ALMA IS A COMPANY WHERE YOU COME TO WORK WITH A SMILE

I started working in Alma when I was 26, at the time when I had various interests, when I was on a kind of life crossroads, thinking about which road to choose. However, when I stepped into this office, I felt incredible energy, kindness, and warmth.

On my first day as the business secretary of Alma Quattro’s CEO in 2008, Kosanče Dimitrijević (the then CEO) approached me and said:

“Excuse me, I would be very grateful if you could make an Excel table of all employees, if you don’t mind.

I was very surprised by his approach. I was delighted by the way the CEO was addressing the employees. Until then I had worked in two companies and my experience was different, as there was always someone who was in between with the executive, and CEOs and department heads mainly sat in their offices and you could only see them at some important corporate events.

Because of that respect, since the very first day I have never minded and I have been happy to work and contribute more that I am expected.

After six months I was officially employed on a permanent basis. The CEO invited me to his office and told me that I was officially part of Alma Quattro’s team and told me never to hesitate to propose any idea that, in my opinion, may improve the business of the company. I got wind in my sails, because I realised that the CEO appreciated my opinion and believed that a good idea could come from anybody in the company, even from a beginner. His door was always open to me and all my colleagues, although in many other companies people have to schedule a meeting with their executives and, unfortunately, have to wait a long time to be heard.

I believe that the opportunity to be heard gave us the freedom to express our potentials for improvement and development.

The atmosphere in the company depends on the man who runs it, and the atmosphere between us was always excellent. When we work, we do work, when we joke, everybody is laughing, we never lack anything, and there is also time for “excursions” to a restaurant, where we always have good time.

From left to right: Tamara Mikšin, Tatjana Žižić, Tanja Vasiljević, Miloš Vasilijević, Dejan Mrđa, Sandra Dejanović, Bojana Novaković i Nenad Đorđević.

Of course, the work has never been affected and has always been done on time.

That’s why “people who get work done” is what really describes us well.

Like when we decorate the Christmas tree every year and start with the star tree topper, in business everything starts from the top as well as the freedom to work without the tension in the office. It means that even when there’s a mistake, it’s not about who made the mistake, but about finding a solution.

From left to right: Nenad Đorđević, Nataša Vuković, Tanja Vasiljević, Tamara Mikšin, Višnja Zečević, Sandra Dejanović, Tatjana Žižić i Anja Tomić.

Now I work as the sales administrator and my job includes everything about the papers required to close a deal, i.e. a campaign.

On this job I have learnt a lot about the communication with people and I have developed empathy, which is expected in the contact with clients. Sometimes that contact also required some resourcefulness, and funny situations were not rare.

One story can be a good illustration. My colleague from the sales department answered the phone and one client insisted on talking to the head of Kosanče Dimitrijević’s office. The colleague tried to explain that there was no such position in our company, but he was insistent. The colleague just put me on the phone with him and told me: “You are the head of office.”

Sanja Pešić, who succeeded Kosanče Dimitrijević as CEO, has similar work and management methods. She also cares about interpersonal relationships and motivation of employees very much.

As for the work method, it doesn’t matter how and what process we use, we have the freedom to plan and organise ourselves to get our work done, which is the only thing that matters. There is no tension. That’s why we are productive, accurate, and pleased. As a result, our families are not affected, we have enough time to focus on our families and spend quality time with them. I am happy that I can be with my children and my husband in a park, cinema, theatre or any other place at some time of a day when many others are still at work.

I have left my work where it belongs, as I have been taught by my superiors in Alma, and when I get home, I am unburdened and aware that I can indulge in small pleasures until the end of the day.