|
Impressions |
December 2004 |
Work life is very different here from a day in France. I try to start by going in every office so to see all my staff at least once a day. They go from a political advisor and administration specialist, responsible for visas, permits, etc; over the accountants and controllers to the HR department and the IS staff. But I am also responsible for four cashiers, two after sales clerks, a fire prevention officer, a driver and an engineer for ISO. Add to this the Serbian institution of kafu kuvarica, literally the coffee cook, a lady who brings everything from coffee to mail. With a smile, please, in the opposite to the West serving coffee in the office is not a punishment, but the base of office organization. I have not seen one single company without a kafu kuvarica. Work might start with discussion some personnel issue. Either because the personnel department brings them up, or because the person wants to meet a manager. These issues are the most difficult, the most touching, the ones were you have to think most how to solve them. Someone is sick – in Serbia, he will prefer to claim vacation because sick pay is very low. Switching jobs: for qualified staff, changing jobs every year is not uncommon. Verbal aggression, happens from time to time. We have avoided worse things for now. Then we are discussing a payment which we should make, but maybe not, and do we have the money for it. Next a meeting on discounts and the possibility to limit them. But the meeting has started for a few minutes when I get called to a discussion with a police officer investigating in a car theft six years ago. Lunch with a colleague from another company discussing anything from salary comparisons, business climate, training concepts and marketing cooperation. A short call during lunch to agree or refuse delivery of goods to a customer with outstanding debt. Then we are going to explain to managers what VAT is – every country besides the US and Serbia has it, and now Serbia switches. A discussion with the General Manager, a view over the reports produced by the controllers. A huge pile of invoices waits for an ok before payment. The payment itself is done via electronic banking with secured ID cards – latest technology.