Very few managers will ever find themselves in a situation such as the one Yuri Tkachenko has faced in Ukraine this Spring. Flexibility and open communication has been vital to steer the team through the difficult months.

Like many others, Yuri Tkachenko did not expect that Russia would actually invade Ukraine. But when his colleague woke him in the early hours of 24 February, he was facing a new reality. The first thing he did was to call his close relatives to make sure they were okay. Then followed several phone calls with Patrick McKenzie, Kristine Belska and David Briggs. Fast decisions regarding the business had to be made and all operations were suspended immediately. But even though the invasion was unexpected, Yuri and the VELUX Ukraine team were not completely unprepared: “We had an internal plan in case something happened. Just as we have Business Continuity Plan in case of a natural disaster, we had also created a plan in case of an invasion. It was very simple, because we know from previous experience that it is impossible to predict everything, and many decisions must be taken on the spot depending on the situation,” Yuri says. “As a manager, it is important to keep your emotions in check and keep a clear head. You have to accept the fact that you cannot change the situation, and that planning is extremely difficult. Instead, you must be able to react fast.”

Safety first The first thing they did was to have a common call, where Yuri communicated the decisions taken and the options and support that were available for the employees. Safety was top priority. All important documents had already been moved from the office to a safe storage prior to the 24th and during the first weeks following the invasion, all Kyiv-based employees relocated to Western Ukraine. Access to the global VELUX network was shut down as well to prevent cyber attacks, but Yuri and his employees were prepared for this. “I was contacted by IT Security several days before, and they told me that they might have to cut us off from the global system in case of an invasion. We agreed that I should go over the basics of IT security with the employees, and I mentioned to them that we might loose access. So it did not come as a surprise to us,” says Yuri. Instead, the team used the apps Viber and Signal to communicate. Virtual meetings were established twice a week, and were very well attended. It was important for everyone to keep in touch, and the dialogue was very constructive. A separate channel was set up for more informal communication, allowing the employees to share thoughts and emotions. “Communication is key in a situation like this. You must keep the lines open, provide support where it is needed and give the employees flexibility in terms of how to best handle the situation. Having that informal chat forum was really valuable. People could use pictures, videos and emojis to express their feelings, and give positive feedback and support to those who were struggling.”

A massive display of support Yuri and his family also left Kyiv two days after the invasion when the fighting broke out close to their home. After staying two months in Lviv in Western Ukraine, Yuri returned to Kyiv in late April. Thankfully, their house had not been damaged, and neither had the office. Now, business is slowly returning to normal, and activity is picking up. “I expect there will be big business opportunities for renovations and rebuilding once the war is over. We already see construction companies starting to renovate and build new houses, and we want to support this.” The employees can return to the office in Kyiv if they wish, but also have the option of working remote. Safety is still number one priority. “We have good experience with remote work from Covid-19, so we will not hurry to bring everyone back. That will probably be the last step. But the employees are really excited to come back and start talking about normal things like windows and installations again.” One of the things that has impressed Yuri the most these past months, is the way VELUX employees have helped both each other and many others affected by the war. “Our company values have become very clear in the way our colleagues have acted both in Ukraine and abroad. Many in Ukraine became volunteers and have handled humanitarian aid and assisted in finding accommodation and equipment for refugees, and we have received so much support from VELUX colleagues around the world. It is really amazing.”

Watch the video

Yuri made a video greeting from Lviv which was shared at David Briggs’ CEO Live in March