Ильдар Хусаинов – The power of freedom (страница 19)

In companies where the development of each individual is prioritized over building a system, everything tends to boil down to productivity. There is no limit to perfection.

To illustrate this point, let me share an example. In our mortgage department, we had a procedure that was both simple and complex at the same time. We became one of the largest mortgage brokers in the world by volume of loans issued. Everything was automated and integrated with banks. We invested heavily in advertising, marketing, employee training, and recruitment. Each mortgage broker was an excellent salesperson with a deep understanding of the market. We trained all the realtors and created a robust system.

As a result, the system we built in the mortgage department accounted for 1.6% of our revenue. I asked the head of this department, "Can you make it cheaper?" He replied, "I can." I then asked, "Are you willing to reduce costs from 1.6% to 0.9%?" He said, "I'm willing." I offered him a bonus of 800,000 rubles if he achieved this goal. The department head agreed and began working differently. Previously, he focused on increasing quantitative metrics; now he had to lower costs. Competing on cost is always more challenging. Anyone can do something without considering the budget, but achieving specific results within a set budget requires true professionalism. Therefore, when assigning tasks to employees, I always take their productivity and efficiency into account.

So, what happened next? The department head actively began automating processes, eliminating redundant functions, distributing tasks among departments, and using chatbots for customer communication. He also proposed training realtors in new working methods. Six months later, costs for this department were reduced from 1.6% to 0.9%. We awarded the department head an 800,000-ruble bonus, and over the next five years, the company saved about 80 million rubles by streamlining this process.

When you set the right priorities and recognize the collective competencies of your team, empowering people and defining their areas of influence, they begin to work in your company as if it were their own business. Real transformations happen when individuals know they are trusted. The results of their work speak for themselves. An entrepreneur's motivation isn't always tied to money; people value the sense of responsibility and the belief that they can impact outcomes. And, of course, the need for recognition remains important!

If I had simply given the head of the mortgage department money without expressing my trust in him and emphasizing the significance of his task, would that have worked? Probably not. It's the combination of many factors that matters. I believe that there are opposing forces at play that need to be sensed and harnessed. When you feel them, you can adjust your approach like a sail.

With a well-structured system, it's possible to create multiple points of entrepreneurship, even while leaving part of the process bureaucratic. This is enough to instill an entrepreneurial spirit within the overall culture and help the company achieve its desired goals.

Chapter 10. About the Feeling of Unity with the Company

What’s my interpretation of being completely aligned with the company?

1. Feeling that you’re a part of the team. When a person has a team, they are responsible for each member. It is crucial for me that my employees find their work engaging. My greatest fear is losing my team and stalling in my own development. I want those who believe in me not to be disappointed. That is my worst nightmare. Perhaps it was this fear of disappointing those around me that drove my transformation, which became critically important for me. I realized that I couldn't let them down. Every entrepreneur must be prepared for the fact that even if everything seems fine to them, it may not be the same for their people, and this moment will inevitably come. One must be ready for the organization's goals to go beyond personal aspirations, and one must take responsibility for them.

2. Seeing the company as part of yourself, especially when it comes to evaluating your identity. Over time, people begin to judge a person not only by their personal traits but also by what they have created. If an entrepreneur understands this, they will do everything possible to ensure their business thrives. I have encountered many entrepreneurs who, for various reasons, separate themselves from their business: "This is me, and this is my business. The business can be bad, but I’m not. I’m good." However, I believe that if my business is struggling, then I’m not succeeding either. This mindset means I take full responsibility for my venture.

3. Enhancing a sense of inner significance. Working in a company is part of the process of developing my ideas and beliefs. If these beliefs fade away, it means my ideas and core ideology disappear as well. Losing my ideology is equivalent to losing my identity. Realizing this fact was a pivotal moment in my life, which I can now articulate clearly. The company "Etagi" is an extension of myself. When I understood this, everything fell into place.

4. Aspiring to pass my business on to my children. For me, this opportunity is very important as it represents the continuation of my work. Involving my children in business matters, even during tough times, has always been a priority for me. I am willing to overcome any challenges to ensure that my business continues to live and grow.

If thoughts about work don’t evoke positive feelings and emotions in a person, it means they haven’t reached a stage of true passion for their job yet. The chances are that things won’t turn out as well as they hope.

Both leaders and employees should feel united with the company: the more engaged they are in their work, the better the outcomes. Of course, each company has its own rules, but it’s essential to create a culture where employees take their work as seriously as entrepreneurs take their businesses. If this doesn’t happen, the results will likely fall short of expectations. Employees who aren’t engaged with the company’s mission may not be motivated to pass on their knowledge to future generations; they might simply aim to stay in their positions as long as possible, seeing no further prospects for themselves. They may not want their work to reflect the company’s values. Within the company, everyone should strive for their ideas to be realized and for their efforts to be recognized. It’s crucial to establish a system that ensures employees think in alignment with the company owner, valuing their work as if it were their own business.

Me, along with the Deputy Director of "Etagi" in Surgut – Gnativ Rania Railievna, and on the second row from left to right Dydalina Regina Andreevna – the Executive Director of ‘Etagi’, and her deputy – Fattakhova Svetlana Sergeevna, attended the Board meeting in Moscow. While there, we visited the Bolshoi Theatre with our colleagues. January 2023.

For the employees of the company, I strive to create an environment of responsibility and opportunity similar to my own. When I come into the office and see that eight out of ten people are just hanging out at their desks, doing nothing, I always recall a phrase by Vasily Utkin, my favorite commentator: "Do you think we're playing football here? We're living life." This phrase applies perfectly to business and resonates with both entrepreneurs and employees.

It is crucial for a company to be a natural extension of its leader. If a leader doesn’t adhere to the principles they advocate, the organization won’t thrive. A leader can’t pretend to be someone else for a long time. Therefore, the key question is: what are the internal values of the entrepreneur?

Leaders often try to follow the "right" examples that they see in books about management, but they don't always succeed. Sooner or later, there comes a turning point when the discrepancy becomes too obvious. This is why many organizations fail quickly.

True success is only possible when the principles of the organization align with the true values of its leader. For example, when a person gains extra weight, they can carry it without much effort. However, if you give that person a 20-liter bottle of water, they won't be able to carry it for long because that weight feels different. The same happens with companies: it's essential to avoid anything artificial. What is not natural for the company becomes a heavy burden.

When an entrepreneur builds a company sincerely, with love and an understanding of what they are doing, it reciprocates, becomes vibrant, grows, develops, and brings joy for many years. I understand that this raises the question: "How can one become the kind of person whose natural extension as a company will thrive?"

It’s important to consider that, firstly, all people are different; everyone builds something unique. Secondly, one must be internally ready to change in order to meet the needs of the company. Changing oneself is a complex process. I can name several key aspects that a leader should work on to change their approach and achieve their goals.