MUDr. David Kostka, MBA, Director General of the Ministry of the Interior Public Health Insurance Fund, has been leading the insurance company since 2015. During that time, the insurance company won the “Financially Healthiest ealth Insurance Company” award for the second time. He learned teamwork thanks to sport, namely softball.
You have competed for the title of the Manager of the Year this year. What did you expect from participating in this competition?
I was looking forward to the debate with the other participants, people who have been creating and managing something all their lives and have a name in their field. We live in a time when much is changing, old ways are no longer working, and new ways have not yet fully taken root. In such a moment, it is helpful to compare your views, visions and ideas with people who have followed a similar path in life as you.
What managerial experience and priorities can you offer in this comparison?
As a doctor, I learned responsibility. But this also includes the ability to make quick, energetic and clear decisions. Not to be a buck passer, not to wait to see how things turn out. Thanks to my cooperation with the Czech national softball team, I have learned the power of a team and how important it is to be able to create an atmosphere where everyone is pulling together toward one goal. And how difficult it is to be able to motivate people of different life experiences, attitudes and backgrounds to be willing to partially suppress their own ambitions for the benefit of the whole. Most of my professional life has been in the health insurance industry.
Suppose you ask me what comes first for me as a manager. In that case, it is three main things: the ability to prioritise, choose the right co-workers and encourage creativity in the team. In today’s distracted times, when I am virtually always ready to receive and process different information and stimuli, it is essential to focus on the essentials of what the company needs. Not to succumb to the volatility of the times, but to have a plan and stick to it. Of course, you have to check everything and compare the partial results with the chosen goals. The skill to select the best collaborators is one of the principles that everyone seems to preach. But, as it happens, not everyone can live up to them. I believe that building and leading a multi-generational team is an essential skill for managers today. And that includes courage. Not being afraid ofcreative, unconventional people and involving them in working together.
Have you been able to apply modern management practices in the management of your company? If so, what have been the results?
You are correct in assuming that results speak for the manager. So let me give you two examples. Moreover, both are from the COVID-19 biennium, when our health service was under the greatest strain in many decades. Firstly, during this challenging time, our client numbers rose steadily. This means that we have a good reputation as health insurers because, in hard times, people think twice about who they trust with their money and health care. And secondly, in an independent survey, the HealthCare Institute rated us the best Czech health insurer in the “financial health” category twice in a row. Both of these examples show that we have successfully built a strong brand, the Ministry of the Interior Public Health Insurance Fund, which the public associates with trustworthiness and reliability. It is important for us that at a time of significant influence of various unsubstantiated fake news, we create such an image of ourselves that is supported by real results.
Thank you for the interview.
