Celebrating Team Spirit and #BetterTogether Value

As we approach the end of the year, our Finance Director, Inna, provided all finance colleagues with a new year dinner voucher. Today, I had the pleasure of taking my team out for a lunch, and it was a wonderful experience that truly highlighted our team spirit and #bettertogether value.

When I shared the news about the dinner vouchers, my colleagues Didem and Tomris were thrilled. Initially, we planned a coffee break for a Sunday afternoon, but we decided to change it to a lunch to keep our energy up while working on accruals and collecting invoices from vendors at the end of December.

Although I am not a fan of sushi, Didem and Tomris recommended a highly-rated sushi place close to our office. It was a new experience for me, as we usually prefer kebab or fish in Istanbul. Despite my reservations about sushi and Asian food, it was a great opportunity to bond with the team over non-business topics like children, shopping, and more.

For me, the critical aspect is being #bettertogether during these challenging times when many are on year-end vacations, and we are working hard to ensure a smooth year-end closing. Thanks to Inna, we had this chance to come together as a team and enjoy a meal together while we were in "away" mode in MS Teams.

These initiatives significantly boost our morale and productivity. After the lunch, I felt refreshed and ready to tackle tasks like the deferred tax calculation. Such occasions also strengthen our bonds, making us a more cohesive team.

Looking ahead, I hope we can continue this tradition next year. Perhaps we can explore Mexican or Italian cuisine in town, keeping diversity and inclusion in mind. Or, let's dream big—maybe we'll have the opportunity to gather with the entire PMIDF Finance team in a foreign country, experiencing new tastes together.

Thank you, Inna, for this wonderful initiative. It means a lot to us!

Z-Report of Belgrade Finance Workshop

After the 4-day Belgrade Finance Workshop, following a restful Saturday and Sunday, let's take a look at the Z-Report of my Belgrade visit...

My First Belgrade View

I see it as an opportunity to enrich ourselves with the lessons and gains we draw from experiences. I actually gained the most important experience of this workshop right at the beginning. I woke up at 4:30 for my 8:25 flight to Belgrade, filled up my car with gas, set the cruise control to 90 km after I fueled up, found a parking spot at Sabiha Gökçen Airport, and paid for 4 days. After passing through security, when it was my turn for passport control, the officer asked, "What are you doing here?" and informed me that my flight was from Istanbul Airport. The sweat that poured out of my body at that moment taught me a valuable lesson. I did something I had never done before and quickly crossed from Asia to Europe in the left lane, "a little fast." Luckily, I had left for the airport three hours before the flight, so even though I was at the wrong airport, following the rules had paid off.

After the wrong airline experience, relaxation in the lobby

Upon landing in Belgrade, I went to the place where taxis were waiting to go to the Hyatt Hotel where I would stay. The first five taxis didn't allow me to pay with a credit card, but the sixth taxi accepted, so I chose it.

Before setting out, I had given myself advice to turn these two days of a four-day workshop, which would be spent on the road for two days and in meetings for two days, into an opportunity for mental relaxation. Even though I set Teams offline and configured Outlook to turn off notifications, when I arrived at the hotel before nine in the morning and the room was not yet cleaned, I found myself sitting at a table thinking, "Let me clean up some emails so they don't stay on my mind." By the way, it was a little challenging to get used to the time difference, especially since my flight from Istanbul landed in Belgrade at 8:10, 15 minutes earlier than expected. After receiving my room around 11, I went to a nearby mall, walked around, had lunch, and then walked to the city center using Google Maps. Although I had no problem walking on the way, rain became an issue when I arrived. When I couldn't find a place in three cafes, I finally found a wooden chair in the fourth cafe and enjoyed a book and coffee. I thought about returning to the hotel before the rain got worse and before it got too late, but my umbrella couldn't protect me from the splashing cars on the roadside. Especially when crossing the bridge, the buses not slowing down caused my pants and boots to get wet every time. I went back to the room, warmed my feet with the hairdryer, and recovered. Then, another round of email cleaning, followed by an evening dinner with friends at the hotel, and the first day ended.

When You're Tired, the Best Dinner Option is the Hotel

The second day had a schedule focused on business matters. The highlight of the day was seeing our former football player Dusko Tosic at the restaurant we went to for lunch. I immortalized my trip to Belgrade by taking a photo with him. For dinner, we went to an Italian restaurant. The food was excellent, and the atmosphere was very warm. Of course, because I sat inside without taking off my jacket, when we went outside, I started shaking so much in the cold night air that my legs seemed to lose control. Fortunately, I quickly returned to normal with some movements before anyone saw.

Dusko Tosic & me

The agenda for the third day was lighter. After a meeting at the office, we had lunch and then went bowling as a team. In an area where I wasn't competitive, I chose to enjoy myself. I think such activities are very useful for breaking down the walls at the workplace the next day and for teams to communicate more effectively, of course, without going overboard.

Bowling with the Team

The last day coincided with Black Friday. After packing up my room and checking out at 10:00, I went to the nearby mall again. Unlike the first day, there was a tremendous crowd in the early hours this time. Especially the crowd at Zara was comparable to the Zara in Istanbul. Anyway, after buying a outfit for my son Okan and chocolates for home, I completed my shopping duty, first going to the hotel and then to the airport. Speaking of the airport, where are the airports in Istanbul and where is the airport in Belgrade? I observed once again that I was quite knowledgeable about this. Unlike the arrival, this time the flight I boarded at 14:45 landed in Istanbul at 18:30. I arrived home in 1 hour and 15 minutes in Friday traffic and, after the exciting gift presentation and recounting my experiences, returned to our normal life.

Circle of Trust