December 6 (BTA correspondent Martin Penev) - FAAC
Bulgaria EAD Executive Director Svetlana Stefanova spoke to BTA
shortly after she was named among the ten finalists in the 2021
Manager of the Year Competition of the Manager magazine. FAAC
Bulgaria is a company specializing in automated systems. In
partnership with Manager, BTA interviewed all ten finalists and
will run the interviews before the year's end.

Question: Assoc. Prof. Stefanova, what are the qualities that
make a good manager?

Answer: Above all, a sense of morality. When a person has
colleagues whom they have to lead in some way, it is very
important that they adhere to some moral principles. This is
probably my core belief as a manager. Then comes some level of
emotional intelligence. For the simple reason that we live in
turbulent and troubled times and it is very important to be able
 to see the people around not simply as means by which a job is
done but as like-minded people together with whom one can
achieve something. And if we can have fun, of course, that's
even better.

Other qualities a manager must have: to me, analytical thinking
is very important. I am a graduate of the Mathematics High
School in Ruse, and I am very grateful to all my teachers and
classmates with whom I graduated, because I think that
analytical thinking is very important in every area of life.

If analytical thinking is combined with a focus on the goal, on
what we want to achieve, then the results are already visible. I
 think these are the most important things for me.

Q: How would you describe the business environment in Bulgaria?
Is it hard to do business here?

A: I don't think it is difficult to do business in Bulgaria.
Different people always have a different attitude, even to life.
 Some see the glass as half full, and others see it as half
empty. I think it's a matter of perspective. If we manage to see
 the potential - and there is huge potential in Bulgaria, I
think that good results can follow. Why do I think there is
potential? First, despite the issues with staffing that are
emerging and much debated recently, I think we have very skilled
 professionals in Bulgaria, good people, in terms of willing to
develop. Because sometimes it is not enough just to have the
knowledge, you must also have the desire. I am always looking
for the spark in the eyes of the people who will join our team.
In addition, we are a country that is just entering the market
economy. I say ''just'', while in fact it's been there for some
years now, but we still lack sufficient traditions in this area,
 and this opens up certain niches, i.e. we have the real
potential to look around and embrace what we like and move in a
certain direction.

Q: And on this note, what are the challenges that your sector is
 facing?

A: The challenges, if I have to speak about this point in time
and perhaps not only about our sector, are mostly related to the
 supply of materials. This is a rather complicated issue and it
is becoming a problem. It is very difficult for some of the
suppliers to locate inputs. Hence the problem arises for us
because they are unable to supply us with the parts we need in
order to assemble our devices and systems. So this is the main
challenge. We have to be very flexible, to plan things very
well, to assess each situation, so that we can cope without
significant damage.

Q: How does the ability to manage resemble the creative process
in art?

A: Creativity above all. I think this is the basic term used
about creative processes. We certainly have creativity, it is an
 important thing, and I understand it as flexibility. Because,
as we have noticed in the last year and a half, things, even if
we have arranged it all very well, it never depends only on us.

And we have to be able to assess the whole situation well, to
gather the new facts very quickly and, in spite of everything,
to continue in the direction which we have set ourselves. So
this is what creativity means to me.

Q: What art would you liken your business to, and can you
compare it to a specific work of art?

A: To me, perhaps, architecture is something that we get close
to, as we have a sort of partnership. Architecture is an art
that creates an environment. I believe that through the devices
we develop and install we intervene with  this environment, we
shape it and, in a way, we are in partnership with architecture.
 So, this is the art closest to us.

Q: Do you have passion for art yourself and if so, what kind? Do
 you have any personal talents?

A: I believe we all admire good pieces of art. I enjoy good
music, for example. I mostly prefer classical music. I hold a
second master's degree in industrial design, so I dedicate some
of my free time to that. It is difficult to say whether I have a
 talent for it or not, but it brings me pleasure.

Q: What is your opinion about the management of culture in
Bulgaria?

A: I find it difficult to evaluate colleagues in this field as I
 am not involved in its processes and do not have first-hand
impressions. As an observer, I notice that a lot of business
ventures emerge from the field of culture, which is good. A
clearer strategy for art in Bulgaria would be useful, perhaps.
However, in my opinion, this is something that should be
discussed and decided at a national level.

Q: Could you share any personal observations about modern art in
 Bulgaria?

A: Yes, I believe that Bulgaria has great talents: wonderful
violinists and opera singers, poets, writers and painters, who
are highly appreciated far beyond this country's borders. I
admire Bulgarian artists. In such a small country they sometimes
 manage to set the standards in their respective fields.

Q: Thank you and the best of luck!

A: Thank you very much! DT, KK/LG

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