BUSINESS
MILENA LOPUŠINA, FOUNDER OF MIND LABORATORY
The Most Successful Learn Constantly The training courses and workshops of MIND LABoratory are based on the NLP [neuro-linguistic programming] methodology and other knowhow from psychology, management and HR. Educating young people is based on their preparation for a job, a career and life, while businesspeople are provided with powerful tools that help them do their jobs to the highest level
O
ur employers prefer to invest in formal education, financing studies and the like, rather than in the training, instructing and personal development of employees. On the other hand, employees didn’t care much about training either, but things are slowly changing for the better. • Did MIND LABoratory – as an agency for education, consulting and management – emerge out of your personal desire and need for training and education? - MIND LABoratory is indeed a product of my desire to constantly improve. I believe deeply that knowledge is the greatest wealth and that the learning process never ends. The training courses that I organise are the best opportunity to share the knowledge that I’ve gained, but also to upgrade it. I’m convinced that we can learn something new from everyone and that during these training courses I am both a student and a teacher. A person should devote themselves to that which they genuinely love, to invest their entire self and to be the best at that. This is achieved through constant work on self, a willingness to accept our weaknesses and to work in order to overcome them. 32 |
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• You created the agency as an accomplished person, because at that time you already had both a formal education and enviable work experience. What were you lacking? What do both young people and experienced businesspeople lack today? - Today, from this perspective, I consider that at the beginning of my career I lacked flexibility in work and the ability to better manage my emotions, so – like most businesspeople today – I had to deal with the work burnout syndrome. I wouldn’t want to generalise, but young people mainly lack motivation and interest in further learning, with a certain amount of fear and a lack of confidence present. I also often encounter the problem of focusing. A very small percentage of young people know what they want and few of them have clear goals. On the whole, businesspeople lack empathy, on the one hand, while on the other hand they are quite unfamiliar with how to organise their time and manage stress. Unfortunately, there is also only a small percentage of people dedicated to continuous improvement in the business world. An insignificant number of companies invest in their employees, while the
majority treat such allocations as a cost or don’t even consider this possibility. • Is it true that a college diploma is of little value today without self-confidence, a good performance, social intelligence and soft skils? - I really believe that knowledge is power and in no way would I undermine the value and importance of a university degree. Business success is impacted 15% by intelligence and 85% by optimism, the support of other people and clearly set goals. If someone lacks self-awareness, self-confidence, empathy, a capacity to make decisions and communication skills, that person is incomplete. Alongside this, we should in now way overlook tireless learning – as one of the basic characteristics of successful people. • You spent years working in the hospitality industry, as part of middle, senior and top management. What are the problems facing the workforce in that industry? How much do hotel owners and managers invest in employees? How interested employees are themselves in additional education and training? - The biggest problem in the hotel industry
