A Polish interim manager in the Balkans.
Introduction
It was a windy winter day when I landed in Belgrade. I had a meeting with a potential client from the US in the heart of the city. The national flags, Cyrillic letters, mugs and t-shirts with Putin's image reminded me of Russia - a cultural shock for a Pole. Later, the Serbs told me that due to political reasons, there are two global leaders who will never receive a warm welcome in Serbia: the Pope and the US President. This is in stark contrast to Poland.
Background
My client recognized Serbia's thriving IT industry, characterized by high-tech education, relevant skills, English proficiency, and reduced costs. The business culture had become more similar to Western culture, including a Western mindset and work ethics. Therefore, they chose the Balkans for their new blockchain initiative.
Approach
As an interim manager, I began with stakeholder mapping and building relationships with key players. My role was to support local activities and prepare for global operations. Using a range of tools, from one-on-one meetings to events and conferences, we achieved rapid growth to 30 people in 3 months. We collaborated with key experts from Serbia, Austria and the UK, navigating remote work, cultural differences, and conflict resolution online—skills that became crucial during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
Punctuality, meeting deadlines, and varying levels of engagement mixed with the American way of doing business and giving and receiving feedback could potentially be points of contention. Active listening and striving to understand others, rather than trying to convert or proselytize them, were essential to managing these tasks both in the office and in after-hours social situations. The memories of Balkan music and the taste of the local food still resonate with me.
Results
With a fast-growing development team, we expanded our global presence beyond Europe - from London to Zurich, and from Singapore to Africa. Sharing knowledge and experience with business leaders via LinkedIn was one of the keys to our success.
Key Learnings
English may be the lingua franca of the 21st century, but having a local expert who understands the environment and context is essential. Legal support is crucial, especially when dealing with highly paid experts and clients working remotely. Cultivating existing relationships and leveraging connections allows for smooth expansion and network development. Business is about relationships and social capital, which, like any other capital, should be invested in and managed.
Conclusion
The business continues to grow despite the typical challenges of a startup, including changes in vision and team members. Many relationships formed during this period have endured, even as I transitioned to a new role in the following year. An interesting example of this transition is my move from a 30-person remote team to an interim organizational change management role impacting 80,000 people in a global corporation with 100,000 employees. But that’s a story for another time.