LHH CTM and L&D - Week Two Recap- CEO for One Month Switzerland

This week included my first move into a new global business unit under TAG – LHH Career Transition Management and Leadership and Development.

For Week Two I worked alongside Svyatoslav (Svetik) Shalayoda and was happy to participate in a diverse range of meetings and workshops which allowed me to firstly gain a good understanding of what LHH CT&M and L&D do and secondly, and most importantly, how various factors have an impact on the business and our overall success.

I took part in our Global Talent Review and was able to understand the critical importance of succession planning, personal development, and preparing for the unexpected. This session showed me that, as a leader, there is a crucial balance that must be found in your own performance and training those around you to succeed you for the performance of the business in the future.

There must be a mind-shift change from the fear of “others who might be better or become better” to the opportunistic view of others that can be developed to their full potential and finding the right fit for them within their own goals and the goals of the company.

As Svetik manages a Cluster as well – seeing the process of dealing with various cultural dynamics, country-specific challenges, economic situations, and logistical aspects of managing a team when you cannot always be physically onsite was insightful.

Finding opportunities for productive collaboration is crucial and this week evoked many ideas, thoughts, and brainstorming sessions for me personally to find unique ways to tackle this challenge of collaboration amongst GBU`S, departments, countries, teams, and different people.

On Wednesday I also participated in the first Global Challenge for the Global CEO for One Month opportunity, and this involved an Alumni “speed-dating” session where each country CEO had 5 minutes to speak to a previous CEO for One Month Alumni and we were tested on our business knowledge, personal motivation, future aspirations and why we are where we are. In the short time we spent together, the alumni were willing to share advice on how to make the most out of this experience and it was lovely getting to meet previous CEOs from various cohorts. A huge thank you goes out to each of them for dedicating their time!

The week included many Ops calls and although I was quite overwhelmed by the many abbreviations, numbers, and fast pace at first, it became apparent quite quickly what lies at the heart of these numbers and performance.

A takeaway for me from many of these calls was:

✨Yes, numbers are important, they are used to measure a business's performance and the health of a business to some extent but in the end, these numbers are strongly driven by people. ✨

What your team and the people that make up the company do on a daily basis - whether this be business calls, client visits, cross-collaboration, etc. these small and big contributions create the result of performance and the numbers I spent a large portion of this week looking at. 

In addition to this, it’s important not to forget that you are not alone, you have a team to support you. Every team member has their own strengths and challenges,  but in a team, these strengths connect and form a strong basis for effective work.  

So, numbers are important but don’t forget the people that stand behind the numbers and drive the business performance.

Spending my second week with the LHH CT&M and L&D team showed me how we often start in a negative scenario where our candidates have had a disruption in their lives and we are given the opportunity to turn this negative into a chance for support, for a partner when life becomes tumultuous, when you are unsure of what the future holds.

We assist not only our clients who are faced with tough decisions and need to ensure their own business health but also our candidates through their transitions. Our L&D offering is there to support others in their own development and becoming the leaders and the people they aim to be.

It was indeed an insightful week, and I`d like to thank the team for welcoming me openly and giving me opportunities for growth and learning. Thank you Svyatoslav (Svetik) Shalayoda and the whole LHH team for your support throughout the week and feedback on areas I can work on and ideas I have produced.

This marks the midpoint of my journey as The Adecco Group CEO for One Month-Switzerland. The two weeks have flown by and I can't wait for the next two to come.

I will stay with LHH for the following week but will be moving to a different focus: Recruitment Solutions!