MUN Prague is an educational organization involved with international relations and diplomacy, however as it is based at the University of Economics, it is our objective to combine these subjects with management and economics in order to relate more closely to all students. For our third guest speaker lecture we had the privilege of meeting with a former Czechoslovak UN official and managerial coach Vladimír Tuka. With over 4 years of service at the United Nations Office at Geneva and 20 years in corporate management, Mr. Tuka has a broad experience to pass on to students of international relations and economics, which he demonstrated during his talk.
When trying to improve the productivity of a decision-making team the difference between the public and private sector is minimal as Tuka explained. His take on project management and running organizations is based on precise and clear communication with all members of the team and the understanding of their background and personality. This is especially crucial in international environments such as the United Nations or multi-national companies.
Apart from sorting out the communication amongst the team members, motivation must be kept at high levels thorough the delivery of important projects or missions. It is not just enough to give individuals the ‘big picture’ objective that is to be reached in the long run, people need the everyday involvement with their working environment and they must feel moving closer to their goals as they go. It is key to understand the ‘Why?’ behind an organization, but focusing too much on the purpose of operative tasks may slow down the overall delivery process. It is the job of a good coach to find a balance between these two contrary positions.
Coincidentally, during the time of Vladimír Tuka’s lecture, the delegation of MUN Prague members was participating at the annual Geneva International Model United Nations at the UNOG where he used to work. It was our pleasure to walk in the footsteps of a diplomat such as Mr. Tuka.
