Taking Elma to coffee
“We wouldn’t have a job if there wasn’t a problem to solve”, says Elma Pasic, Emergn Senior Consultant. She’s not only getting to the crux of clients’ problems and finding the appropriate solution for each situation but also riding the busy streets of London like a ‘pro’ and dancing Zumba in her free time.
What’s your role at Emergn, and how long have you been with the company?
I’ve been working at Emergn almost 4 years as a Senior Consultant. When I’ve been asked by my family about what I’ve been doing at work, it’s not always that easy to explain. So, what I’d say is it’s really trying to get to the crux of the client’s problem, really understand what it is that they’re trying to solve. And to make sure the solution I propose is appropriate.
What do you think is necessary for someone to do during their first year at Emergn to be successful here?
My tip would be, try and get to know as many people as you can. Because it’s crucial to know who can help you out, who you can talk to for certain things. And even more importantly, whom might your help be essential to? How can your knowledge and experience be useful? Obviously, while the remote work is a reality for many of us it’s a bit harder to do, but still not impossible.
Outside of work, what’s one thing people should know about you? An interesting hobby, a unique passion, etc.?
In the first lockdown something convinced me to start cycling. I learned how to ride a bike when I was a small child, but I hadn’t done that for ages. And I never imagined I would be riding a bike on the busy streets of London. But it’s something that’s turned into quite a bit of a passion for me. Outside of that, a lot of people know that I’m a little bit of a Zumba fanatic… So, I enjoy dancing in my spare time. A lot.
If you were a piece of productivity software, which one would you be and why?
I would be Miro. It really helps to put everything and everyone on the same page and shows how powerful the visualization can be. Which also happens to be one of the VFQ practices I use day-to-day. And honestly, I don’t know what I would do without Miro, especially in this remote environment.
What’s the most exciting challenge in the work you do?
The struggle sometimes comes from the grounds of consultancy work itself… Sometimes it can get overwhelming when a lot of client problems and challenges crop up at once. So, you must do your best to understand the root cause of the problem, meanwhile making sure the proposed solution is appropriate. It’s important just to take a breath, have a break, and really think through the approach you’re proposing.
But, hey, it’s the whole reason why the job is so exciting. We wouldn’t have a job otherwise if there wasn’t a problem to solve!
What’s one way you live out The Emergn Way. What does it mean to you?
In consultancy, we’re typically always so trenched in the client-side, its ways of working, and caring so much about delighting the customer. So, for me, The Emergn Way is crucial as it reminds me that I’m a part of Emergn and it’s very important to me.
“To care for and invest in people” is an essential principle for me. Especially during the remote work, it’s very important to check in with my colleagues, find out how they’re doing and see if I can help anyhow.
Emergn is a global company with employees all over the world! If someone were to visit London, what’s the #1 thing you’d recommend they do or see?
If you visit London the first time and want to see the busy nature of it, I recommend getting on a hop-on-hop-off bus. It’s the easiest way to see the most important landmarks in London, without being overwhelmed, as London is so big. I’d also recommend trying to venture out a little bit into the English countryside, trying to find different places.
If a colleague came to visit London, that probably would be a day of lots of walking, seeing a lot of things and then finishing off the day in the pub. There’s no day out in London without going to the pub and having some nice food, sharing drinks, and fun conversations.
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