In the context of Well-being Management tutorials, we hosted a guest lecture by PhD. Katja Potočnik, an HR of an international company, with whom we could understand how well-being works in corporate environment, because of her seven years of experience. Katja’s work experience is uniquely diverse. Finishing her degree on History and Comparative literature studies helped her connect history with new developments. Later, working a lot as a student, working in theater, as a tour guide, gave her foundational experience in people management, how to adjust communication with people, and the ability to manage conflicts. Her career then progressed through the Career Centers at the University of Ljubljana, the International Office, also Rector’s Office was blending academic work with business work. 

 

 

 

To secure well-being, in their offices they have “comfort room”, in which is even a piano, also organizing annual international team building, lasting around three days. They prioritize going out for coffee and talking about the problems outside of the company.

The lecture focused on creating team: how to create a team, how to make it work successfully, and how to bring together people with different skills, creating a team that knows how to communicate between themselves. Explaining us the two methods; waterfall method, and agile method and the difference between them, mentioning how important it is to work without pressure in todays world. A key part involves making retrospectives by doing better as a team, not as individual.

Regarding the issue of burnout, Katja suggested that the solution lies in making the system work for you. Knowing the project management from beginning to end, that leads to less stress and fewer problems. Also, we always need to look for early signs of burnout before they escalate. Being international company with seven locations, means having people working remotely. Explaining us how the work from home is done and how to ensure everything operates smoothly across different regions, cultures and religions.

Sharing her personal motivation and life journey, Katja inspired us to stay true to our values and ethics, to stand up for ourselves, and above all, to never underestimate the importance of open communication.

The article was prepared by student Jana Simić.