Coaching Program for Top Executives and Key Employees of Raiffeisenbank’s IT Directorate

A total of 8 sessions have been conducted.

Andrey Popov: “Our work began with reevaluating how the team operates. It became evident that the issue was not solely about professional techniques, methodologies, or project management. There was a need to discuss what is important to the team and what it requires, as well as how these align with the goals and tasks of the department.

As our goal, we aimed to become the best IT team in the Russian financial market. By ‘best,’ I mean a team that people desire to work with. If someone works in the IT field, their aspiration should be to work specifically in Raiffeisenbank’s IT team. Furthermore, our business partners should not even consider the possibility that our competitors can deliver work of higher quality than us.

I conveyed this ambition to the group, and we began working on it. This endeavor entails a significant cultural change within the team. It goes beyond developing our professional skills; it encompasses something greater.”

Sergey Shcherbinin, Head of the IT Department: “At the outset of our work, alignment was crucial. We needed to align our goals and understand how well we listen to each other, as well as identify our similarities and differences. And it all started with learning to listen to each other and using our differences as a resource, not as a source of conflict.”

Andrey Popov: “During our first significant meeting, it became apparent that there was a lack of common understanding, unity in goals, and trust among different parts of the team. Each person believed their truth to be the only valid one, disregarding the perspectives of others.

In that session, there was a particularly emotionally challenging moment when we, representing different roles involved in the process, shared and described our vision of what, why, and how things were happening. At some point, I noticed that everyone gradually started putting themselves in each other’s shoes. They realized that the world might not be exactly as they had imagined. This led to a sense of unity and a recognition that we needed to work on it. Without grasping this, it is impossible to become the best team. Subsequently, we actively focused on techniques primarily aimed at building trust, which is essential for maintaining healthy relationships within the team.”

Sergey Shcherbinin: “The outcome of our collective work was an increase in openness within the team and the ability to engage in meaningful dialogue. This influenced changes in our culture and relationships. The atmosphere became more trusting, creating a comfortable working environment.

A sense of foundation, basis, and confidence emerged. Reflecting on this year and the numerous challenging issues we had to address, the obstacles we had to overcome, I cannot imagine how we would have succeeded without undertaking this work. Our organization is growing, and we are facing more complexities. However, when you have confidence in your team, you approach these difficulties from a different perspective.”