TOW#609 — Successful professionals
We’re writing this weekly tip with a heavy heart:
Story 1
26.08.2021 (Thursday) 09:37: usually by now the proofreader has already checked and sent back our weekly tip and we’re working on posting it so you the readers can get your weekly fix of motivation and advice, but this time it’s not like that, and I’m here compiling this Thursday’s tip at this very moment. We’re in this situation (and this is the first time in the last 608 weeks) because we wanted to refresh the Tip of the Week concept, so that it’s not mostly me and Kalin writing, so we reached out to other successful professionals from Macedonia and beyond — associates, acquaintances and strangers — to get involved in our initiative and share some of their knowledge, experiences and journeys that could be useful and interesting for readers. However, two of our ‘successful professionals’ didn’t keep their promises. Not only did they not give us the texts as agreed, but they also didn’t even warn us in time so that we could get organised, and to top it all off we can’t seem to reach them or find them anywhere.
As you’ve just read, we’re refreshing and expanding our initiative and looking for external correspondents and collaborators from any area of life and work. If you have something useful and practical, in the style of Tip of the Week, we invite you to join us and be part of this initiative. For more information, or if you have any questions, get in touch at tow@macedonia-export.com.
Story 2
A few years ago we were part of a project to develop a national strategy for the production and processing of fruits and vegetables. Part of our task was to meet with all participants in the production value chain, and among others we met with farmers who are of course the first link in that process. In conversation with them, we pointed out that one of the problems faced by the wholesale buyers of fresh fruits and vegetables was that when packing the products, some farmers were presenting a false image by putting the first class produce in the crates at the top, and the second and third class produce in the crates below. When we asked them whether what the buyers were saying was true, one of the farmers got up and asked me “Well, what are we supposed to do with the rest of the produce!?” We packed up our stuff and left.
Story 3
The other day, a friend of mine who’s building a house complained to me that the urban planner had made a mistake and as a result not only would work on the project now be doubled, but even worse the whole process would have to start all over again with the municipality. There was no apology from the urban planner, nor a reduced price from the amount agreed for the preparation of the plan, and not even any offer to help speed up the process with the local authorities.
Story 4
Another one to do with construction: one of our associates is building a production hall, for which he hired a professional architectural studio — people with many years of professional experience, known in the field with many private and commercial projects behind them. On the agreed date for the presentation of the conceptual design, not only were they not ready to present something, but they didn’t even call to say that they wouldn’t be presenting anything on the agreed day. Then, when our colleague called them to arrange to meet, they told him they weren’t prepared.
I’m sure you also have a tonne of stories like this.
So, the advice in this week’s text is: if you want to be successful professionals and for us to escape this Balkan quagmire and progress, then don’t be like the people in the stories above.
Wishing you success with the changes to come,
Petar Lazarov
Member of the Team
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