With us, there is always a feeling that no matter what happens, you are not alone

Introduce yourself in a few sentences..

Vanya Zlateva, Executive Director, Foundation BEST - Bulgarian tournaments in English speech and debates.

Tell us what the philosophy and values of the company you currently represent are?

Through conducting national and international competitions in public speaking and debates in English language, development of a civic education program for students, a professional development program for young people at the beginning of their careers and conducting a summer camp for debates, the Foundation aims to achieve the following goals aimed at young people in the country:

- to encourage the development of critical and democratic thinking;

- to support leadership and the development of civil society,

- to improve public speaking and artistic self-expression skills, supporting the development of self-confidence and creativity;

- to build skills for reasoned and persuasive presentation of theses and ideas in English language;

We create a community of actively engaged, democratically minded individuals who are dedicated to creating a promising and prosperous civil society and work for the development of a better future for Bulgaria and represent it with dignity and confidence in the whole world.

How long have you been developing your current company? What are the most valuable lessons that the events of this period have taught you?

The foundation has existed for 12 years now, I have been leading the organization for almost 3 years.  During this period, I learned 5 valuable lessons:

- The power of community. In Bulgaria, there are many young people who have a natural ability to think critically  and have managed to preserve themselves and their values in the era of abundance and consumerism. However, they often remain isolated and scattered in different neighborhoods, schools, cities or find very few like-minded people. It is extremely important for  young people to feel that they are part of a community of like-minded individuals. In this way, they pull each other forward and develop together. I have seen hundreds of students who come to the debate and public speaking competitions timidly, as independent units, seemingly not believing in themselves, as if they are not sure whether what they think is worth sharing,  and after just a few tournaments, I notice how they have already found  new friends, gained self-confidence and confidence to share and  express their ideas, themselves, their observations. We need to work on creating valuable communities of young people  -  there they multiply their strengths, develop and each element of the community becomes a source of inspiration, courage, and a good example not only for the people in it but also for everyone else. 

-  Not just feedback, but properly delivered feedback. There is a statement that young people do not want to hear the advice of adults. In the foundation's community, I have been convinced that this is true, only if you do not know how to give feedback.  I have seen judges who cannot finish within their allotted time during a final debate because the competitors want to know more and more about how to become better, what could have been said/performed in a more persuasive way, what strategy would be better to apply in their case. I have seen competitors thank the judges for the feedback they received a year ago that helped them reach the finals or win a trophy.  It is amazing that young people actually crave feedback, but it is also very important that it is delivered with a good structure always in the style “sandwich”: good sides, points for improvement and corrections, good sides. We emphasize this structure because we believe that only a benevolent attitude can lead to lasting results and valuable dialogue.

- “Not everything is money, my friend” (If you know that this is part of a song, then you are 100% not from Gen Z :) ) 

Before I started working at the foundation, I had not had the honor of working with volunteers. In my life until now, I had no such experience and often I approached with a dose of healthy skepticism and even a little fear of the fact, that I would work only with volunteers and we would hold competitions in English speech and debates with the participation of over 400 people 6 times a year. One of the questions, I asked the Board of Directors when I first realized the scale of the competitions was: “I will do all this, but who exactly is my army?” Because 2 and a half years ago, the only paid position was mine.  Well, it turned out that the army of volunteers has power that sweeps away any temporary discouragement, any hesitation, any feeling, that you are not enough.

I realized that volunteers are  people who are not from this dimension or simply put - they are the modern awakeners, revolutionaries, commanders in peace time. They fight for the values (they have accepted),  while competing in our tournaments.  They remain part of the foundation after they graduate because this is their way of giving back what they have received.  They  inspire, motivate, take action. Volunteers are a pure manifestation of  the divine spark. Every day I learn from them and they are my inspiration.

- If something sounds clichéd, it does not necessarily mean that it is not real. Before I became part of the foundation in 99% of cases, if someone told me that “activity X, Y, Z”  has changed their life, I would have stopped listening and would have rolled my eyes in boredom, just because of the cliché. This happened when several members of my team and then my students told me: “The foundation changed my life”. Left out of context, this statement sounded more than clichéd. However, a year passed, during which little by little I heard the real stories and the context. One student shared, that he was  desperate that he could not find like-minded people, people who liked original speech and artistic expression and his teacher invited him to a competition of the foundation, where he found himself among a huge group of friends, with whom they became close very quickly. One girl shared that her duo friend and the comedic play they prepared helped her get out of depression  (yes, it exists among young people) and find meaning, and then be accepted with a full scholarship to a prestigious university. Listening to the original speech of one girl, I learned about her heavy fate, and publicly sharing this problem gave her strength to cope. I realized that there is often a connection between the poetry or prose, that students choose and how they feel. I understood that in the foundation's community, students not only improve their English language skills, not only learn to think critically and speak persuasively, but also share their feelings, talk about their dreams, find new friends and support, gain courage to express themselves, self-confidence to stand up for themselves, and connect with their own authenticity. 

It turned out that behind clichéd expressions lies a self-preserving magic that truly changes lives. Young students graduate and return as judges to support the new competitors. Student leaders join a team of volunteers who manage the foundation or become trainers for teams.

And do you know how you can say “The foundation changed my life” without sounding clichéd? It turned out that there are students who can make it happen - intonation, context, pauses. There is much to learn from the students in the foundation.

- “Experiencing a dose of happiness is more convincing than thousands of words”  In the last 2 and a half years, we have gained the trust of strong like-minded individuals. - The drop that affected everyone was the energy “live”.  Of course, it is important to have meetings, photos, and presentations, but the magic happens when you feel the happiness of the students. Grown-up children who tremble with excitement and effort while presenting and debating, who hug and cry when they are awarded, calm down and sob when they lose, get motivated that they can and that victory is not the most important thing and rejoice in the successes of others. Teachers who closely monitor the rules and defend their teams until the end,  then jump and shout more than the children at the awarding ceremonies. Real people with a real desire to develop, to help, and to be an example. It is no coincidence that our partners are strong institutions that strive to make Bulgaria a better place with persistence, faith in young people, and a dose of irreparable optimism.

If you personally had to write a job advertisement, how would you attract the attention of a future employee?

The unique thing about us is that you work on the ground and the impact directly extends to over 1300 students a year. I would emphasize the opportunity to have fun while securing the stage on which hundreds of talents will unfold, many future lawyers, doctors, engineers, IT specialists, actors, researchers, etc. Because the foundation is the place where you discover and establish your true passion, learn to think critically first about your own needs, direction, goal, then analyze the information, around you and in turn influence in an engaging, captivating, persuasive way.

I would also emphasize the opportunity to work  with a unique management team and a team of volunteers - judges, teachers, companions, from whom you can learn various skills from how to technically manage a tournament, to how to create a fun fundraising event, to how to resolve conflicts and crisis situations. (Surely none of you thought that a tournament of 400 people goes without 2-3 crisis situations). With us, there is always order in chaos and a feeling that whatever happens, you are not alone and I believe that will be attractive to read in a job advertisement.  Perhaps the closest comparison is like a beehive that reacts instantly, as one organism, to every emerging danger. 

What does your company do to organize a constructive and beneficial working environment for everyone? Do people in the team need to be friends?

We strive for each team member to express their opinion without worrying (this means that you will be heard, even if your opinion is different from everyone else's). We place great importance on direct and open communication, we have various channels for discussions, divided into working groups. In them, topics that are within the competencies/tasks of only the people from the respective department or project are discussed. Important decisions are not made independently by either the department coordinators or the executive director, but are put up for general discussion during our weekly meetings and a consensus proposal is prepared on behalf of the entire team to the board of directors. Every person in the team values and respects the tasks of others. At the beginning of the year, each department prepares a proposal for the development of the department with specific goals and deadlines  and presents it to the others. We synchronize all proposals, discuss ideas and create strategies for the academic year. This creates a sense of direction, clarity of goals, both for each department and for the foundation as a whole.

In our team, people are friends. This is the inevitable effect of being part of our management team even for the most closed and introverted individuals.

What makes you enjoy going to work? How do you handle difficult and stressful moments?

What makes me enjoy going to work is the joy of having the luck to communicate with many inspiring, engaged, smart, active, and motivated young people, driven by the desire to be useful and give. When you see how everything is done in the foundation with such desire and love, you inevitably want to give the best you can, so you can stand proudly in your place. Difficult moments are more of a challenge. I personally always consult with the team, we do a quick brainstorming on how to deal with a given situation and usually come up with quite good ideas. In addition, our partners, whom I mentioned above, are always on the line to give us advice, moral support, ideas, come to the ground with us, judge, give speeches, conduct workshops, etc..

What work model does your company adhere to – office or remote? What do you think about the possibility of giving options for flexible working hours, within which employees have greater freedom to balance their personal and work commitments?

Our work is mainly remote. Everyone has the commitment to complete their tasks within a specified time frame and it is important for us, when that time comes, that everything is done. We are not supporters of the idea of a strict workplace and time, but of the idea of strict work discipline and personal responsibility.

How do ongoing technological changes worldwide affect your business?

We take advantage of all innovations in the technological world. The development of artificial intelligence poses some challenges to us, but we strive not to be extreme in limitations, but also to remain a place, where natural intelligence has a higher value (in terms of texts for Original speeches, for example).

What is your career advice for all people who are building a strategy for their professional development?

Follow unwaveringly the activities that fill you with joy. It is a good idea to set a few short-term and a few long-term career goals, but if you have to choose whether to be consistent or  intuitive and flexible, choose the latter and be brave.