Last month, in Podgorica, while taking a break from cycling at one of the city parks that overlooks the Millennium bridge, I decided to sit on a swing which has a great view of Morača and the surrounding hills… A beautiful, sunny October day and an ideal opportunity for a short break.

Then, a group of tourists from Poland arrived.

Given that I had already been on the bench for about 10 minutes, and they were looking to see if there was a similar place in the park for them, as a “good host” I got up and offered them my place. One middle-aged gentleman from the group agreed, sat in my place and started to rock while I continued communicating with him and three other people from the company. We chatted spontaneously and, among other things, I asked them about their impressions of Montenegro.

They said that they had been here for 11 days, that they had seen beautiful mountains, old towns by the sea, national parks… I could see that they were generally satisfied… However, the beautiful impression of the destination they visited for the first time, according to them, was spoiled by the fact that they had seen  a lot of garbage and they were a little sad about it, because they really liked everything else…

After they left for the airport, I thought to myself for the umpteenth time, how we as a society failed to implement a visionary ecological idea. We became, on paper, an ecological country on September 20, 1991. How can it be possible that, after so much time, we have not been able to materialize in reality such a lofty project?

All leaders who ruled our country at some point, declared that they love Montenegro, that they advocate for its prosperity and so on. Well, that project is precisely the symbiosis of prosperity and development and love for one’s country…

Maybe the problem is that someone within the scientific community indeed presented this visionary project to politicians but they had a completely different understanding of project implementation?

SYNERGY IN MONTENEGRO AS A NECESSITY FOR ITS SURVIVAL?

A lot of loans were made both with international partners and the population, by the political elites. All bad deeds in society have been made crystal clear. I believe that as a country, we have come close to our end UNLESS we finally “come to our senses” and start doing things right. We were assigned our homework by the European Union a long time ago and we get it regularly, but continuously wait for the team that will complete the necessary reforms. Enormous energy in Montenegro is wasted by insisting on differences instead of playing the win-win option and using the synergistic effect.

I propose several measures that I believe are to be taken, in order for Montenegro to accelerate its growth, improve its citizens’ standard of living and truly become a member of the European Union:

1. Fight against corruption and organized crime:

• Complete and then strengthen the institutions responsible for fighting t against corruption and organized crime;
• Increase transparency in public procurement and operations of state institutions;
• Createindependent bodies that will monitor and sanction corrupt actions.

2. Encourage entrepreneurship:

• Create a favorable business environment and reduce administrative obstacles for opening and running a business;
• Bolster the development of small and medium-sized enterprises by facilitating access to finance training and mentoring;
• Additional development of programs that support innovation and technological progress;
• Reduce the gap between the current attractiveness of working in the public sector. — All surveys show that given the current circumstances, young people do not want to work in the private sector but for the state. If this continues, who will we collect taxes from?!

3. Professionalize public administration:

• Implement reforms in public administration to ensure the employment of the most competent individuals based on the principle of expertise, not political affiliation. We keep waiting for a political party that will actually implement this and pave the way for a healthier future;
• Education and training of public servants in order to provide more efficient and responsible services to citizens. The current quality level of services offered by the state is bad. That is noticeable almost every time something needs to be completed.

4. Diversify the economy:

• Develop sectors that are not so susceptible to seasonal changes, such as tourism. Persisting on the existing concept makes us an extremely vulnerable economy. This measure could include better communication and the development of several key sectors: information technology, energy, agriculture and others.
• Invest in education and research to create a skilled workforce that can support a diverse economy.

5. Preservation of natural resources:

• Focus on the development of sustainable tourism with an emphasis on the protection of natural beauty and the conservation of the environment;
• Engage in the improvement of energy efficiency and development of renewable energy sources in order to reduce dependence on energy imports.

6. Education and training:

• Invest in the education system to ensure that high-quality education is available to all citizens with a focus on practical work in companies during studies;
• Focus on the development of skills that are relevant to the modern labor market. There’s a delay on the part of schools and colleges in delivering knowledge that is desired in the labor market, this proves to be a real challenge.

7. Actively suppress emigration:

• Create conditions for retaining young and educated people. This could include providing attractive business opportunities and incentives. Northern Montenegro is emptying at an alarming rate and this issue has only recently been talked about.·
• Develop programs that encourage the return of emigrant experts. There lies a huge potential here. Back to synergy again!

8. Social policy:

• Concentrate on the development of social programs aimed at supporting the most vulnerable groups of society;
• Increase social justice and reduce the gap between rich and poor. If there’s a provision in the Constitution that Montenegro is a state of social justice, then all its citizens should feel that, I believe.

The implementation of these measures requires  long-term vision, political will and cooperation from all relevant actors in society. It is important to involve citizens in the decision-making processes in order to ensure wider support for reforms. If we as a country engage in political revenge without synergy regarding what the national interests of Montenegro are, then the real question should be whether we are even worthy of this beautiful country.

Why shouldn’t we “exhaust ourselves” to the point of unconsciousness over these above-mentioned topics, instead of giving space to outmoded politicians who constantly impose identity issues?

In order to be able to say that someone is a true leader, business books say that this person should have a lot of qualities such as knowing how to communicate, delegate, how to skillfully solve and not how to create problems… One of the many important qualities of a leader is empathy as well as the ability to healthily cooperate with a team that delivers results, creating a culture within an organization and of course, personal integrity.

Will we as a society start electing, for example,  people like Petar Porobić – the Montenegrin water polo coach who won the gold medal at the European Championship in 2008 with his team?

Or Dragan Adžić, who won a gold medal with the women’s handball team in 2012?

Did they reach the gold medals by choosing acquaintances and relatives to the team or only the best and most prepared at that moment?

Politicians allow concessions and loose standards in too many places.

Once any of us happen to need services from the state, we then realize the issue of inefficient institutions and an inefficient system.

Has it perhaps occurred to one of the responsible people in Montenegro to review the constitutional provision that refers to Montenegro being an ecological state? That they would have to do something concrete about it? What is controversial about setting high fines for uncultured people and those who dispose of waste improperly?

Why are we waiting when it comes to instantly disciplining the nation and forcefully imposing manners and culture on it? When penalties were introduced for wearing a seat belt while driving or smoking indoors, there was some grumbling at first, but everyone quickly accepted the rules, due to the sanctions.

WHAT CAN BE BETTER AND WHAT CAN BE LEARNED FROM SUCCESSFUL PRIVATE COMPANIES?

Business books say that a true leader possesses various qualities, including effective communication, adept delegation skills, and the ability to skillfully solve problems rather than create them…

One of the important qualities of a leader is empathy as well as the ability to healthily cooperate with a team that brings results, which then creates a culture within the organization. Another important quality that should be pointed out is personal integrity.

• Lastly, one trait that true leaders have, which I intentionally left out of the previous list of traits as I wanted to single it out, is the ability to REVIEW YOUR ATTITUDE.

This approach is nurtured by scientists.

And here I return to the scientist -the one who created the idea of ​​Montenegro – an ecological state, the one who placed such a project in the hands of politicians who were simply not capable of realizing it. Unfortunately, some 30 years later, in the last Report on accession to the European Union, Montenegro received a low rating from the European Commission, which alludes to the insufficient withdrawal of funds from the European Union and the absence of serious development projects.

Has Montenegro reached a sufficient level of awareness to realize the key in the reform of political parties?

New people with different values ​​are needed.

In contrast to the disastrous “business practice” in political parties of employing people with purchased diplomas, which is later felt by the entire society,the private sector operates in a completely different manner! Contribution and results are required in private companies, that’s why a huge number of people are “pushed” into politics.

Why does the state not use the many good examples in management that exist in private companies where the contribution of each member is a condition for employment? Would the new people with a “different political system” from the existing one send different messages and promote healthier values ​​in society?

Namely, in the case of technology companies and start-ups, the “absence of conflict in ideas” does not actually represent harmony but apathy. That is why questioning is implied and is a prerequisite for growth and development.

• One of the examples from the company “Pixar” that speaks in support of the thesis that rethinking is very important happened to a manager who presented an idea for a new film to his “first” team. When he finished with the guidelines regarding the necessary animation and special effects – he was told that he would have to wait at least 10 years for it and allocate 500,000,000 dollars for it! His reaction to this was that he dismissed the entire team and selected other people from the company for the same idea, the so-called “black sheep” (intelligent naysayers who always oppose others).
• The manager implemented his ideas by choosing dissatisfied people who know how to work better, but did not have the opportunity to show it. After connecting them, he went out of their way so that they could freely develop their ideas – and they repaid him by realizing all the ideas and spending twice as much money in a much shorter time.
• The conclusion is that the company has a practice of encouraging its people to push the boundaries.

Strong leaders engage their critics and become stronger.

Weak leaders silence their critics and become stronger.

Some of my favorite authors in this area are Gary Vaynerchuk, Adam Grant, and Simon Sinek I recommend their great books: “12 and a Half,” “The Infinite Game,” and “Think Again,” where they discuss how they prefer to engage their private critical network.Adam goes so far as to ask for an unbiased analysis of each chapter!

While he is a famous professor at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, whose books on organizational psychology and management have sold millions of copies, his ego still “allows” him to consult other people regarding himself and let them correct him while he writes, with no complications.

ARE EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS BEHIND IN REGARD TO WHAT IS GOING ON IN THE LABOR MARKET TODAY?

Unfortunately, traditional educational methods do not always enable pupils and students to acquire the best skills. Academic success usually requires overcoming old ways of thinking, while building a successful and influential career requires new ways of thinking.

Those with the best grades are unlikely to be future visionaries. They usually nest into the system instead of shaking it up.

THE ART OF QUESTIONING AS A WAY OF LIBERATION FROM THE EGO

Questioning is not just an individual skill. It is a collective ability and largely depends on the culture in an organization.

• NASA has long been an example of a culture of performance – that is, excellence in the realization of plans. Although it has achieved great things many times, in one instance they fell into a cycle of overconfidence.

• The reason I’m sharing this example in particular is because when people pride themselves in their standards and procedures that have yet to be validated by results, opportunities for re-examination are missed.

• After the launch of the “Columbia” space shuttle, a NASA engineer asked for clearer photos to examine the damage to its wing, but managers did not provide them. At a critical meeting to assess the condition of the shuttle after liftoff, the engineers did not speak.

• The epilogue to this story happens to be the explosion that occurred after a disastrous risk analysis policy. Although this is a negative example, it is very clear to see the importance of reviews in any organization.

• This only helped NASA to further improve the atmosphere of openness and inclusion of its people, as well as to create psychological safety in the organization.

• This case also helped to further encourage a critical/different attitude from the employees as they would no longer feel threatened.

From the examples of the aforementioned foreign organizations, we can now move on to a domestic, until recently dominant political party. Which will clearly show how far the complete absence of reviewing the work system of one’s own organization can lead.

For years, good election results lulled the dominant political party to such an extent that over time it stopped appointing the best people to key positions (they were replaced by loyal and insufficiently qualified ones), Thereby starting to send incorrect messages about societal values, while ignoring the opinions of international partners regarding the identification of detrimental practices within the organization.

In the end, they stopped listening to their member suggestions on the changes that needed to be implemented. The classic “fat cat syndrome” that rests on the laurels of previous successes, instead of reconsidering its own way of working.

The outcome of this kind of behavior/ignorance is a total loss of coalition capacity and a significant drop in ratings.

THE WORST THING ABOUT BEST PRACTICES

In cultures where results are measured, people become attached to best practices. Once a practice is declared the best, there is a danger once it becomes cemented. The values ​​of these practices are preached and glorified, and the shortcomings are no longer questioned. We are no longer interested in how we can improve the process.

As you might know, companies (in the financial market) that are successful and that have developed a top sales system have great managers, great products and to top it all off – they have good results for long periods of time. These results make it easier to fall into the trap of overconfidence.

Some time later, as expected, they stop following trends, innovations, competition – and quite often, due to failure to review a business model that has brought success for a long time, a business collapse occurs.

There are examples in other industries as well, and I will mention some that are known to everyone.

Greek-Canadian businessman, smartphone creator and BlackBerry founder Mike Lazaridis is a textbook example of how to fall into the trap of overconfidence. He simply preferred the keyboard to the touch screen.

The pride of a successful invention fostered too much confidence in him. He refused to pay attention to the competition that was flourishing in another direction. Despite warnings from his engineers. He enjoyed extolling the virtues of the Blackberry and was quick to condemn Apple’s flaws at the time. Famous people like Oprah Winfrey helped him a lot in this, she personally told him that she couldn’t imagine life without the Blackberry. She wasn’t the only one. It seemed quite reasonable for him to think that he was on top of the world and that he did not need to change anything.

At the time, Blackberry held over 50% of the smartphone market…

He just wouldn’t let things be questioned.

They even laughed at Apple at first, saying they were trying to fit a computer into a phone. By the time they came to their senses they were already several years behind Apple…

In the inspiring autobiographical book “The Art of Winning”, the founder of Nike Phil Knight perfectly showcases the wide range of opinions from his associates as well as other people around him

Pretty much every significant idea that launched the Nike brand to higher levels was put together not by himself but his colleagues?

Among other things, his associates suggested the company be named after the Greek goddess of victory – Nike.

The Nike symbol was created by a young girl who didn’t have the money for a prom dress when she met Phil. She then designed it for $35. Later, when the company became successful, Phil gave her Nike shares, which are worth a lot today.

The idea of ​​cooperation with famous athletes (Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods and others) in order to increase the sale of sneakers (as they struggled with it in the first years) was suggested by Phil’s associate. That also applies to inserting an air sole into the sneakers (which contributed to comfort but also uniqueness). …

Although Phil as the first man was cruel to his employees, his wisdom when it came to listening to his employees and applying their great ideas led Nike, among other things, to being the number 1 brand in the world of sports equipment today!

The above examples all have something in common.

All these successful people who led their organizations and achieved excellent results in their field of activity were open to questioning the existing business model.

As I mentioned earlier, questioning is closest to the approach nurtured by scientists. Scientific thinking favors modesty over pride, doubt over conviction, curiosity over final judgements.

Has there ever been an invention, a new drug, a significant quantum leap, some key innovation, and everything else that remained within the same old model?

It seems that the art of questioning is becoming more and more important…