“We need to accept that we won’t always make the right decisions, that we’ll screw up royally sometimes–understanding that failure is not the opposite of success, it’s part of success.” Arianna Huffington

        

AYÇA GENÇLER

Born in 1961, Ankara, Turkey; Ayça Gençler is a graduate of TED Ankara College (1979) and the Middle East Technical University, Faculty of Engineering, Industrial Engineering Department (BS, 1984). Joining Türkiye İş Bankası A.Ş. in 1984, worked as an Organization and Methods Specialist (1985), Organization Assistant Manager (1993), Capital Markets Assistant Manager (1997) and Retail Banking Group Manager (1998). Within the context of Retail Banking Performance Improvement Project, built up sales and marketing teams to constitute the core of today’s ongoing Customer Centric Transformation Program as top performers and future leaders of the Bank.

Interview Questions

How do you overcome inertia when dealing change in company or environment?

Intelligence is described as the ability to adapt to changing conditions in the environment.  To overcome resistance, the most intelligent individuals must be selected as leaders and turned into role models by various tools of support and promotions provided by top management, who must also set successful examples themselves.

How do you allocate resources among different managers from each department when the company goals and strategies are agreed?

It is best to make people think that they decide.  Rather than dictating them what should be done in just a few words, take your time to make them say it.  In order to achieve this, top management should lead their people to find the best strategies by taking their time, asking them questions so that they find their own solutions, they decide what they need,  they choose their own resources. Only then can the top management have their ultimate support.  Even the scarcest resources will then be easily allocated, for the consensus (on priorities) has already been achieved.

Do you try to solve problems individually when discussing them with your team? Or do you try to solve problems as a whole by not focusing on them individually?

Problems should be discussed with the team only to find and focus on the reasons and the conditions that created them.  The actual cause of the problem must be eliminated to provide that it will not recur.  Otherwise, solving a problem will be a waste of time.  If it is really necessary, Seven steps of problem solving is always a good guide: Define the problem, define conditions and understand everyone’s interests, list all possible solutions, evaluate options, select an option, document the agreement, test and monitor the solution.

What kind of decision-making process do you follow when there are limited resources such as information, human resources, limited time?

Pareto-Optimality is a magical ratio.  Just like 20% of population has 80% of wealth, the principle can be applied to all aspects of life.  Determine 20% of your most critical resources and 80% of your goals will be achieved. The rest follows. Never forget the seven steps.

When you are working with other departments, what kind of conflicts do you encounter when making decisions and how do you resolve these conflicts?

Conflicts of interest should always be handled politically.  Watch the balance of countries and how they try to avoid war.  Try to see who benefits from war.  Just like a chef in a Michelin star restaurant, always carefully watch the process from buying the ingredients to chopping and cooking and serving. Let the underlings do the studies, always be there on the watch and you will add the final touch to please the customer – who may vary from the hungry man sitting on the table to your board of directors or company shareholders.

Do you solve problems as the whole organization, or do you departmentalize every problem meaning every department deals with their own problems?

The answer is within the question.  Everyone dealing with their own problems is the ultimate chaos.  But there is a way better than that.  Thinking outside the box proactively and eliminating problems before they occur. Finding and eliminating circumstances that may cause problems.  Instead, all organization and  resources should be focusing on goals and objectives. As we discussed on question 3, problems mean bad management.

Describe a time when you had to make an immediate decision on a critical issue.

One must never be authorized to make decisions before practicing at least 10.000 hrs on any matter and become an expert.  Only then can one depend on the reflexes. Forinstance, I was a novice of Istanbul traffic as well as my car.  It was a rainy day and I was speeding.  I saw the lights on a turn, hit the brakes, slid, crashedthe car.  Paid dearly…

You want your manager to buy a new software that will help your work and you’re trying to choose between two options. The first is more expensive, but has better reviews and the second has fewer features, but is within budget. Which one would you recommend and how?

Jewish proverb:  We are not rich enough to waste our money on cheap things. Wise men, the Jews…

Describe a time you made an unpopular decision. How did you handle the feedback? How would you have handled the situation differently?

See question 7 for quite an unpopular decision.  Corrective action:  Took the bus for a long long while before becoming expert of the car and of the city traffic.

If a problem, which you have never experienced before, occurs, how would you approach it to solve? What would be the strategies you follow?

If a problem that I have experienced before occurs again, it means I am doing the same mistake over and over again.  I should better quit whatever I am doing immediately.  If a new problem occurs, the seven steps of problem solving is in the answer of question 3.  But if one studies the habits of successful people, it will be clearly seen that they focus on their goals rather than problems.  My humble advice for you as well… Your questions were mainly on problem solving.