Ing. Renata Červenák Nývltová, CEO of ELTON hodinářská, a.s., does not like unpunctuality, so for that reason, she needs proper planning and accurate watches. For 26 years, she has been actively working in the engineering industry in positions where she manages entrusted departments and teams. She has led teams as large as 50 members.
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 new to this competition, and I appreciate the Czechoslovak Group nomination, which has many successful companies and thus many candidates for the nomination. Therefore, the trust they had placed in me was a victory for me, and I am pleased to be considered someone who would deserve this award. It was a very pleasant feeling and a commitment at the same time. However, because I did not know the criteria and priorities of the evaluators, I was not sure what to expect. Therefore, I had no expectations. I prefer to keep my feet on the ground and be pleasantly surprised.
What managerial experience and priorities can you offer in this comparison?
For 26 years, I have been actively involved in positions that manage the department and team entrusted to me. I have led teams as large as 50 members. I have held positions at the DG-1 level in the fields of Purchasing and HR, and always in engineering companies. I think this experience across various segments, “from vibrating cylinders and trams to guns and watches,” has taught and tested me quite a bit.
I consider trust and loyalty top priorities in the company’s management. Mutual trust. Mine towards my employees, my colleagues, and theirs towards me.
Do you manage to apply modern management practices in the management of your company, and with what results?
It depends on what practices you consider modern. I like to use information technology to manage the production (and not only production) to see efficiency and results. These tools give us information about strengths and weaknesses, fluctuations and stability. Based on this, we can react immediately and address the matter efficiently. But there are also the “soft” issues that no tool will ever show you and reveal. We still work with people, and their stability is an absolute priority for a functional team. And in our business, where the majority of production time is human labour, this is doubly true.
There is something I have learned in my practice and require of my managers: the ability to make a quick decision, to back up your decision with a valid argument, and to look for a path, not excuses. We are all in the same boat and must pull together. I have never accepted and will never accept things that go against the company, its reputation and its proper functioning. We are here to help each other, to find solutions. I like to listen to the opinions of others, have discussions and find solutions together. I consider this to be the only functional model for long-term cooperation and successful management.
That is why I need to have managers in key positions who can lead their teams and are loyal, collaborative and capable of discussion. Without that, we would be nothing, despite all the modern practices and tools.
I know this, and I run ELTON hodinářská based on this experience.
Thank you for the interview
