Let me start from the very beginning. My name is Filip. I am a 37-year-old Montenegrin who is currently a resident of 19 countries across the region of Central Europe. Throughout my whole career, I’ve believed in love and passion for the job I’m doing. I must say that there is no specific job from my past that I would say particularly “shaped me”, because I see no difference between selling chocolate, ice-cream, books or computer equipment, or working in customer service, leading a team…
All I am today comes from my constant intention to compare myself with me from yesterday. This is a way to measure progress in any segment of your life, personal or professional; by taking full ownership over your life and constantly comparing the person you are with the person you were. Nothing more than that.
What makes me proud in my work today is my team and that I see us all growing together. Indeed, the most meaningful part of my job is developing and supporting my team. A prize for any team leader is to recognise a team member growing with your support, while an even bigger prize is when a team member’s role overtakes the leader’s one in terms of importance.
We all have our career paths, needs and wishes, and it’s impossible for the person leading the team to be the fastest, most competent and ambitious member. As such, it is a great pleasure for me to see all those qualities in my team members and their wish to go a step further and embrace personal growth opportunities.
Taking on a regional role, I started running business review meetings that were initially only intended to discuss KPI reports. Over time, I realised that we can do much more than one-way reporting, so I exerted efforts to make it more important to all of us. I believed that every team member could contribute with ideas and comments, learning which goes far beyond pure KPI measurement.
The insights, assumptions, informal conclusions and experience they share are what opens the door to change and improvement. These business reviews are now an important milestone for us, in which we participate and contribute equally, learning and supporting each other. The Avon spirit and team energy make us all equal and make this story different and better.
Yes, indeed! Since the very first steps in my professional life, I have adhered to this rule. Do What You Love, Love What You Do! In the meantime, I have learned that the only person I should compare myself with is ME – from yesterday, a week past or a year ago!
At Avon, we follow our values of Belief Integrity Respect Trust and Humility.
Yes – we BELIEVE in each other. We create the highest ethical standards applicable for all – representatives, customers, but also colleagues – following our INTEGRITY. We RESPECT each other and appreciate the uniqueness of every team member. We TRUST each other and create a completely safe environment where each of us can share our points of view, dilemmas, concerns, ideas. And, finally, HUMILITY allows us to accept each other as just humans with the right to make mistakes, seek answers and have no fear of asking for help.
At Avon we are also very proud of the fact that we generally support women globally – not only to be beautiful but also to be financially empowered and above all healthy.
We are a company that puts mascara on lashes and food on tables, fights wrinkles with one hand and breast cancer with the other. We know the value of a perfect lip, but also how to speak out against domestic violence and in favour of women’s financial independence.
Everyone who knows about Avon is also aware of how important the causes we fight are – the fight against breast cancer and domestic violence. We know that these two problems are major issues that impact on women worldwide. We have a strong focus in this fight – to eradicate both breast cancer and domestic violence. This is a long road, but we believe it can be travelled successfully. We have already reached an important milestone at the global level – having donated more than a billion dollars for these causes.
So, when I return to the road I’m very glad to be part of something bigger than myself, and such a powerful mission, especially knowing exactly where I started – as a sales rep in Montenegro back in 2005.
As long as Avon exists there will be room for everyone.