Jana Doválelová: "We do not make our colleagues choose between maternity or career."

"One stage of life begins, and the other continues undisturbed; we do not make our colleagues choose between maternity or career," says Jana Doválelová, Operations Director Mindsquared.

What excited you about the whole Mind2FLO idea?

First of all, the people who were behind it. I'm not a big visionary, but I like when my work goes somewhere and has a wider scope. Here, I knew that it would make sense for business and corporate culture, thanks to people. I really like Lenka's idea (note: Lenka Auerová Group COO) about becoming a trendsetter on the market in the field of corporate culture. As I gradually get to know my new colleagues, I see we can fulfill that vision. We are at the beginning, and the will to cooperate is already huge. The new operational teams are led by people I have respected both humanly and professionally over the past few months. We still have a lot of work to do, but my enthusiasm certainly did not pass me by. ???

“I really like Lenka's idea about becoming a trendsetter on the market in the field of corporate culture.”

What stays on your mind when you say Mindsquared?

Of course, we are primarily a 360 media agency with a fixed framework of activities - we deal with strategy, purchasing, pricing, and campaign execution. At the same time, however, we can build on synergies with other teams in Mind2FLO and offer the client a more comprehensive solution. The people from Netdirect, Base are incredible professionals, and as soon as we manage to finish the teams, or when the people with whom we have already agreed to cooperate "jump in," we will have exciting and challenging autumn when we will give synergies more factual content.?

What do you see as the most extraordinary power of Mindsquared, and where is the greatest challenge?

The connection with FLO, as a technological part, is ingenious. I feel how much we have been learning from each other in those few months. In addition, anyone I talk to from any part of Mind2FLO has a similar mindset. When connecting different companies, it is always a big question mark how people can work and communicate together. However, this is the first time I see a strong will and desire to go for it. In principle, no one protects "their territory"; instead, we all perceive it as an opportunity to expand our borders and offer clients meaningful, comprehensive solutions.

The challenge, and now I speak mainly from my position, is the process set for me because the pace of growth and change is quite fast.??

Many will undoubtedly ask: "You're building a new company; there must be a murderous pace and zero time for personal life." So what would your answer be to that claim??

The topic, closely related to corporate culture, is well anchored in our company from the very beginning - namely, the reconciliation of family and work life. As a mother of three and a graduate of gender studies, I really enjoy seeing this matter as one of the company's priorities. We cater to various types of contracts and jobs so that everyone can choose what form and level of work they can do with children.

“We cater to various types of contracts and jobs so that everyone can choose what form and level of work they can do with children.”

It is incomprehensible to me that many companies devote a lot of energy and money to educating people. Then they lose senior women if they do not allow them to set such conditions that they can manage with children. It doesn't make sense even from the business point of view, given how difficult and expensive it is to find seniors.

In general, it is possible to set such individual conditions in a mutual discussion and explicitly express the expectations of both parties that it is feasible. Of course, the ability to work remotely partially helps a lot.

And let's say that it's not just about caring for children; people get into different life situations in which they can't or don't want to spend most of their time in the office. The key concepts for me here are sustainability and balance, creating an environment where people can combine their working lives with private ones in the longer term. Satisfied employees are more motivated, loyal, and productive, which is the main prerequisite for the company's development.

What should we imagine under the role of Operations Director?

As I have already mentioned, a large part of my work represents the process setup of practically everything, internally within Mindsquared and in cooperation with other teams in the Mind2FLO group. In the future, I would also like to focus more on building corporate culture and coordinating the development and educational activities across the group. The range of that role will undoubtedly change a little over time as the needs of the company change. And of course, we will have to work it out with the new CEO. I'm really looking forward to it.