Trainer, Facilitator, Consultant
Ondřej Slabý
Something work-related
Ondřej spent almost 25 years of his career in the corporate world, focusing on development and learning, HR, and people management. As a member of top management, he shaped the strategic direction of people and culture plans in various companies across telecommunications, banking, FMCG, and technology. Since 2021, he has been sharing his experience as an independent consultant through consulting, facilitation, and learning programs. He worked with humancraft for many years as a client, and since 2021 also as a consultant and trainer. His specialization is people and culture — and everything connected with company culture.
Something personal
Some people might say Ondřej is competitive. He would say he is playful. That is why he will not turn down any invitation to a shared sporting challenge — whether it is tennis, volleyball, a casual run, or a mountain bike ride. And the point will not be to win, but to play. The same applies beyond the sports field. He enjoys discovering new things, playing with modern technologies, following new music trends, and watching how cinema evolves. His two teenage daughters are a huge source of inspiration — and sometimes frustration — for him and his wife, showing them how the next generation thinks and what “boomers” can learn from them.
1) How would you describe your job in one sentence?
Helping organizations, teams, leaders, and their people do their work more professionally and with greater enjoyment.
2) What has influenced you in life, and how does it show up in your work?
A bit philosophical, isn’t it? And at the same time, it sounds a little like an Oscar acceptance speech. My parents, my family, my wife, my children, all my work experience, colleagues, bosses — the good ones and the not-so-good ones — all the wins and all the fuckups. We bring all of that into our work. And I am very glad when my daily look in the mirror narcissistically confirms that I am heading in the right direction.
3) Why do you work for humancraft?
As a long-time humancraft client, it was not a difficult choice for me at all. It is a team of professionals with well-aligned values, who also do their work with enormous enthusiasm.
4) What has been your biggest challenge at humancraft so far?
I try to make every program I deliver for our clients a challenge in itself. The bar for quality, impact, and final client satisfaction should always be set high enough — whether it is a 30-minute consultation or a development program lasting several months.
5) How does your work influence your personal development and career?
My work is both my personal development and my professional journey at the same time. I try to make sure that everything I do gives me something new and also helps shape my professional path. Sometimes it may turn out to be a detour into a dead end, but even that is not always a bad thing.
6) What are the biggest challenges in corporate education today, and how is humancraft addressing them?
I see the biggest challenge in finding a longer-term impact of the entire learning process, rather than settling for the short-term effect of a simple training program.