This is the first interview I gave. This time it was an internal corporate newsletter. Enjoy!!!
What is your educational background and what you are currently doing for DXC Technology?
I graduated from Warsaw School of Economics where I studied quantitative methods and information systems. At the moment, I am one of DXC managers and I lead Applications Financial Services team.
What makes a great manager?
That is a broad topic and hundreds of books were written on it. Nevertheless, let me share a few of my thoughts on it. First of all, a great manager needs to accept the fact that “he or she is not the smartest in the room anymore”. At the moment, I am surrounded by great, very intelligent IT specialists and it is an honor to be able to listen to their points of view, pull conclusions and drive actions that are based on their different opinions. Secondly, it is important a manager is able to listen to others in an active way and seek out ideas and opinions. Thirdly, I believe being able to communicate in a clear and concise way is an important skill of a good manager. Fourthly, a good manager should serve as an example of hard work, engagement, and involvement. Lastly, a good manager needs to recognize each team member’s unique qualities and respect them, which will lead to good relationships and better cooperation.
Describe your management style
Since math was one of my two favorite subjects at high school (next to P.E.) I like making data-driven decisions and solutions. I am keen on problem-solving and seeking continuous improvement – usually, there is always a way of doing something better. I trust in a motto that “a captain will be the last person to leave a ship alive before its sinking”.I like slicing bigger problems into smaller chunks, planning clear actions toward solving them, and avoiding assumptions wherever it is feasible. Lastly, I cultivate clear communication so failures due to miscommunication is avoided.
How do you spend your free time?
Cycling and doing sports is my hobby. Actually, my two sons leave me with no choice but to ride a bike, run for a football on the pitch or throw a basketball together with them. I like reading books on the history of sports. Gardening and DIY also take some of my free time, however, I would not dare to say I am an expert in it.
Please tell us your favorite book you could recommend to the team or your favorite dish you could serve to the team
As for a favorite dish, it is better I do not serve anything to you unless you want to be poisoned. Although my family says I grill good burgers so that is a dish I would probably prepare. I do not think I have one single favorite book, however, there are a few I enjoyed reading a lot. Stieg Larsson’s Millennium trilogy is definitely one of them and I pulled a few all-nighters reading it. I also recommend Pattern Recognition by William Gibson - a good read for IT folks. Michael Jordan - The Life and King of the World on Muhammad Ali are good books explaining what was needed to become a top athlete and showing the cultural context of their phenomenon.
