Ambitious tasks and cooperation with foreign clients – that is what gives Sii engineers satisfaction
Piotr Kątny, Product Owner and Business Analyst that joined the company over 4 years ago, says that since his first day of work there has been much going on at Sii Poland. At the very beginning, he was entrusted with ambitious tasks and was given a chance to cooperate with foreign clients. Before assuming the currently held position, he worked as Mobile Application Developer and then as Technical Leader. He is constantly looking for new opportunities to develop.
As a part of the new series of articles, we would like to present Sii employees who illustrate what being one of Sii Power People means in practice. Our heroes want to share their passion, motivation, and pride with others. They feel fulfilled because they create something important at work and it is the satisfaction that motivates them to do even more. They are happy being able to work with their team, share their passion, or act for the benefit of those in need. It is very important for them that the values they foster in life stay in agreement with those that the company has in its DNA.
You have experience as Technical Leader and often make use of your competences. What is important in this position?
Piotr Kątny, Product Owner and Business Analyst: Technical Leader, or Team Leader, is a person who must think ahead to optimize the work of his team. Sometimes he has to predict the future or stand aside to look at the team from a different perspective. He must be ready to share his experience and knowledge, and it happens that he just does things that do not come so easily to others. You can say he’s an all-rounder. And if he can also inspire others to do their work with pleasure and commitment, then he has everything you need in this position.
What is your team working on at the moment?
P.K.: We’re working on a desktop and browser-based application that allows you to measure distance in 3D space on theoretically two-dimensional images made with the help of special tools. It may not sound that exciting but there is a full range of technologically advanced electronics behind it and we are responsible for making the most out of it using the computer. As in the case of the development of any application, the very fact that the product works keeps our spirits up! ???? Especially when this is not just a simple application that writes and reads data through interaction with some database. It also brings a lot of satisfaction to know that the tool we conceived is used by hundreds, and ultimately thousands, of professionals from the construction industry all over the world.
What keeps you motivated?
P.K.: It is an incredible feeling when everything works the way it should and can be proudly presented to the client or our friends – we feel that our work makes sense and we want to keep doing it. This is also the case in private life – if we can do something on our own and see the desired effect, we want more! These are often small things – for example, I like to assemble furniture. ????
But getting back to the topic of work and inspiration, no IT project can be successful without the whole team being involved. In my opinion, the key is to organize work for everyone to feel that the leader takes responsibility for the project while trusting them and appreciating the results of their work. If something goes wrong, we try to solve the problem together. Thanks to this, my colleagues have a common goal and work as hard as they can. This feeling makes a great motivator.
As you’ve said, the involvement of the whole team is crucial. What if someone becomes demotivated and is not completely satisfied with what they are doing?
P.K.: It’s always worth looking for a new project – one that will give us the opportunity to use our skills or learn something new. This is exactly what the Job Changer app does. I know people who have successfully changed their project and now derive much more satisfaction from work.
What does the competence development process at Sii look like from your perspective?
P.K.: At Sii, there are definitely many opportunities to develop and show your skills. The regularly organized tech-talks, during which employees can become speakers and share their knowledge with people from the organization, make a great example. There are also events open to those outside the company. This is a great way to test your skills as a speaker, as well as to gain confidence. At first, it is certainly easier to present a specialist material to your colleagues than to an unfamiliar audience. They make great listeners, even if the speaker isn’t experienced.
Taking part in various technological meetings, either as a speaker or as a listener, is an interesting opportunity for personal development. I am always impressed with people who can deliver an excellent speech. I often participate in conferences and practically always find “real gems”. Afterwards I search for other speeches made by these people, analyze them, and use as inspiration. You can practice when speaking in front of a larger audience, but also when having an everyday conversation with your co-workers.