What are basic business instincts? What is a business plan? What is innovation? What is a scrum? What are business models? What is creative thinking and how is it related, if at all, to business results? Can I be enterprising if I’m not an entrepreneur and I work in public administration or a non-profit organisation? These are only a few of the issues that we’ll discuss in the Business Instincts module. What are basic business instincts? What is a business plan? What is innovation? What is a scrum? What are business models? What is creative thinking and how is it related, if at all, to business results? Can I be enterprising if I’m not an entrepreneur and I work in public administration or a non-profit organisation? These are only a few of the issues that we’ll discuss in the Business Instincts module.

Dear future managers, what will you do for your excellence?

Vanja Lombar, Managing Director at OMV Slovenia:
A good manager or a good leader is the result of let’s say factors, which ultimately lead to good business results. However, business results are just one of the things that a manager has to ensure and we need to be aware that good managers aren’t alone in this task. They work in a team and I believe that the team and teamwork, together with the manager’s stance towards motivating their employees, are one of the key components of their success.

Natalie C. Postružnik, lecturer at e-PROFMAN Programme:
One of the more important lessons is: You can’t do it alone. Let’s just take a look at what affects the operations of an organisation. Let’s start with the basics. Characteristics of the entrepreneur, characteristics of the organisation, sources of financing, strategy, environment, management, participation in management, participation in decision-making, the market and consumers, users, our products and services, to name just a few. This module will mostly focus on innovation, creativity and the sustainable aspect of enterprise and entrepreneurship, which have a significant impact on the final performance of the company.

Vanja Lombar, Managing Director at OMV Slovenia:
I believe that the ability to be innovative is exceptionally important today, i.e. to be able to invent or create novelties, which bring competitive advantage to the company. Of course they also bring a new culture to the company, which has to recognise not only the winning side of this culture but also the failure effect, which happens in such innovative companies. They have to be passionate in their work.

Natalie C. Postružnik, lecturer at e-PROFMAN Programme:
I believe in our eyes lighting up. I believe in what Germans call “das gewisse Etwas”, in passion, in what business angels and investors search for when deciding whether to invest their assets and money in a new project. Ultimately, the role of managers is also to make the right decision and to include the right people in their success.

Vanja Lombar, Managing Director at OMV Slovenia:
I really like including the employees, especially my closest team, in the decision-making process. In this way, I also delegate responsibility for making such important decisions. In a way, the employees are more enthusiastic about the ensuing process of realising the adopted decisions. And this doesn’t mean that I shy away from responsibility.

Natalie C. Postružnik, lecturer at e-PROFMAN Programme:
This means that we have to prepare for making decisions. With analyses, tables, data, modules, projections. But as pointed out by both theoreticians and practising professionals, all this is not enough. One important component is missing.

Vanja Lombar, Managing Director at OMV Slovenia:
It’s often very important to listen to your inner instincts, to consider your emotional side, a social component, which managers have to continually hone.

Natalie C. Postružnik, lecturer at e-PROFMAN Programme:
The module will focus on innovation, creativity, the sustainable aspect of entrepreneurship and how they all interconnect. We’ll discuss how, if at all, these issues compare, the common denominator of entrepreneurship, innovation and creativity for the company’s success.

Vanja Lombar, Managing Director at OMV Slovenia:
Personally, I like comparing the work of a manager with a sports coach, especially in team sports. Why? Because I have a similar experience myself and can draw a lot of parallels from the time that I practised sports myself. A coach basically continually prepares the team so that they can win competitions and if they don’t win, this means that together with the team, the coach also overcomes the fear or the defeat that follows. The coach tries to motivate the team so that the next time that they’re on the court, they’re again ready to win. It’s similar in business.

Natalie C. Postružnik, lecturer at e-PROFMAN Programme:
We’re facing the fourth industrial revolution, while some say that it’s already here. So what does this really mean for you, future managers?

Vanja Lombar, Managing Director at OMV Slovenia:
Simple decision making will probably be transferred to supercomputers. There’ll be algorithms, which will be able to replace basic decision-making processes in the future. For sure, and I’m firmly convinced of this, it will be impossible, for quite some time, to transfer the emotional aspect, the social note and motivation, enthusiasm, passion and all other components which are very important in today’s business world to this technologically advanced machinery. They are what make the difference between people.