about half of the population (45%), events in Georgia are developing clearly or in many respects in the wrong direction. This makes them feel even more exposed to financial risks.


Every second person in Georgia does not have a plan for a summer vacation

According to the survey, despite possible obstacles, 40% of the population plans to go on vacation this summer, and even more (55%) do not have such plans. At the same time, the number of those wishing to go on vacation decreases with age - 2.3 times more young people (18-34 years old) plan to go on vacation compared to representatives of the older age group (55+) (54% and 24%, respectively). It should also be noted that residents of the capital plan to go on vacation much more often (56%) compared to the population living in the regions (slightly more than 1/3).


The duration of planned rest is mainly limited to 1-2 weeks (65%).


More than half of the population plan to relax in the country house or with relatives


In addition, 58% of the segment of the Georgian population who are going on vacation are planning to spend their holidays at their own or with relatives in the country, more than 40% are considering seaside resorts in Georgia, and 23% are considering mountain resorts in Georgia. Only 16% of respondents intend to go on holiday abroad.


According to the results of the study, the majority of people (60%) who plan to spend the summer in their own home cite the lack of sufficient funds for recreation as the reason. The rest say they have to give up vacation for personal reasons (27%) or lack of vacation (9%).


More than 8% of the population plans to leave the country for vacation due to the large number of Russian tourists gathering at local resorts.


Among those who plan to spend their holidays abroad, one in four chooses prices that are lower than those of local resorts. And 1 out of 10 citizens decides to spend their holidays abroad because of the best price and quality. The majority (42%) of those wishing to spend their holidays abroad associate their choice with the desire to see a foreign country. Every third person is planning a vacation abroad for the simple reason that his friends, relatives or loved ones live there. It is significant that more than 8% of the population cited the large number of tourists of Russian nationality in the resorts of Georgia as the reason for leaving the country on vacation.


It is also indicative that, according to the study, 10% fewer people plan to go on vacation this year compared to previous years (38.1% and 48.6%, respectively). To what extent all this affects the health, ability to work, motivation, quality of work and social life of tens of thousands of our citizens is the subject of another study. Explorers don't rest.

05.07.2022

Ancient Chinese merchants were among the first entrepreneurs. They have found a unique way to manage risk in international trade. They distributed their goods for sale on several ships and released at sea. Thus, if one ship was sunk or became a victim of pirates, the rest had a chance to survive. In this way, Chinese merchants safely transported most of their goods to the market of the neighboring city and avoided serious financial losses.


In the 21st century, the export-oriented business is no longer threatened by pirates, but it continues to face other challenges. In today's world, the political, economic and social environment is changing so rapidly that the most difficult task for any company is to find and retain a loyal customer.


The main conclusion that a business must make in the current reality is this: Chinese merchants learned this centuries ago - they realized how much risk the principle "Put all your eggs in one basket" contains. Inspired by an old adage, this concept perfectly explains the importance of market diversification. Its relevance is growing day by day for international marketers and it is clear that Georgian companies are no exception. The Russian-Ukrainian war once again showed us what we have already witnessed many times - how dependence on the market of one country interferes with business.


No one disputes that market diversification is the best solution for risk insurance. However, the implementation of this principle in the modern world requires much more effort than "several cargo ships". Even in the case of the local market, there are many challenges - finding a relevant target customer, winning and maintaining his loyalty. It is even more difficult to fulfill this mission in the international arena. So when we discuss reducing risk and increasing capacity for export-oriented enterprises, the question is not what? but the question is - how?


How companies can better find and develop an unknown market or, at best, markets? It is obvious, and it can be seen with the naked eye, that it will be difficult to succeed only by watching the trends. The most effective tool for planning an international marketing strategy is market research, and consumer research occupies one of the main places in this process.


Well, if you are a business owner and want to expand, open up new markets, consumer research can be the most necessary and useful tool for you.


opportunities for consumer research:

  • Find out who your customer is and what they want.


The number one task in the process of finding a new market is to find out if the buyer needs the offered product or service at the offered price. For a company, entering a new market without consumer research is like wandering through a maze. Obviously, a business can have a rough idea of the needs of foreign customers, that is, of where and to whom it will be profitable to export this or that product. However, these ideas are largely based on intuition and may well not correspond to reality. After all, any foreign market is unique and differs in many ways from the local market - its buyers live in a different geographical area, speak a different language, have special requirements, opportunities and preferences. Accounting for all these factors is a prerequisite for success, in which consumer research can be of great help.

The survey provides the business owner with detailed information that:


  • in what segments of the population there is a demand for this product;
  • What is the consumer behavior of the specified segment
  • What preferences, explicit or hidden desires do users have;
  • Who are the competitors and what is their marketing strategy;
  • How does the buyer feel about the price.


This is not an exhaustive list of the knowledge that can be obtained through consumer research. If it is analyzed correctly, the business will have the opportunity to get to know the new market well and find the right target segment - the client who is most likely to buy his product or service. In this case, the decision to enter a new market is made on the basis of evidence, not assumptions, which significantly reduces risks.


ACT actively helps Georgian and foreign companies to develop foreign markets. One example of this is a consumer survey conducted in Yerevan commissioned by a supermarket chain. ACT has conducted a study of consumer preferences and consumer basket in Armenia. Analysis of the research results allowed the customer company to offer the client a product that takes into account the needs of the target segment. Thus, consumer research helped the business to insure the risks, due to which it established itself rather painlessly in the new market.


  • Grab the attention of the target use.


Finding a target customer is the first step in entering a new market. The next and no less important task is to attract the attention of potential customers. To do this, the business needs to properly pack the product and deliver it to the customer in such a way that it arouses his interest. The role of research is also important at this stage of the development of an unknown market. Research, in addition to the rational motives of human behavior, also reveals what topics potential customers react emotionally to, what excites them, likes or annoys them. Having received this information, the business will be able to offer the product to the buyer, taking into account his wishes and develop an effective way of advertising.


A good example of this is the entry into the Georgian market of several foreign shopping centers. By their order, ACT conducted a study - studied the consumer behavior of Georgians, brand preferences and consumer attitudes towards the proposed product. According to the results of the study, the companies adjusted their marketing strategy, offered the buyer a product that meets his requirements, and earned the location of the target segment. Thus, research-based solutions ended up being effective for them.


  • Constantly keep abreast of the user.


The key to the success of any business is a satisfied customer. As soon as a customer buys a product or service, a timer starts. The business really wins if the customer comes back to buy again and again. This will be a sign that the brand has received the most important award - customer loyalty. However, loyalty is not permanent. People's tastes change every day, new needs and desires arise. In fact, the success of a business depends on how well it listens to its customers. An effective tool for maintaining their loyalty is customer research. This allows the company to constantly keep abreast of the buyer - not to miss a single change in his mood and always be aware of trends.


This consumer research opportunity was successfully used by one of the representatives of the banking and financial sector from Georgia. ACT conducted several stages of consumer research for him in Uzbekistan, Central Asia. In order to identify the preferences of local consumers, the study was conducted both before and after entering an unknown market. As a result, the company managed to take a worthy place in the financial sector of the foreign market.


As we can see, consumer research is a necessary and useful step for a company that wants to expand and open up new markets. This allows business owners to make informed decisions, which greatly reduces the risk of opening, exploiting and maintaining new markets. However, businesses should not forget that the “stopwatch that starts when entering a new market” runs continuously while the company operates in this market. Thus, entering the market of a foreign country is not a one-time decision. Business must constantly be in the process of research and analysis of experience.



Latest News
March 9 Tea Shamatava, Head of Human Resources and Organizational Development at ACT, within the framework of the HR hub Next project spoke on the topic “HR as a coach”. HR Hub Next is an innovative hub for future HR managers, where experienced professionals in the field share their knowledge and experience with the younger generation on the principle of mentoring. The purpose of the club is to increase the level of knowledge, professional growth and exchange of experience of young, novice professionals. Within 1 month, 10 meetings are held on various important topics, which are led by HR managers from 10 different companies. Each mentor has 3-4 students. Tea Shamatava, as a mentor, shared her knowledge and experience with novice HR managers within the framework of this project. Questions discussed during the mentoring process were how organizations with a coaching culture differ from other types of organizational cultures and how important is the role of the HR manager in this style of organization. During the meeting, the head of the HR and organizational development group of ACT spoke about the coaching competencies of an HR manager and the coaching thinking of leaders. She also introduced the participants to some of the tools that will be useful in the work of the new generation of HR managers.
13.03.2023
On February 16, ACT co-founder and executive director Natalia Kvitsinashvili signed a memorandum of cooperation between ACT and the Institute of International Trade and Investment of the Asia and Gulf Business Chamber. The memorandum aims to conduct joint research activities with the cooperation of the parties towards identifying favorable investment spaces in Georgia and at the international level, identifying trade corridors and studying labor market trends, as well as sharing research results at the local and international level for business, governmental and non-governmental institutions and the general public.
16.02.2023
On January 31, an event of the project of the International Institute of Sales - "How I develop an employee" took place. During the meeting, Tinatin Rukhadze, Founder, Entrepreneur and Business Leader of ACT, presented the unique POWER3® organizational transformation model and talked about how strongly factors such as company vision, strategic goals and priorities, organizational culture, leadership and environment influence the which the employee must carry out his work, implement skills, as well as organizational resources, system and organizational mechanisms in order to be able to effectively use the new knowledge and skills gained by the employee and bring results. On the topic “How do we develop an employee if we don’t change anything”, the founder of ACT voiced 3 main messages: 1. An employee is a part of the system - his development cannot take place if the whole system does not develop. 2. Create an employee development plan in an organizational context. TIP: Ask at least 3 questions: What organizational purpose does this employee's development serve? (vision) Does this employee work in a development-friendly environment? (culture) Is there an incentive and opportunity for the implementation of new knowledge/skills of the employee in the organization? (performance) 3. Finally, if the organization has a lot of "unfit" and "ungrateful" employees, then it's time to transform not the employee, but the entire system. “It seems that we are all aware of the impact of the employee on the organization, but very often we forget about the impact of the organization on the employee. Organizations often plan the development of an individual or a team—from a personal, professional, or management standpoint—without considering the most important factor, that the worker is part of a large and complex system—called an organization.” - Tinatin Rukhadze said. Among the speakers were Medea Tabatadze, founder and trainer of the consulting and recruiting company Insource, Craig Kramer, Executive Director of Sun Petroleum (Gulf Georgia). The meeting, organized by the International Sales Institute, was attended by representatives of the business sector, directors of various companies and HR managers.
01.02.2023
The Pro Bono Network of Georgia held a final meeting of the year, during which the Center for Strategic Research and Development of Georgia shared the results achieved with member companies, plans were made for the future of the network and new members were admitted. The Vice President of PYXERA Global, a member of the global pro bono network, introduced the companies to international experience. At the meeting, Nino Kalandia, Head of Marketing and Communications at ACT - Analysis and Consulting Team, became the pro bono champion of the year. Team, became the pro bono champion of the year. “During the year I participated in various pro bono events on behalf of ACT, it was a great responsibility and an interesting experience. I thank the representatives of the pro bono network and all the organizations that have used the pro bono service for their trust." - Nino Kalandia said. In May 2022, a global research and management consulting company ACT, with the involvement of Strategic Communications Manager Nino Kalandia, provided a free consultation to World Experience for Georgia (WEG). As part of the consultation, ACT developed a plan for an exploratory communication campaign. In particular, the stakeholders of the study, communication channels, etc. were identified. As part of the consultation, two working meetings were held between a representative ofACT and World Experience for Georgia (WEG). Consultations on a gratuitous basis within the framework of the communication campaign were also provided to the enterprise "Chu". Chu is a social enterprise created to promote sign language that is trying to create equal opportunities in society through board games. While playing with Chu products, players learn words in sign language, which contributes to the process of socialization. In October-November 2022, with the participation of Nino Kalandia, ACT held 6 consultation meetings with the public organization Safar, for a total of 14 hours free of charge. The purpose of the consultation was to develop/improve the marketing and communication plan of the cover donation platform. The communication meetings were divided into two parts: evaluation of the platform's existing communication plan and development of a new plan. Pro bono services make the experience and knowledge of the private sector available to public organizations. In this way, companies help those groups of society whose interests are served and expressed by this or that public organization. Pro bono activities are supported by the European Union and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in the framework of the Civil Society Initiative project.
25.01.2023
On December 16, Tinatin Rukhadze, founder and Vision Leader of ACT, spoke at the Modern Management and HR forum on the topic: organizational transformation and change management. Change management remains a major challenge in modern management. POWER3® (THE POWER OF THREE®), ACT's unique organization and business transformation model, helps organizations overcome these challenges. The POWER3® model considers any solution along three dimensions: how well it aligns with the organization's vision and core goals, how well it aligns with the organization's culture and values, and how efficient it is in terms of resources and execution. Transforming an organization with this approach gives companies a significant push to move in the right direction. Forum "Modern Management and HR" was organized by Guram Tavartkiladze University. Goals of the HR forum: Discussion of the possibilities and tasks of modern management; Discussion of new approaches to human resource management, personnel policy and strategy, employee selection process, talent management, professional development, career management and ethics; Discussion of new, innovative management methods and identification of ways to implement them; Search and discussion of new results in the field of organizational development, change management, reforms and improvement of organizational culture; Development of recommendations on issues of modern management and personnel management.
19.12.2022
"Our true self knows what we are capable of" - Tinatin, in the confrontation between "physicists" and "lyricists", do you see yourself in the team of "physicists" or "lyricists"? - If you were asked twenty years ago, I would say "physicists", but now I'm somewhere in the middle - Why? What changed? - At first I began to appreciate "lyricists", and then I discovered "lyricism in itself". I think that both principles exist in me and both are important. I'll say more - being a good "physicist" helps me to be a "lyricist" and vice versa. - Do you agree with the opinion that everything you need is within you? - What do I need most? - Yes. But what is needed for? - This is a good question. We will return to this topic a little later and find out - for what. You once said - I accept bad thoughts with gratitude, because all bad thoughts indicate that I need to work on problems. At this time, filled with bad thoughts. Can you share with us your experience of why we should be grateful for bad thoughts? - Because in bad thoughts you can directly see the direction where you have a weakness, or what do you think you are weak at? Should not become hostage to bad thoughts. It's like a fever in the body that doctors tell you about - it's good because this indicates that there is inflammation in the body. For example, envy, for me it's when I somehow think that someone else could do something that I can't do. If I follow these thoughts, then the path is already visible. Why do I want to succeed or what should I do to do the same. Bad thoughts end here, and you go over to the side of good. You begin to focus on what really bothers you. Anger is also a sign of your weakness. You think you can't change anything and that's why you get angry. I caught myself angry many times, for example, this concerns the current processes in the country, about the processes taking place in the world - And what at this time? - At this time, it is the thought that you are weak. Do you believe that you can't change anything and it makes you angry. You ask yourself: are you really so weak that you cannot change anything? Actually, what would you change? What can't you change? You will then focus on what you can change and feel some relief in the process. You may not be able to change the world, but you can change a small part of the world. First of all, you can change yourself. - One of the things I saw while studying your material was that you put a lot of emphasis on positive thinking. But where is the limit beyond which positive thinking will develop into a superficial view of the current situation? When people avoid real dangers and think that everything will work out, everything will be all right? - In my opinion, I am not a person who cultivates positive thinking. Your previous question is also proof that I respect even bad thoughts. . If you accept only positive thinking, it means that you do not allow bad thoughts, sadness, resentment, anger... But you still use all this for your own amplification. Yes, all this must be accepted and turned into a benefit. I have a reformist approach. "Let's be positive!" is not my motto. My motto is: accept both the good and the bad that comes from outside, and try to turn the bad into a force for good change. If you become a hostage to negative thoughts, and use positive thoughts like a shield and make it an escape mechanism from reality, then both can be equally destructive. - If I understand correctly, in addition to running a business consulting company, which implements projects in 30 countries, you are also a consultant and coach. What is a coach, we'll talk about it later. But first, let me clarify whether you are engaged in practical activities at this stage? - I'm not in one business, I'm in several businesses, but in one business, I working. In addition, I am a consultant by vocation. I love this job and I will probably never leave it. Somewhere I have the function of a leader, somewhere there is a function of an investor, but my main activity, my profession is a management consultant. I work with the management of various private companies, for their personal or organizational breakthroughs. Our organization must give the power of positive change our clients. Coaching for me is the same tool as psychology or business education. - Is the main part of your working time devoted to management or consulting? - I have been the director of the company since its inception. We now have a third executive director. The executive function no longer applies to me. My position is “vision leader”, which means that I am actively involved in setting the direction of the company and making strategic decisions. My main activity is customer relations. “Psychology is an academic science, and coaching is a set of certain knowledge and skills.” - Let's now explain who a coach is. I understand well the meaning of this word, but I do not understand very well the difference between a coach and a psychologist. You are a psychologist by academic profession. What is the difference between these two professions? - First of all, I want to express my gratitude to psychology. When I chose this profession, it was completely incomprehensible how it could be used, but I was just curious. It turned out that the knowledge that I have acquired and the habits of thinking developed during the study of psychology help me in everything. Coaching is a set of knowledge, skills, but not academic and fundamental knowledge. A coach can be a person of any profession who will build his profession on coaching skills - a journalist, lawyer, public relations specialist, manager or others. - Who is a coach? - A coach is a person who helps others set a goal, find the resources needed to achieve the goal, and take steps towards that goal. I am proud that in 2014 we opened the first company representing the Canadian company Ericsson, which began to conduct certification courses for professional coaches. If anyone today is a certified coach, then they were all students of our school. - How long does the learning process take? - Four months. Your question was, how is a coach different from a psychologist? Psychology is an academic science, and coaching is a set of certain knowledge and skills. - What does the coach know that the psychologist does not know? - He knows the tricks that a psychologist can add to his arsenal and, if you ask me, he should add. I see this as a big plus. There is always a certain antagonism when a profession appears that “overlaps” a neighboring profession. But I can't say that a coach overrides the function of a psychologist. - Does the psychologist overlap as a coach? - If he takes the trainer's tools, he can switch to another role or return to his previous role. The coach does not work on traumas, on the past. The psychologist sees the problem and looks for ways to solve it. The coach works for the future, but I will not say that the psychologist does not work for the future. Therefore, I consider it very important for a psychologist to add a coaching tool. - You often talk about the importance of goals and the strength that goals give us. What about those people whose main motive in life is not the goal, but the path? Just yesterday I came across a very respected person - Zura Jishkariani, who said: "Thinking about the results is the lot of losers. The process itself is the product." - I think that this dispute is a misunderstanding - is the goal or the process itself more important? When I say goal is important, I don't necessarily mean that you should focus on results. I also think it's not good. Because you can only control your behavior and decisions. Therefore, you can do everything possible, but still not get the desired result. The goal is like a compass. Those who do not recognize this come out and say: I'm just going. But you're not just going, you're going somewhere. Of course, the process itself is very important, the method. Achieving the goal is a matter of a few minutes. You came and - what? It's over! Then a new target appears again. - No, we have to stop here. Natalya Kutateladze told me that no matter what I planned in life, nothing happened. She lives spontaneously, follows her principles and is content with what she gets out of life. I also spoke with Shorena Shaverdashvili about the importance of the process. Looking back at my life, the only goal I really pursued was to enter the Faculty of Philology at Tbilisi State University. After I overcame that goal, I just don't remember having any specific goal in life. Tell us something about people like us. - Do you have any wishes? - Yes, I have desires. - What you call desires, we, people "doctors", call goals. The desire for which I do something is the goal. Don't you have a purpose in such a context? - I have another question: what is the difference between a desire and a goal? - I'll tell you what the difference is. Desire plus actions to implement it. Desire without action is not a goal. A goal arises when I have complete inner readiness and determination to act in accordance with this desire. The one who says that how many times he set a goal, did not achieve it, he either did not have a real desire, or he was not ready and did not make a real decision, did not take steps. Desire plus willingness and action is the goal. - Most of the life of people of my type does not go in line with the fact that I am now doing something to fulfill my desire. I live, and this life consists of everyday life, routine... with its good and bad news. Life is not a series of steps towards the fulfillment of desires. - I do not believe that there are no desires in your life. It's just someone's desire to earn a million, and your desire, for example, to live on a free schedule. It is impossible not to have desire and purpose. There is nothing to argue about here. Then there would be no dynamics at all in your life; You failed to complete the action. When you say "I don't have goals", I think you are lying to yourself; You're just not calling what you want correctly. If you compare yourself with a person who wants to build a big house, or buy a car, or open a company in 30 countries of the world - this is his desire and he set a goal for himself, he took steps here. Now, for example, my desires are changing significantly. I don't want to be represented in 50 countries anymore. I want to have more free time for myself. This is also my goal, which encourages me to take certain steps here. If I only have desire, I will never achieve it. If people knew themselves well and correctly named events, then we would not have this Tower of Babel that we have. - Now I remember, academician Dmitry Likhachev wrote: if you set yourself such a goal that I want to buy a new car or move to a new house by the end of the year, you may not succeed, and your life will be very unsatisfactory; But if you have goals like doing good, helping those in need... - What if you can't do good? - He says that in this way you can always fill your life with small joys. - I don't like this kind of advice. For me, these tips are tantamount to "don't live." Whatever you want, wish it, take a step, do it... won't that work for you? Take pain as a lesson, set new goals and live. In my opinion, if you are not taking steps because you are afraid of pain, you are also blocking joy. I can't accept it. - Once you said that you call yourself a business therapist. Do you experience this feeling as a professional consultant and coach, or as a visionary leader in your organization planning change? - It's more about working with a client. I often told my employees that we were business therapists. What is an organization: people and systems. When working on business tasks, one should not forget about the people factor. You can have a fantastic strategy, great systems, organized processes, but it doesn't work because the leaders don't want to change. - Do you mean the leaders of this organization? - Yes, who should implement these changes. In this context, we sometimes use the term "business therapy". Leaders often lack neither knowledge, nor vision, nor ideas... breakthroughs in organizations are hampered by personal fears of leaders, unwillingness to change, the so-called "Blind Spots" - when they do not see something in themselves. Suppose we are talking about changing the structure of the organization, and I feel that the leader thinks: now he will be upset if I let him go, if I change this and that. I say: imagine that everything ended well. What would you do then? He knows exactly what to do. Or vice versa, sometimes he blames the employees and doesn't really know what to do. In both cases, this discovery helps the manager make the right decisions. If I know what to do but the conversion process is painful, then I need to work on making the process mutually painless by caring for the people I have hurt. My favorite phrase lately is "What's right can't be wrong." When I believe that I am right, when I believe that it would be right to do something, there should be no more "buts". If it's right, you should do it. And if you don't, you're bound to get a bad result. - In practice, do you have to convince people that they have to make difficult, painful decisions? Or is it not always the case? - It is not always so. Decisions are sometimes painful, and sometimes, on the contrary, very pleasant. People are so locked in that they need help to reach their potential. Our ultimate goal is to unleash their potential - as individuals, teams and organizations. It may not be the path of pain, but the path of discovery. But you can’t unleash creativity when a person is in self-limiting beliefs, for example, when he thinks: “It won’t work with this team,” “We have no chance of further growth in this market.” A manager, a leader with such convictions will not have a new idea in his head. First, his thoughts must change. If you think that something is missing in this room, won't you go there and start looking for it? - Of course not. - That's what I mean. - Your consulting company ACT has become the market leader in Georgia 6 years after its foundation. After that, you keep growing. What do you consider the basis of your success? - It's probably a combination of factors. Organizations like ours were created 10 years earlier. We showed up at the right time. I have often said that if there had not been a Rose Revolution, if the market economy had not developed as it has developed ... as long as the distribution between enterprises was decided at the table, there would be no need for research, analysis, or consultations. When we started, there was already a need, but there was no demand yet. By the way, at such a time we gave birth to coaching. Personally, it is especially difficult for me to guess the time when introducing innovations: when the environment is not yet ready for change, but very close to it. I think that this ability is developed by focusing on the group, on the people for whom I want to do something. We had a new approach: we always focus on what the client needs; How can we benefit those for whom we are created? - I want to remind you of your two quotes: "I do not believe that fate has a chosen one, I believe that there are opportunities." “There is no bad and good time; We create time." You have said many other things that confirm your belief in the power of man. Are you saying this to motivate others, or are you really that confident even about your own limits? - If I don't believe in what I'm saying, I probably won't be able to help others. When I approach a person or organization, I sincerely believe that they have great potential. Whether they will reveal this potential or not depends on them. I will say again about that room - I believe that there is a treasure there, and I am looking for this treasure. The success of my organization or my personal professional success shows that I can support people, teams, organizations to reach their potential. I think it works because I hold this belief. - We had a distant ancestor who said: "The sun is my mother, the moon is my father, these tiny stars are my sisters and brothers." This person was like your spiritual brother or sister. But don't you think that human possibilities are limited. There are powers that surpass human powers. Are there bad and good times? - I believe that a person has all kinds of resources so that he can realize his potential to fulfill his desires. I also believe that there are resources in the world for this. I look at competition the same way: the world is not a communicating vessel, which implies that I have to take away from you in order to feel good. - So competition is not a zero-sum game. - Yes, there are enough resources in the environment and openness and creativity are needed to see it. “All or nothing!” – this is not my thinking, I do not divide the world into black and white. I believe that a person has the potential and resources for what he desires. I never had the desire to become a ballerina, but when I was sitting in my dilapidated one-room apartment near the kerosene stove and said – I want to create an international company and start exporting our intellectual services – it turned out that I can. However, at the time it all sounded crazy. Desires never fly away. Our true “self” knows what we are capable of. - This is understandable, but do you ignore the role of the environment? - The environment is very important. But what are we talking about now – do I believe in resources? Yes, I believe that when I start thinking about what I want to do, I have the resources to do it and I will find the resources and potential for it in the environment. I have it at the level of faith. Therefore, the biggest problem for me is the discovery of my true desires. Don’t let the “ego” fool you that I don’t really want this, I want this because that’s the status or I’m proving something to someone. “When I say that there is no such thing as a bad time or a good time, I mean that you yourself create the time.” - We come to your question, which you asked at the beginning of the conversation: Is everything in me – but for what? To make my wishes come true. Your answer: yes. - There is one caveat here: if you do not see this resource in yourself and in the environment, you will not be able to fulfill a single desire. I believe there is, but I’m not saying that everyone uses this resource. - You never hid that when you started your career, you had a very unfavorable start. - Yes, I started with a minus. - Probably, others started their careers in the same conditions as you, but some succeed, others do not. What you just said, isn’t that the reason why people with the same initial conditions achieve completely different results? - Probably, the problem is in thoughts and insufficient actions. One believes that it will work, and the other does not. One has the desire and willingness to take appropriate steps, while the other has only the desire. Therefore, he wanted something yesterday, the day before yesterday, he will want something the day after tomorrow and even a year later. But he will do nothing to make this wish come true. When I say that there is no good or bad time, I mean – you create the time yourself. There is always good and bad going on around. I’m not saying that when there is war in Ukraine, the time when there is peace is no better. What could be worse than war? But I believe that even in war you can make decisions. Or I say that I am not at war, I am leaving the country and living my life. Another way is to stay and say, “How unhappy I am!” And another way is when I say: “My country is fighting for freedom, and I will become a part of this struggle!” Then the hard times of the war will come, they will turn for you into a symbol of the greatest heroism and the greatest victory. Events have no color. Our attitude towards events is what we call good or bad; This is our interpretation, good or bad. - Do you consider giving much more than receiving as one of your main functions as a leader? - I have been reading and thinking a lot about the concept of a leader. How did Zelensky become a world leader? A leader is a person who, through his behavior and support, can inspire people to go along with him. I consider this to be the main function. - Zelensky, in my opinion, became a leader because he did not leave Kyiv after the start of the war and, in fact, risked his life for Ukraine. - Of course. I put my life on the line because, on the level of value, I can't do otherwise. He was not sure that the Ukrainians would follow him. It was his choice. Was there a deal - I will sacrifice myself for you and you recognize me as the leader?! A true leader does what he believes in with his heart and manages to unite people with his actions, his values, his beliefs. - I agree. But I've seen cases, and you've probably seen a lot more, where a manager is convinced that every new computer, desk, or chair in an organization should be his. For him, primacy means that he has the right to receive the first benefit. - I see, you mean power. I think there are two different concepts of leadership and they also come from people's beliefs. For example, people like me, who believe that there are enough resources in the world for everyone to achieve their goals, do not want to steal. There is another type of people who think that these possibilities are limited and that they should use them as much as possible. Such a person needs symbols of wealth and power in order to gain a foothold in the territory marked by him. - After Georgia became independent, the second type of leaders became our main problem. - Exactly! It comes from the belief that if I don't, I'll be relegated to the sidelines. That is, if I bend over and do not show that I am strong, then they will eat me. Because there is only one apple and my task is to bite off as much as possible. I say: “People, why are you fighting over one apple? Thousand apples! But this is a different concept. Both types of leaders can be successful. But one is success based on the energy of cooperation, partnership, creativity, and the other is success based on the energy of competition, struggle and fear. For me, success is not waking up every day with the fear that someone will fight me and I will be thrown off. - I know that one of your concerns is Georgia and its future. In fact, we are not realizing our potential with our current leadership concept. But what does it take to change the concept of leadership? Perhaps I am asking a very naive question, but until that happens, we will have to live in an environment with completely untapped potential. - I often ask myself a question about changes. I am very hurt by what is happening in Georgia. I am experiencing exactly what you are talking about, that we are losing our huge potential every day. People can live better, we can create a creative environment, but the energy goes in a completely different direction. We cannot get out of the psychology of survival, and as long as we live with the psychology of survival, we cannot move into a creative state. - It happens at all levels. - Probably, at least one person should appear, a real leader who can convince people of values and unite people. - How should this one person appear - should fate smile on us? Should there be demand for such a leader among the people? - What kind of education did Zelensky have and when did it appear? I don't know, I don't have an answer to that. If Ataturk was born, what society gave birth to him? What environment did Lincoln live in? The country may be in a deadlock for a hundred years before such a leader emerges. However, the order still comes from society. I don't see this order yet. “In fact, we all know what our core value is.” - You work with business leaders. Do you see them as willing to provide the first type of leadership? - I see, but not at all. This is a complex concept. The concept of limited resources and competition is much more traditional and understandable. This is closer to Soviet reality. What we are now fighting for and what we want to realize is precisely the concept of joint leadership. If we take Russia and America, what technological, medical and other achievements does America have and what does Russia have? I don't touch politics. The war also showed who had what, even from a technological point of view. Don't Russians have smart people? Do Russians have no natural resources? But when you think about what to take from whom, you only care about safety. The same is happening today in Georgia, unfortunately. As I said, we are in a survival position. - The example of Ukraine is very important. In addition to Zelensky, they have General Zaluzhny. It so happened that two modern-minded leaders found themselves in the most important posts. - Modern and patriotic people. But this did not happen by chance. If they had not stood on the Maidan in the cold and had not achieved their goal, Ukraine would have been a different country. The order for change came from the people. - I have the last question: what word will serve as a guideline for you for the rest of your life? - Freedom. - Has life proved to you that freedom is your main value? - In fact, we all know what is a fundamental value for us. My life develops in accordance with my core values. Everyone has such a life. But look, those who feel bad, in fact - this is also my theory, forgive me, maybe I have too many beliefs - my belief is that those who are emotionally difficult, they do not live in harmony with their values. When a person remembers the most emotionally painful decision for him, as a rule, this decision is not associated with an inopportune moment, but is a betrayal of a core value. Freedom is my inner compass, it helps me make difficult decisions. - Thank you very much for a very interesting conversation. We conclude the interview with your comments on the statements of two famous people. The author of the first quote is the American writer Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961): "We become stronger where we break." - It really is. However, I would like to add: if you stand on your feet, then you strengthen the place where you break. Some suffer from how it has broken their whole life. But the bitter experience of the past consists of two things - pain and a lesson. You gotta leave the pain where it hurts, you gotta learn your lesson. If you continue to be in pain, you won't be able to learn the lesson and therefore won't be able to get stronger. - The second quote belongs to the ancient Greek philosopher - Socrates (470-399 BC): "No one is your friend; Nobody is your enemy; Everyone is your teacher." - I have a gratitude exercise in personal development programs, where people often thank the person who hurt them: “Thank you for making me stronger, for teaching me who I should be”, “Thank you for taught me wisdom!”, “Thank you.” for making me appreciate true love afterwards." !" In this context, both friend and foe teach you about yourself. - It turns out that you have to be constantly on the alert in order to perceive everything as educational material for you. Is this the right attitude to the world? - The desire to know ourselves and the world helps us a lot in development. Sobriety is a good word, I like it. However, I know people who are amazingly aware of the outside world, but have absolute darkness within themselves. Therefore, vigilance is necessary both to the world and to oneself. My inner prayer is this: God, give me the sun inside me and around me!
12.12.2022
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