Join us in our journey to interview some of the most extraordinary individuals that continue to make The KPI Institute a role-model for others to follow. In today’s edition, we will be featuring September’s Employee of the Month, Silvana Bădiță.
1. What is your role at The KPI Institute and what makes it special?
I have been working as a Research Analyst at The KPI Institute, for about a year. Some of my main responsibilities are to document KPIs, to conduct primary and secondary research on performance management-related topics, to provide support in the form of research customization for different functional areas, as well as provide assistance in consultancy projects.
This variety of tasks contributes to creating a special dynamic in my daily activities, which opens up a great opportunity to develop my skills and competencies, and to acquire more expertise in different functional areas & industries.
A truly special feature of my work is that I’m guided by inspiration and creativity, which gives me tremendous satisfaction.
Moreover, another aspect that makes my job special is that I’m encouraged to think outside the box, in order to find the best solutions to today’s organizational challenges. This provides a valuable perspective on discovering the things that really matter in the field of performance.
2. What do you find most challenging at The KPI Institute?
A particularly important aspect of my work is translating the theoretical side of research into practical changes, which can then aid an organization’s development and performance.
This is equal parts challenging and riveting, for the same reason – it’s not often easy to see how an idea on paper can be transposed into reality. However, when you do manage to do it successfully, it offers an exhilarating sense of success.
3. What would be the three main career lessons that you have learnt thus far?
Never stop learning – do not become complacent – this is very important to always keep at the back of your mind because otherwise, you will not be able to adapt to the requirements imposed by today’s constantly changing society.
Set clear and measurable results – it is important to understand how your activity contributes to the organizational results, so do not overshoot your markers – aim for pragmatism, not grandeur.
Work as a team – I think this aspect is often underrated and it is a great shame because goals become more aligned when you work as a team. Teamwork leads to a greater chance of achieving your common goals.
4. If you could interview one person, either from the past or present, who would it be and why?
Considering that I am passionate about creating organizational cultures that are based on the continuous employee commitment to achieving higher levels of performance, I wish I could interview Daniel Pink, to learn more about people’s intrinsic motivations and what drives us.
Join us in our journey to interview some of the most extraordinary individuals that continue to make The KPI Institute a role-model for others to follow. In today’s edition, we will be featuring July’s Employee of the Month, Alexandru Podariu.
1. What is your role at The KPI Institute and what makes it special?
I am currently employed as the Head of IT, at The KPI Institute. My day-to-day work includes anything and everything that has to do with ensuring our digital footprint, services, and websites are updated and run smoothly.
I enjoy my role here because we work on extremely eclectic projects, which always provide me with something new to achieve or put together. Things never get boring working in IT here.
2. What do you find most challenging at The KPI Institute?
Since we tackle so many different projects, there’s a never-ending source of new things to do every day. It would be nice sometimes to be able to plan tasks in advance, but I cannot complain too much – the constant shift in tasks keeps me on my toes.
What’s more, due to this, I get to expand my knowledge and use many different tools, gadgets, instruments, and technologies in various work endeavours that I get assigned to.
3. What would be the three main career lessons that you have learnt thus far?
Never call it quits – even when a situation looks dire and you have no idea whether there’s a light at the end of the tunnel, keep going. You might need to pause for a brief moment and rethink your strategy, but as long as you stay focused, you’re golden. Also, never forget about the IT rubber ducky!
Keep learning new things – knowledge doesn’t end when a project is finished; knowledge ends when you cease to be interested in perfecting your craft. At least in my area of specialization, there is no finish line. We keep going and going. Each task is something new – either an update to an old solution or a completely novel discovery altogether.
Continue to optimize everything – the biggest “sin” I see people in IT commit is not giving optimization its due respect. Your website’s loading slowly? Optimize it! Your game’s not loading correctly? Recheck optimization! Your program’s stuttering? Optimize the code! Optimization is the difference between a choppy and smooth interaction.
4. If you could interview one person, either from the past or present, who would it be and why?
I think the person I’d be most inclined to talk to would be Elon Musk. The man has no chill. The man perseveres, trudges on, and never gives up regardless of how many naysayers he encounters.
In my opinion, that level of determination is incredible, and I’d like to know how he managed to inculcate in himself such an attitude.
Join us in our journey to interview some of the most extraordinary individuals that continue to make The KPI Institute a role-model for others to follow. In today’s edition, we will be featuring June’s Employee of the Month, Cristina Mihailoaie.
1. What is your role at The KPI Institute and what makes it special?
I am the Business Unit Coordinator for the Research Programs at The KPI Institute. My role revolves around investigating what products and services would support professionals to overcome any business challenges they might encounter – what are their needs and what tools can our research team develop to address them.
My job positions me at the crossroads of a constant back-and-forth between our development team and our clients. I provide feedback to both sides and try to keep a level balancing act between understanding our clients’ needs and our team’s capabilities for delivery.
2. What do you find most challenging at The KPI Institute?
Being comfortable with a fast-moving working environment, and keeping up with all the different initiatives we got going.
This year put our company in hyperdrive mode, and we have not lifted our foot off the gas pedal ever since. As someone who is passionate about fitness, I never thought I would experience the same level of action and energy, on a mental level.
However, 2020 had quite a few surprises in store. Nonetheless, at least I can never say that I’m bored with my work!
3. What would be the three main career lessons that you have learnt thus far?
Be bold – be willing to take risks
There is always a way if you search hard enough – perseverance and determination pay off
According to a poll conducted by The KPI Institute on LinkedIn, Selecting Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) has been highlighted as the most difficult aspect in deploying KPIs, with more than 50% of respondents choosing this option when asked: “What is the most challenging aspect in working with KPIs?”.
Join us in our journey to interview some of the most extraordinary individuals that continue to make The KPI Institute a role-model for others to follow. In today’s edition, we will be featuring February’s Employee of the Month, Ágnes Ilyés.
1. What is your role at The KPI Institute and what makes it special?
I work as a Business Research Analyst. What makes this position special is the variety of everyday tasks and the possibility of constantly learning new things.
Thus far, my favorite responsibility has been recording the Certified Data Analysis online training course, which was a totally new experience for me, and it is a defining event in my professional career.
Such a task comes with multiple layers of micro and macro managing, and I feel as if I’ve accumulated a great deal of experience as a direct result.
2. What do you find most challenging at The KPI Institute?
The chief thing I find truly testing, yet also rewarding, is the fact that every task is different from the other one. Such a high variety of different daily objectives makes my job very exciting.
It also helps develop new skills, however sometimes, like most roles positioned at the conflux of a company, all of this can be really overwhelming.
Nonetheless, the novelty that each task brings makes every day a new adventure.
3. What would be the three main career lessons that you have learnt thus far?
With a good team, you can do things you thought impossible.
Never say no, until you’ve tried it.
Do not be afraid to ask questions.
4. If you could interview one person, either from the past or present, who would it be and why?
Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, since she was one of the most important figures in the British monarchy, which I find fascinating. Moreover, I’m someone who values one’s family a great deal, and we now know from history books that she was a good wife and mother.
I would like to ask her how she managed, as a woman in those times, to deal with her responsibilities and how she managed to keep the ”work-life balance” in check.
