On January 15 and 16, the Kyiv-Mohyla Business School hosted the fourth two-day learning module for leaders of business membership organizations (BMOs) in frames of the Strengthening micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) business membership organizations project: Phase II launched by the UNDP in cooperation with the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of Ukraine and with the financial support of Switzerland. The Project objective is to accelerate the development of the MSMEs sector in Ukraine by strengthening the capacities of the BMOs.

The training for leaders began with Eduard Maltsev, Deputy Dean of kmbs, on Personal Development of BMOs Managers. "The task of the Manager is to make sure that people are properly selected, that is, contribute to enterprises as well as develop themselves."

Eduard stressed that it is essential for the leader to be optimistic because the members of the BMOs draw inspiration from them. He also said that the role of the Manager is to organize the work process. It's more about creating career elevators for people, ensuring their involvement in implementing the BMOs mission. "However, the Leader addressed directly to the individual. S/he supports the desire for development and self-improvement".

In addition, the participants in the teams understood the roles of BMOs Managers: mentor, coach, facilitator, and coach. This helped them figure out the values ​​of these roles and the capabilities they needed.

The leaders also listened to Olena Zhyltsova on Personnel Management in BMOs, in particular, on Motivation Management. "Motivational approach is to identify current needs, highlight the most important ones and conduct a relevant exchange for both parties," Olena said. Moreover, there is an external (external to the personal circumstances and incentives) and internal (based on the internal decision of the person, the motive) motivation. And it is essential to choose the appropriate motivational method according to the situation.

The second day of the training module for business association leaders at kmbs began with Maryna Starodubska on Effective BMOs Communication. "Reputation protection is no less important than the ability to create it," Maryna said. "After all, in the post-truth era, crises arise on an equal footing."

Maryna Starodubska also spoke about the phenomenon of cancel culture, which is characteristic of value-sensitive audiences. "When we build a reputation, we get a lot of benefits. However, we unconsciously fall under cancel culture", the expert emphasized. Such a culture is dangerous because not one person but all their networking will take the same step.

Together with the teacher, the audience also discussed the algorithm for the initial assessment of negativity in public. There are three criteria: evaluation of the content, evaluation of resources, and assessment of the need for a response.

"When we plan a project, we are to imagine it to the very end," Elvira Faizullina said during her lecture on Project Management of business associations. – "If you can imagine, then you can achieve it." The expert offered the audience a Product-Based Approach in Project Management, which involves four steps: a description of the Product for the final project, creating a structure of the Product, a description of the components of the Product, and a diagram of the creation of the Product.

At the end of the first and second training days, the leaders of the business associations had two open evening events in frames of the Ukrainian-Swiss UNDP Project. On January 15, Arsen Zhumadilov, General Director of the State Enterprise "Medical Procurement of Ukraine," EMBA-37, visited the school as part of the lecture series "My business is my country."

"The state can interfere in public relations, pursuing the following goals: economic efficiency, social justice, and security," Arsen Zhumadilov suggested. During the lecture, he shared an overview of the state's role in social and economic relations (fundamental principles, structure, challenges, and opportunities) on the example of Health care.

On Sunday, January 16, the Project participants had the opportunity to talk to Hennadii Zubko, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Regional Development, Construction and Housing in 2014-2019, a graduate of kmbs MBA-8, as part of a lecture series "State and Business."

"Every leader must have ambitions and competencies that will help to realize these ambitions," Hennadii Zubko told the audience. – "It's equally important to step out of your comfort zone and be aware of the risks your decisions may lead to," Hennadii spoke about the role of leadership in the reform process, what difficulties arise in the process and what can help on the example of Decentralization reform, which started in 2014. "If there is leadership and a strong organizational structure, then there is the success," Hennadii Zubko said.

So we wish our leaders to build a strong structure on the way to the success of their business organizations!