A warm welcome from Romania - Training-for-LIFE
Transcription
A warm welcome from Romania - Training-for-LIFE
Colegiul Tehnic "Ana Aslan" Cluj-Napoca SKY IS THE LIMIT Comenius Multilateral Partnership 2013 -2015 Training For LIFE: Leadership Initiative For Europe "With the support of the Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Union" A warm welcome How can this newsletter add value to you? That’s the question I’ve asked myself before ever including it in our project. What can we, people writing it, offer you, our readers? How can we serve you, help you achieve your goals and manage not to bore you in the process? For the next 20 months we will try every month to give you some true stories to read together with simple advice that you can apply to your daily life. People interviewed in this first issue talk about their VISION and how they come to achieve it. Maybe by reading these materials you will get stuck with an idea or become suddenly motivated to follow your own path and find what drives you –your vision for the future. The Romanian team is grateful for every one of you and feel honored to get to share with you what four of our students managed to write. Most important, we, their teachers, feel proud that they opened up themselves to you and convinced other people to do it too. Because we want to make it easy for you to connect with us and the personal growth teaching material offered by this Comenius project, we invite you to subscribe to the following issues of this newsletter and also to visit our official website: http:// training-for-life.wikispaces.com/ There, you will find all the added-value teaching we have tried to provide, with the addition of some wonderful new material every month from the team in charge, all designed to make a difference in your life. Hope to read you all very soon! Please, have a dream! By Simona Crisan If we were to admit something in front of this paper, it would be that everyone has a dream. Some are stranger than others. Maybe some of us dream of a paragliding jump from the Eiffel tower, others to reach the Moon or, more recently, to become vampires. Although the latter can be really appealing, I prefer a different vision. A year ago, I was not thinking at all about my goal in life, what I would like to do next, but now I realize that we do not get everything served on a silver platter. Which is really cruel for a comfortable person like myself. We must work to achieve something. So, I decided I’ll put all my efforts into doing this. And here's my dream : to become a writer. It may be hard, but it’s definetely worth trying. I want to share my ideas with others, to demonstrate that it is worth trying to create something beautiful for others. Not long ago I read a book and the author (Andrew Gross ) said : "I would be happy even if the postman called me to tell me some nice things about my book." Indeed, it had been hard for him in the beginning, being rejected by many publishers, but ultimately he succeeded. Ever since kindergarten we were asked what we want to become when we grow up. In my case, the answer was always the same: a teacher. Probably the idea of helping children to learn new things, good things, inspired me. Over the years I've developed my vision. I realized that, well, I like to write. To give life to characters, to create an action that can have a happy or an unexpected ending. If you haven’t found your vision yet, my advice is to let your imagination run free. You can be whatever you set your mind to! And to have an imaginative mind, watch as many cartoons as you want, play with kids or just chat with your friends about it. It’s what I do! Then, once you found your vision, come out of the shadows and step in front of everyone, glowing because of what you have achieved! Because you HAVE a dream, no matter how odd it is! Even those of you who want to become vampires! (Now ... you know that it will not happen, but it does not hurt to dream a little, does it?) So, who’s next on the stage? ... FARMEC’S LEGACY: A “CHARMING” VISION OVER GENERATIONS By Călin Donci & Emil Pop Introduction: The Farmec Company is a very good example of a 100 % Romanian company, with a rich history of over 124 years of existence. Farmec’s relationship with “Ana Aslan” Technical College is over 2 decades old. Over the 4 years of high school, our students have practical courses and internship periods in this company. Some of the students return as employees after finishing their studies. This is the reason we chose this company as the perfect example of good practice in implementing a vision. Our partner in this discussion is Mr Mircea Turdean, General Manager. What were you thinking when you created today’s Farmec and how did it all begin? M.T. I can say that we have carried on the vision of our predecessors, and we, the team that is currently in charge, have tried to bring Farmec to par with modern standards and high market standards. Who was the biggest influence of your life? M.T. Our father, “everyone’s father.” That’s what we like to call him, Mr. Liviu Turdean, who was General Manager for over 35 years. He was declared as the most long lasting General Manager in Romania. Nearly everyone working in our company considers him a father-figure. Tell us a little bit about your vision, Mr. Turdean. M.T. Right now, we are the largest cosmetics company in Romania and our vision for the coming years is for us to grow and to hold our spot as the largest and most important cosmetic products company for the Romanian people and beyond. Our motto is “Together for beauty and health.” In the near future, we hope to grow, this means conquering new grounds in export. We have to increase the small percentages we have in export, we have to invest in exports in order to become more competitive, so that our brands, that are already well known by every Romanian woman, to be just as known and to sell well in Europe and on other continents. Right now, Gerovital holds second place as a Romanian brand. We want it to reach first place but we also strive to be among the top brands in Europe and the world. This would be our vision for the future, that’s where we want to get. 4. What are “the main ingredients” of your vision? M.T. Well, firstly, a family! You should know that in the last 25 years, a lot of management formulas and specialty language appeared, most of which we were already using here. We have implemented them and also the concept that all managers nowadays refer to as “team”. Before being a team, Farmec was a family! And for us, the word family means more than a team. It defines us better. After that, innovation; it’s easy, without innovation we don’t stand a chance in successfully competing and growing. For this we are lucky enough that we’ve been in direct contact with the women of our country through our marketing system for over 40 years. We have a very tight relationship with our customers, we know what they are asking from us. We also invest a lot in training, in teaching people, since we are a family, why not teach our children and coleagues. We have amazing partnerships, some of which we would not have been able to have without the help of Ana Aslan Technical College. What was “the magic ingredient” in reaching your dream? M.T. Work combined with pleasure! I wish that everyone who comes to work for us, in the morning or afternoon, to have a smile on their face and to punch in and out happy. Tell us about the obstacles you have faced in implementing your vision and how you overcame them. M.T. It’s not so much about the ovstacle in itself, but more about the attitude you have. We deal with obstacles on a daily basis, in every department. We successfully overcome them each time they arise and we grow thanks to them. We fix them and we move on. These obstacles are mere stimulants. We have great relationships among people in different departments. Communication and joint effort amongst each department can overcome anything. How do you maintain your products’ sustainability? M.T. Quality formulas and a successful brand, both highly renowned together with marketing and PR policies that uphold these brands. A unitary company policy to grow, uphold and promote them constantly. We have around 260 agents that distribute but also gather information about our products from the market. These reach marketing and together with performance studies they get centralized. What are you giving back to the community that supports you? Tell us about a campaign you love. M.T. Every year we have beautiful relationships with foundations that support children, people with disabilities, people with all sorts of problems and we are an active part of these foundations’ programmes. Tell us a bit about your role in supporting the Romanian Olympics Team… M.T. Very well accomplished campaigns that made us notorious but really, we have had them because we cared about them and they were close to home. In the Olympics campaign we were amongst 4 other sponsors and the only ones from Romania, the others were multinational companies. We were very glad that we were able to support these sportsmen. It’s known that today, in Romania, it takes lots of effort to reach an Olympic medal. During the games I was there for the teams, encouraging them, without trying to profit from the possible publicity. I did it as a fellow Romanian, not as a sponsor and that proves how much we invested in this campaign. During the last decades we’ve seen the Farmec company re-invent itself through new products, re-branding campaigns. What should we expect in the future? M.T. Always expect the unexpected from us. Be it next month or next year. There will always be new products and campaigns, we will never let our beliefs go. The ones mentioned above, because this is the only way we can survive and strive. We have over 600 employees that support families of their own and that’s why we have to support them. Their happiness is our happiness. Finally, a word of encouragement for the people that will read this article, something that will motivate them in chasing their dreams. Maybe something that you would’ve liked to hear when you were in university or high school. M.T. Sadly, back in my day, it was way easier to reach your vision, there were more jobs, more perspectives. Young people nowadays have more obstacles to overcome. I can tell you that one thing our company cares about is investing into young people, graduates and students that spend their practical courses here and enjoy what they do and they wish to pursue that as a career. We will always have room for them here! We’ll always encourage and attract young people that can carry on the Farmec legacy. The people we attract and encourage will be taught what they need to do and I believe they are the ones that will continue the Farmec tradition and vision! Ioan Ovidiu Sabau – A football legend that always knew what he wants to be He played for Football Clubs like: „U”Cluj (1985, 2000), Dinamo Bucharest (1990), Feynord (1990), Brescia (1992, 1997), Rapid Bucharest (1998, 2001) and for the National Football Team of Romania. No matter the team he played for, he was always viewed as a moral center, a man of his word and a good professional. More about his activity as a sportsman: http:// www.romaniansoccer.ro/players/s/ sabau_ioan.shtml Alexandru Giurgiu: Firstly, let me begin by saying that you are a role-model for me and for the generation of young people in Romania, passionate of football. Ioan Ovidiu Sabau: I`m glad to hear it! A.G.: How did you imagine your vision for the future as a child? I.O.S: As a child I liked football; I remember that at the age of 3 my father used to take me with him to football matches, although he hardly afforded to buy a ticket. From the moment I saw the players I knew I wanted to be like them. When I was a kid I dreamt that when I grew up I will be respected and become a big name in the history of Romanian football. A.G.: Do you think you have fulfied that dream ? I.O.S :Yes, I fulfield that dream; and I know this because now my dream is that my children have everything they need to fulfill their dreams. A.G.: Talking about family, what can you tell me about yours? Where did you grow up? I.O.S.: My family was a simple one. I grew up in a village called the Valley of Flowers in the Cluj County. I used to dominate everyone in the village on the maidan (i.e. a field where all the kids gathered to play games). My cousin recognized my potential and brought me to “U” Cluj. It was during the summer vacation and the coach was Alexa Uifaleanu. He said that until the other players return from their vacations I could come and play. He said that it will be very hard and that I should try and play for another team, but before the summer was over I convinced Coach Uifaleanu that I am an asset and I could remain even after the players came back. My parents were simple workers. My mother worked in a factory in Cluj and commuted everyday. My father was the president of the local CAP (i.e. the Agricultural Association of the village ), thing that counted a little at the time. It wasn`t easy for them. I don`t know if there was a day when I didn’t play football. My parents felt that I can get somewhere with this sport. In fact, the first time they came to see me play was at my debute in the senior team of the „U” Cluj. When I got my first salary I wanted to share it with my parents, but they didn`t accept it. Still, I didn`t give up and I gave them half of it telling them that it’s the least I can do for all their support. Back then, young people were a bit different. A.G.: Can you tell us about a difficult decision that you had to make and what helped you? I.O.S.: One of my hardest decision was to refuse my transfer to Steaua Bucharest. A.G.: Why did you refuse to play for Steaua Bucharest, a big club at the time ? At that time, both Steaua and Dinamo Bucharest wanted me. Every two weeks I was caled to Bucharest to discuss with Valentin Ceausescu and Ilie Ceausescu, the dictator`s brother, who were trying to convince me to accept Steaua’s offer. It was tough, they even threaten me. In the end, I decided not to go. If I chose Dinamo, then my team („U” Cluj) had a bigger advantage. After I talked to Valentin Ceausescu I went to Dinamo where I finally started my career in the big football league. If I think of the reason why, then I must say „out of loyalty” I think keeping your values is the most important thing in life. A.G.: Mircea Lucescu was the coach at the time. How was he as a leader? I.O.S.: At that time he was very young and impulsive. He lead with energy. He was young and he had to be very ambitious. He had a lot of personality. He controlled all things. From the food we ate to the equipment we wore and the vitamins we took. He handled everything. A.G.: Coming back to you; we talked about you as a football player, but there’s another side of you – that of a parent. How is Ioan Ovidiu Sabau as a father? I.O.S: I have a boy and a girl. I always left them very much liberty and I tried to have an open relationschip with them. During the time they were 16-18 years I was away coaching. I consider it a lost time and I regret that I couldn’t be closer to them. My greatest challenge as a parent was to find balance between my professional life and my family life. A.G.: So, did you manage to do this? I.O.S: Now, I do. It took me some years and some mistakes on the road but now I try to be the best coach I can be and the father my children need to succeed in their careers and in their personal life. DISCLAIMER: This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein. You have received this e-mail because you registered on our website or have previously indicated an interest in Comenius Multilateral Partnership "Training for LIFE: Leadership Initiative For Europe" LLP Link no. 2013-1-RO1-COM06-29361 1 Produced in Romania by "ANA ASLAN" Technical College © 2013 Colegiul Tehnic "Ana Aslan" Cluj-Napoca SKY IS THE LIMIT Comenius Multilateral Partnership 2013 -2015 Training For LIFE: Leadership Initiative For Europe "With the support of the Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Union" A warm welcome How can this newsletter add value to you? That’s the question I’ve asked myself before ever including it in our project. What can we, people writing it, offer you, our readers? How can we serve you, help you achieve your goals and manage not to bore you in the process? For the next 20 months we will try every month to give you some true stories to read together with simple advice that you can apply to your daily life. People interviewed in this first issue talk about their VISION and how they come to achieve it. Maybe by reading these materials you will get stuck with an idea or become suddenly motivated to follow your own path and find what drives you –your vision for the future. The Romanian team is grateful for every one of you and feel honored to get to share with you what four of our students managed to write. Most important, we, their teachers, feel proud that they opened up themselves to you and convinced other people to do it too. Because we want to make it easy for you to connect with us and the personal growth teaching material offered by this Comenius project, we invite you to subscribe to the following issues of this newsletter and also to visit our official website: http:// training-for-life.wikispaces.com/ There, you will find all the added-value teaching we have tried to provide, with the addition of some wonderful new material every month from the team in charge, all designed to make a difference in your life. Hope to read you all very soon! Please, have a dream! By Simona Crisan If we were to admit something in front of this paper, it would be that everyone has a dream. Some are stranger than others. Maybe some of us dream of a paragliding jump from the Eiffel tower, others to reach the Moon or, more recently, to become vampires. Although the latter can be really appealing, I prefer a different vision. A year ago, I was not thinking at all about my goal in life, what I would like to do next, but now I realize that we do not get everything served on a silver platter. Which is really cruel for a comfortable person like myself. We must work to achieve something. So, I decided I’ll put all my efforts into doing this. And here's my dream : to become a writer. It may be hard, but it’s definetely worth trying. I want to share my ideas with others, to demonstrate that it is worth trying to create something beautiful for others. Not long ago I read a book and the author (Andrew Gross ) said : "I would be happy even if the postman called me to tell me some nice things about my book." Indeed, it had been hard for him in the beginning, being rejected by many publishers, but ultimately he succeeded. Ever since kindergarten we were asked what we want to become when we grow up. In my case, the answer was always the same: a teacher. Probably the idea of helping children to learn new things, good things, inspired me. Over the years I've developed my vision. I realized that, well, I like to write. To give life to characters, to create an action that can have a happy or an unexpected ending. If you haven’t found your vision yet, my advice is to let your imagination run free. You can be whatever you set your mind to! And to have an imaginative mind, watch as many cartoons as you want, play with kids or just chat with your friends about it. It’s what I do! Then, once you found your vision, come out of the shadows and step in front of everyone, glowing because of what you have achieved! Because you HAVE a dream, no matter how odd it is! Even those of you who want to become vampires! (Now ... you know that it will not happen, but it does not hurt to dream a little, does it?) So, who’s next on the stage? ... FARMEC’S LEGACY: A “CHARMING” VISION OVER GENERATIONS By Călin Donci & Emil Pop Introduction: The Farmec Company is a very good example of a 100 % Romanian company, with a rich history of over 124 years of existence. Farmec’s relationship with “Ana Aslan” Technical College is over 2 decades old. Over the 4 years of high school, our students have practical courses and internship periods in this company. Some of the students return as employees after finishing their studies. This is the reason we chose this company as the perfect example of good practice in implementing a vision. Our partner in this discussion is Mr Mircea Turdean, General Manager. What were you thinking when you created today’s Farmec and how did it all begin? M.T. I can say that we have carried on the vision of our predecessors, and we, the team that is currently in charge, have tried to bring Farmec to par with modern standards and high market standards. Who was the biggest influence of your life? M.T. Our father, “everyone’s father.” That’s what we like to call him, Mr. Liviu Turdean, who was General Manager for over 35 years. He was declared as the most long lasting General Manager in Romania. Nearly everyone working in our company considers him a father-figure. Tell us a little bit about your vision, Mr. Turdean. M.T. Right now, we are the largest cosmetics company in Romania and our vision for the coming years is for us to grow and to hold our spot as the largest and most important cosmetic products company for the Romanian people and beyond. Our motto is “Together for beauty and health.” In the near future, we hope to grow, this means conquering new grounds in export. We have to increase the small percentages we have in export, we have to invest in exports in order to become more competitive, so that our brands, that are already well known by every Romanian woman, to be just as known and to sell well in Europe and on other continents. Right now, Gerovital holds second place as a Romanian brand. We want it to reach first place but we also strive to be among the top brands in Europe and the world. This would be our vision for the future, that’s where we want to get. 4. What are “the main ingredients” of your vision? M.T. Well, firstly, a family! You should know that in the last 25 years, a lot of management formulas and specialty language appeared, most of which we were already using here. We have implemented them and also the concept that all managers nowadays refer to as “team”. Before being a team, Farmec was a family! And for us, the word family means more than a team. It defines us better. After that, innovation; it’s easy, without innovation we don’t stand a chance in successfully competing and growing. For this we are lucky enough that we’ve been in direct contact with the women of our country through our marketing system for over 40 years. We have a very tight relationship with our customers, we know what they are asking from us. We also invest a lot in training, in teaching people, since we are a family, why not teach our children and coleagues. We have amazing partnerships, some of which we would not have been able to have without the help of Ana Aslan Technical College. What was “the magic ingredient” in reaching your dream? M.T. Work combined with pleasure! I wish that everyone who comes to work for us, in the morning or afternoon, to have a smile on their face and to punch in and out happy. Tell us about the obstacles you have faced in implementing your vision and how you overcame them. M.T. It’s not so much about the ovstacle in itself, but more about the attitude you have. We deal with obstacles on a daily basis, in every department. We successfully overcome them each time they arise and we grow thanks to them. We fix them and we move on. These obstacles are mere stimulants. We have great relationships among people in different departments. Communication and joint effort amongst each department can overcome anything. How do you maintain your products’ sustainability? M.T. Quality formulas and a successful brand, both highly renowned together with marketing and PR policies that uphold these brands. A unitary company policy to grow, uphold and promote them constantly. We have around 260 agents that distribute but also gather information about our products from the market. These reach marketing and together with performance studies they get centralized. What are you giving back to the community that supports you? Tell us about a campaign you love. M.T. Every year we have beautiful relationships with foundations that support children, people with disabilities, people with all sorts of problems and we are an active part of these foundations’ programmes. Tell us a bit about your role in supporting the Romanian Olympics Team… M.T. Very well accomplished campaigns that made us notorious but really, we have had them because we cared about them and they were close to home. In the Olympics campaign we were amongst 4 other sponsors and the only ones from Romania, the others were multinational companies. We were very glad that we were able to support these sportsmen. It’s known that today, in Romania, it takes lots of effort to reach an Olympic medal. During the games I was there for the teams, encouraging them, without trying to profit from the possible publicity. I did it as a fellow Romanian, not as a sponsor and that proves how much we invested in this campaign. During the last decades we’ve seen the Farmec company re-invent itself through new products, re-branding campaigns. What should we expect in the future? M.T. Always expect the unexpected from us. Be it next month or next year. There will always be new products and campaigns, we will never let our beliefs go. The ones mentioned above, because this is the only way we can survive and strive. We have over 600 employees that support families of their own and that’s why we have to support them. Their happiness is our happiness. Finally, a word of encouragement for the people that will read this article, something that will motivate them in chasing their dreams. Maybe something that you would’ve liked to hear when you were in university or high school. M.T. Sadly, back in my day, it was way easier to reach your vision, there were more jobs, more perspectives. Young people nowadays have more obstacles to overcome. I can tell you that one thing our company cares about is investing into young people, graduates and students that spend their practical courses here and enjoy what they do and they wish to pursue that as a career. We will always have room for them here! We’ll always encourage and attract young people that can carry on the Farmec legacy. The people we attract and encourage will be taught what they need to do and I believe they are the ones that will continue the Farmec tradition and vision! Ioan Ovidiu Sabau – A football legend that always knew what he wants to be He played for Football Clubs like: „U”Cluj (1985, 2000), Dinamo Bucharest (1990), Feynord (1990), Brescia (1992, 1997), Rapid Bucharest (1998, 2001) and for the National Football Team of Romania. No matter the team he played for, he was always viewed as a moral center, a man of his word and a good professional. More about his activity as a sportsman: http:// www.romaniansoccer.ro/players/s/ sabau_ioan.shtml Alexandru Giurgiu: Firstly, let me begin by saying that you are a role-model for me and for the generation of young people in Romania, passionate of football. Ioan Ovidiu Sabau: I`m glad to hear it! A.G.: How did you imagine your vision for the future as a child? I.O.S: As a child I liked football; I remember that at the age of 3 my father used to take me with him to football matches, although he hardly afforded to buy a ticket. From the moment I saw the players I knew I wanted to be like them. When I was a kid I dreamt that when I grew up I will be respected and become a big name in the history of Romanian football. A.G.: Do you think you have fulfied that dream ? I.O.S :Yes, I fulfield that dream; and I know this because now my dream is that my children have everything they need to fulfill their dreams. A.G.: Talking about family, what can you tell me about yours? Where did you grow up? I.O.S.: My family was a simple one. I grew up in a village called the Valley of Flowers in the Cluj County. I used to dominate everyone in the village on the maidan (i.e. a field where all the kids gathered to play games). My cousin recognized my potential and brought me to “U” Cluj. It was during the summer vacation and the coach was Alexa Uifaleanu. He said that until the other players return from their vacations I could come and play. He said that it will be very hard and that I should try and play for another team, but before the summer was over I convinced Coach Uifaleanu that I am an asset and I could remain even after the players came back. My parents were simple workers. My mother worked in a factory in Cluj and commuted everyday. My father was the president of the local CAP (i.e. the Agricultural Association of the village ), thing that counted a little at the time. It wasn`t easy for them. I don`t know if there was a day when I didn’t play football. My parents felt that I can get somewhere with this sport. In fact, the first time they came to see me play was at my debute in the senior team of the „U” Cluj. When I got my first salary I wanted to share it with my parents, but they didn`t accept it. Still, I didn`t give up and I gave them half of it telling them that it’s the least I can do for all their support. Back then, young people were a bit different. A.G.: Can you tell us about a difficult decision that you had to make and what helped you? I.O.S.: One of my hardest decision was to refuse my transfer to Steaua Bucharest. A.G.: Why did you refuse to play for Steaua Bucharest, a big club at the time ? At that time, both Steaua and Dinamo Bucharest wanted me. Every two weeks I was caled to Bucharest to discuss with Valentin Ceausescu and Ilie Ceausescu, the dictator`s brother, who were trying to convince me to accept Steaua’s offer. It was tough, they even threaten me. In the end, I decided not to go. If I chose Dinamo, then my team („U” Cluj) had a bigger advantage. After I talked to Valentin Ceausescu I went to Dinamo where I finally started my career in the big football league. If I think of the reason why, then I must say „out of loyalty” I think keeping your values is the most important thing in life. A.G.: Mircea Lucescu was the coach at the time. How was he as a leader? I.O.S.: At that time he was very young and impulsive. He lead with energy. He was young and he had to be very ambitious. He had a lot of personality. He controlled all things. From the food we ate to the equipment we wore and the vitamins we took. He handled everything. A.G.: Coming back to you; we talked about you as a football player, but there’s another side of you – that of a parent. How is Ioan Ovidiu Sabau as a father? I.O.S: I have a boy and a girl. I always left them very much liberty and I tried to have an open relationschip with them. During the time they were 16-18 years I was away coaching. I consider it a lost time and I regret that I couldn’t be closer to them. My greatest challenge as a parent was to find balance between my professional life and my family life. A.G.: So, did you manage to do this? I.O.S: Now, I do. It took me some years and some mistakes on the road but now I try to be the best coach I can be and the father my children need to succeed in their careers and in their personal life. DISCLAIMER: This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein. You have received this e-mail because you registered on our website or have previously indicated an interest in Comenius Multilateral Partnership "Training for LIFE: Leadership Initiative For Europe" LLP Link no. 2013-1-RO1-COM06-29361 1 Produced in Romania by "ANA ASLAN" Technical College © 2013