Call for Leaders – 3Q is a new category where Business Review features our 3 questions with some of Romania’s top business professionals, bringing a positive, insightful, or otherwise constructive view of their markets in the context of the current crisis.

Current conversation: Razvan Stoica, General Manager GTS Telecom

What measures have you taken to protect your business during this period?

Our first priority was to protect our employees as they are the most important asset of our company and thanks to them the business is rolling every given month. We have made the necessary arrangements for everyone to be able to work from home, in terms of connectivity to devices and platforms, through secured access.

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Overall, we are doing our best to preserve the high level of service our customers are used to, by being 100% available, as if operating from the office. As a technology company, our business runs 24/7 and it’s in our DNA to respond quickly to any client’s incident regardless of the location and timing. Business Continuity processes and rules are embedded, to a certain extent, into our operating model, which enables us to easily accommodate many activities towards Remote Work. Our commercial and customer support teams work constantly with our clients and field activities are ongoing, with proper protection measures for our colleagues. Even our colleagues in Reception have secured access to all the applications they normally use, such as the office numbers which are forwarded to their virtual numbers on PC and mobile phones, through our fixed-mobile convergence platform.

Moreover, we are pro-actively supporting our customers in their transition to work from home, in terms of telecom or IT resources during this period. We experienced an increased demand for internet connectivity, upgrades of current capacities, as well for the Cloud family of services, with temporary demands or specific adjustments.

2. What is your advice for business leaders for this crisis?

We are confronted with an unprecedented situation and while advice is flooding every media channel, common sense always applies.

In such circumstances, one can either complain about the situation or act, do something which may improve or at least provide some degree of control of what is going on.

As a leader, it is important to be hands-on through all business activities, ensuring a vital and constant communication with the employees and clients. Actually, communication is the key. You can’t think in terms of “useless” or “enough” when it comes to communication, even more during this period. Involve people, let them contribute, as there is a strong desire for contribution, as we speak. Empower! Make decisions by empowering people to speak their thoughts and contribute to the best decision your crisis team may make. Needless to say, managing this communication requires a synchronized chorus, not a restaurant background noise.

From a business continuity perspective, leaders need to address the outstanding issues and prepare – or roll-out – a plan. Whether it involves employees or the business, any plan is better than no plan and every stage has to be considered, from the current situation to the worst scenario. Acting early is essential as is activating triggers for action based on changes. That’s because people think differently in times of crisis and anxiety prevents them from seeing beyond the immediate step. But leaders are forced to act fast. With no plan in advance, they could miss out on the necessary speed to intervene, limit damages, to preserve the business and so on.

In terms of Business Continuity, the IT activities play an essential role, being one of the pivotal processes now. Also, keeping closer contact with lawyers is advisable.

3. What is the most positive business news you have read today and want to share it?

Romanians care and can make the difference! During these uncertain times, we managed to overcome our needs as individuals and to be solidary with the medical staff fighting the Covid-19 pandemic by offering significant donations from individuals and well as companies. It is about being united, about the solidarity that people do not usually show.