How can managers convey their messages more clearly and effectively?

Introduce yourself in a few words..

My name is Magdalena Ivanova and I am the founder and manager of Executive Content – a specialized agency for communication services for managers and leaders. I have over 15 years of experience in media, mainly in business media, including as the editor-in-chief of the website of Bloomberg TV Bulgaria. I have worked as a PR expert in two banking institutions, and in recent years in the healthcare sector. I have conducted trainings for various audiences on crisis communications, media communications, internal communications, change management, employer branding, corporate communications as a prerequisite for business growth, conflict management, and more.

How would you describe your career in a few words?

My career has moved so far along the path of journalism and along the path of PR. In both fields, I have gone through all the steps and have gained solid practical experience.

Over time, I have been convinced that managers at the middle and high management level, business leaders, and professionals in a given field achieve higher results when they use professional help to express their ideas in an understandable language, so as to capture the attention of the other party. That is why I focused on creating communication services, which help managers convey their messages effectively.

What was the most important choice that shaped your path?

This is a choice that I make continuously – to never stop reading, learning, and staying up to date with all the news in my profession. Ultimately, lifelong learning is part of the expertise we can offer to the clients or the organization we work for.

What would you like to have known at the beginning of your career that no one told you?

At the beginning, no one told me how much of your personal time the profession I chose could take. Of course, one learns on the go how to adapt, and at different stages of life, this requires different approaches and mindsets.

How can one understand which profession is suitable for them?

It’s hard for me to say how, but it is certainly very important for a person to be aware of themselves, of their strengths, and to use them in the best possible way. For me, it was an internal conviction that this is what I want to do – I’m talking about work related to writing. And accordingly, writing has found various ways to express itself – either through journalism or through PR.

Which skills do you think will be key in the next 10 years?

In my opinion, communication skills will hold leadership positions in the next 10 years, because no matter how much technology and artificial intelligence develop, without communication, no area of business can exist. The ability to present ideas convincingly, both to the team and to clients and investors, will also be among the key skills we need. Leaders will need to develop their skills to inspire and motivate their teams so that necessary transformations can happen as effectively as possible under the influence of technological advancement, climate and demographic changes, etc.

How to build a network of useful contacts without appearing interested?

Building relationships in the context of the business environment should be based on the question 'What can I offer?'. When we share useful information, contacts, and are ready to offer help, trust is created in a natural way. In addition, for our contacts to be 'useful', relationships must be built and maintained over time. Only then will we have people we can truly rely on and be useful to.

What is the biggest mistake you have made in your career and what did you learn from it?

As a mistake for myself, I can identify a moment when in my earlier professional years I burned a bridge to another colleague just because they made me feel uncomfortable. Over time, I learned that work is work, and if someone behaved badly for one reason or another, it was because they couldn’t do it any other way, they didn’t know how to cope with themselves, or there was some external reason for their behavior.

How to recognize a toxic work environment and when is it time to leave?

If we do not feel good in a given workplace, if we are not properly valued, if we do not receive opportunities for development – it is time for a change.

What would you do differently if you could start over?

If I could do something differently, it would not be related to my profession, but to my education. If I had the opportunity, I would have completed a master's degree abroad. This provides a different perspective, an additional way to improve the language, and people and contacts that we would not otherwise meet.

How to maintain our motivation during times of stagnation?

In a moment of stagnation, I believe we should reflect on what causes this period – our personal choice or the specifics of the work process. There is nothing wrong with moments of stagnation; they are part of the normal cycle of life and work. Of course, it is good to be aware of whether we are talking about a normal period of stagnation, laziness, or if there is another reason for being more passive at a given moment in our lives.

How to achieve a balance between professional and personal life?

The balance between work and personal life is very fragile, and the right answer for each person is different. I am increasingly convinced that it is not so much the number of hours spent working or the hours dedicated to family that matter, but their quality. We can spend three hours next to the child, checking our email on our phone, but it is completely different to have active time together.

When is it time to change our career, not just our job?

When a person constantly feels dissatisfaction with their work, even if they change their job. The lack of meaning should be the red flag that we are not in the right place. I do not want to delve into the topic of burnout here, because with it, a person may simply need a much longer break from any work to restore their balance. Not least, a person must be mature enough for the change and ready to walk the path to it.

If you had to give just one piece of advice to people who are seeking success, what would it be?

Success should not be sought as an end in itself; it comes when we are 'burning' for what we do. Besides, it is hard for me to imagine that in the world we live in, there can be success without continuous improvement and learning.

What is your definition of a 'successful career'?

A successful career is one that satisfies us and does not interfere with our personal life and health.