What do the big bosses appreciate in you, on whom your progress depends? Life hacks from the president of Kyivstar

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

In an interview with Lifehacker, the head of Kyivstar spoke about ideal employees, the main responsibility of parents, the importance of being able to refuse, what books he reads, how he manages personal finances, what employees he considers ideal and why it is too early to think about work-life balance. We read, educate ourselves, get inspired!

Quick reference

Pyotr Chernyshov on June 25, 2014 headed the Kyivstar company (a Ukrainian telecommunications operator), before that he worked at Carlsberg Group. In 2006, Mr. Chernyshov became one of the ten best top managers of Ukraine according to the Kompanion magazine, and in 2007 he became the best manager of the beer and non-alcoholic industry according to the annual TOP-100 rating. The best top managers of Ukraine”.

Before moving to Ukraine, Peter worked in Great Britain (United Utilities PLC), Italy (ABB), Sweden (BBH) and Russia (Baltic).

In 1990, he graduated from the Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics of the Ural State University in Yekaterinburg, and in 2000 - a master's degree in financial management at the Academy of National Economy in Moscow.

While working at BBH in 2001, he received an MBA degree from Kingston University, UK.

Health

I try to play sports. So far, we have not managed to lose weight, but managed to stabilize. I love to swim: several times a week I try to swim a kilometer. Before that he loved to play squash. Now I am more careful due to age.

I believe that children should be taught to sports from childhood, the older you get, the harder it is to start practicing.

As a child, I was involved in handball and badminton.

Nutrition

For some time, I stopped practically eating what is called "carbohydrates" - bread, pasta, pizza - in order to improve health. Therefore, Italy is always difficult to visit.

Sports gadgets

I wear a Garmin watch and sync with my iPhone. I had several of them, now this is the latest version. Today 7457 steps have passed (the meeting with Peter took place at 15:00). I walk around the office, during meetings I walk around the office. My goal is 10,000 steps. It is often possible to achieve this result, but not always.

Time management

I try to do what can be done quickly, do it right away.

If the email is simple, you can reply immediately. If you need to give someone an additional assignment, the answer may come after a while. Sometimes, it happens, I forget about the letter and therefore propose to periodically remind me of your question. I have a very good assistant in the distribution of time - this is assistant Larisa. I don’t know what I would do without her. Larisa is a person with a unique memory or a system that never allows her to forget anything. I'm counting on her very much.

I don't use special programs for time management. I often answer emails at night and on weekends.

Sleeping mode

I sleep very little. And it helps a lot. I can sleep 5 hours and feel completely normal.

Programs in the phone

I use a password keeper, weather, currency exchange. I read a lot on iPad. Subscribed to English-language editions. For example, Financial times, Economist and some others.

A car

I love to drive myself, but now I move with a driver, which is associated with a new position. In my previous job, I drove a lot. At this stage of entering the position, there are too many calls, a lot of letters need to be read and time has to be saved. I have 2 personal cars. Lexus SUV and Mini Cooper with British flag on the roof. The latest acquisition can be safely recorded as a manifestation of the "midlife crisis."

Finance

As for managing personal finances, at one time I came to one curious conclusion:

When I was young and earning little money, I did a very stupid thing trying to save a couple hundred pounds for a rainy day. But after all, when you are young and earn 1000-1500 dollars, while trying to save 200-300 dollars, you deprive yourself of many pleasures. But at this time for you this money means much more than in 5 years 2,000 or 3,000 dollars a month.

Therefore, I advise all young employees not to do this. It is better to spend them while you are still young than to save, save, save, and then, at 35 years old, realize that you can accumulate the amount collected over 10 years in a year.

You have to take care of working well and being competitive, so that you can always and would like to be hired. If there is constant support for the level of knowledge and qualifications, then there will be confidence in the future cash flow. And today's cash flow should not seriously strain.

It immediately follows from this:

While you are young, it is better to rent an apartment, you do not need to suffer from buying it on credit from an early age. After all, you can rent a house better immediately than repaying a loan for a small apartment.

I bought my first apartment at the age of 33 on credit, when I was already earning more or less normally.

Wife

It is very good when the wife is a friend at the same time. When it is possible not only to discuss the upbringing of children, but also worldview issues, books. The wife is the person with whom you spend a lot of time in life, and if she does not share your interests, it can end very badly. My wife and I have a lot of common interests, we read the same books, we love to travel to the same places.

And often, as it happens: everyone is beautiful in their youth, everything is fine, wonderful sex, and then you are fond of hockey, and she is knitting, you want to talk to her, but she is not interested, and you cannot spend time together.

Children

The main responsibility of parents is to give their children the best education they can afford. At one time, my parents provided me with the best education they could afford.

Career and business, their difference from politics

What do the big bosses appreciate in you, on whom your progress depends? They appreciate the fact that you are able to make decisions, often unpleasant, but at the moment when it is needed.

Unpleasant for everyone - for others, for you. Business - very often these are unpleasant decisions.

Often you need to grieve someone, force something to do. They only say that they go to work to sing songs and do something joyful. This is not entirely correct. Very often you have to cut costs, start some projects with which not everyone agrees, but they need to be done. Therefore, the ability to make unpopular, unpleasant and cruel decisions is valued in you.

This is often avoided by politicians. And in this, business is very different from politics. Therefore, politicians cannot move back and forth with success. In politics, it seems to me that decisions are valued that are popular for the majority. People love this very much. And if in business you make decisions that are pleasant for the majority, then, as a rule, your shareholders who own the company suffer. If you suffer from populism in business, it is difficult to advance.

Ability to refuse

A manager is usually judged by projects. But I think that it is also important which projects the manager was able to refuse.

Companies such as Kyivstar discuss about 200 projects a year. Some we will implement, some will not. A common mistake is to start a project that won't be successful. It is important which projects you stop, and that is why you are judged. The company cannot handle all 200 projects. While you can't see it, don't think about the projects you did, but the ones you didn't.

Recreation

On vacation I prefer to read. I don’t jump with a parachute, I don’t climb mountains.

Books

Jules Verne. Jeffrey Archer, John Grisham.

I read on iPad and Kindle, buy them there. I don't listen to audiobooks. When I’m driving, I’m talking on the phone or thinking about decisions.

I try to read a lot. Not only books, but also magazines. I read a lot since childhood. I come from a family where it was encouraged. It may even be more than a health food, unfortunately. It was believed that the more you read, the more chances you have in life, because it improves your education.

TOP 10 books that I consider the best (of different genres):

1. Strugatsky "It is difficult to be God";
2. Yulia Latynina "Russian baker or essays of a liberal pragmatist";
3. Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged;
4. Suvorov "Icebreaker";
5. A. Nikonov “Freedom from equality and brotherhood. The moral code of the builder of capitalism”;
6. Mikhail Weller "Fantasies of Nevsky Prospect";
7. Gabriel García Márquez One Hundred Years of Solitude;
8. Jim Collins "Good to Great";
9. Dmitry Bykov "Railway";
10. Akunin "Black City".

House

My house is out of town, but very close to it. We have a barbecue area. Bought a Canadian gas barbecue. There is a fireplace, which we use once a year - laziness.

Philosophy

No need to lie, no need to steal, and this should be taken seriously.

Since this is not correct. There is no need to differentiate between people by race, religion, sexual orientation. It's all their business. There is no need to get involved in them in life.

Happiness

This is when there are people who need you.

I saw a lot of people who retired and immediately felt bad. It seems that there is money, and normal health, and could travel, but if you are not needed, it is very difficult. I've seen many CEOs run big companies and then retire and break down.

Most ambitious goals

Work occupies such a large place in life that it is difficult to separate personal goals from corporate goals. My goal is for Kyivstar to flourish. Not working - to give my children the best education I can pay.

About ideal employees

I had a boss who gave a good quote on an employee topic that I still use today. The boss was a Swede, his name was Christian. I asked him: "Christian, who do you think is the ideal employee?" He replied:

My ideal employee is a 35-year-old man with two children and a huge loan for an apartment.

Nowadays it is very fashionable to talk, especially in Europe, about work-life balance. They try not to overwork there.

So I think that such a question is not yet raised in Ukraine, we are in a situation where we need to “overwork”. Because Europe after the Second World War worked 16 hours a day, and that was normal. If you didn't have a job, you lived very poorly. It is only now that they have built socialism, where a person can do nothing right after school, not be hungry, and even go on vacation.

I believe that they have placed such a burden upon themselves that they will someday be broken. In developed European countries, the majority of the population already receives more from the budget than it pays. And in elections, she votes for those who promise to give even more. And this leads to the destruction of the country. And in Europe, the part of people who pays is constantly decreasing. In Britain, 12% of families pay 80% of taxes.

The state has built a redistributor out of itself. He takes from one and gives to another. And he believes that it is doing the right thing.

There is a very good saying from European politicians:

We all know what needs to be done, but we do not know how to be selected again after that.

The problem for Western countries is that they are ready to make unpleasant decisions when they have already hit the wall. When there is no way out.

10 LIFE HAKS FROM PETER CHERNYSHOV:

1. To accustom children to sports from childhood;
2. Walk 10,000 steps a day;
3. Immediately respond to simple e-mails;
4. Spend money while young, start saving after 30;
5. Choosing a wife not only for sex, but also for friendship;
6. Provide children with the best education you can afford;
7. Be able to make unpleasant, unpopular decisions;
8. Refuse projects that will not bring success;
9. Do not differentiate between people by race, religion, sexual orientation;
10. They are not afraid to "overwork", it is too early to think about work-life balance!