Business analysis, projects, books — and Oleg Savenkov
Throughout my career, I’ve been singling out managers that I could 100% refer. One of my of top 3 is Oleg Savenkov.
Allow me to begin with how I determine whether I can work with someone as a team. The thing is, I receive a lot of operating documents for approval. If I make corrections almost every step of the way, then I conclude that I would be better off doing this work myself, and that manager is no good for me. The fewer corrections a make, the more I understand that the manager and I think alike. Such a person can take up responsibility and complete tasks without me having to monitor their actions.
Meanwhile, I don’t think all employees should be identical. A good analogy would be a puzzle: perfectly fitted details comprising a beautiful picture. So, you can see why all pieces of your puzzle — of your team — should come from the same box in order to fit. All of them have different borders and images but that’s exactly why and how they match each other. Every team member is a unique piece of a unique puzzle.
Oleg and I complete each other because we’re both alike and different. I am not as disciplined and structured as him, for example. Generally, he’s a responsible, enthusiastic and independent person. I see these qualities in him, as well as results of his work, and I highly appreciate him as one of my best managers.
Oleg came aboard just before the opening of FUN24 in 2014. We began as business analyst, and his task was to standardize and manage business processes. Let me explain what a business analyst does with the example of encashment. So, how do you make encashment quick and abuse free? It takes a good business analyst who comprises regulations and runs trials together with employees, making sure they understand and remember this crucial business process.
Oleg has initiated a great lot of positive changes in our company. I personally think that we’re employing only 10% of his potential and knowledge in various spheres of economics and business management. As of now, he’s been working together with our quality department at a compound project — a loyalty app that should help retain Guests. According to statistics, each Guest pays three visits a year on average. This loyalty system is expected to increase that rate.
Oleg has advanced skills in communication as well. Things that are difficult to understand, he will explain in easy terms and with great patience. This is important as business analysis is quite a complex affair. Oleg is a top class professional but he always communicates his message to people so that they understand every part of it. It’s probably due to his love of reading. Oleg monitors book market, and can recommend you the book you need right off the top of his head! It was him who showed me Edward Deming, one of the greatest economist of our time.
Sometimes Oleg and I meet to smoke some hookah and have a great conversation. Just as myself, Oleg is utterly committed to work, so we discuss how we could apply knowledge gained from business literature to actual business, as well as approaches to personal growth. Meanwhile, I got Oleg hooked on watching football.
Oleg is a perfect company because he’s one of those few who have the potential for high quality communication. For me, this potential is the key to long term beneficial relationships.
