Valvanuz Serna Ruiz, managing partner of PROA Comunicación, took part in an interview for the initiative. 1TP5Spanishfor promoted by GT Linkers. Through it, the voice and optimistic messages of managers and businessmen who are a reference and example are disseminated, seeking to send a positive message in the face of the situation that Spain and the world in general are going through.
As a successful manager, I'm sure your opinion resonates in society. Can you send a message of optimism to the people who know and follow you?
My message of optimism is based on the recognition of all those who are working every day for all Spaniards in different places and positions. It is a message of optimism that does not want to forget each and every one of the people who have suffered illness and death alone, with the added suffering of family and friends. On this basis, when faced with complicated situations, I always think that time is always on our side. We are a society that does not cope well with a lack of control and it is time not to become obsessed. We must know that we are going to get out of this and that is why we have to live day by day doing what is in the hands of each one of us. Time passes, it always does, and there will come a day, sooner than we now think, when we will look back and be able to draw great conclusions from analysis and reflection.
What would be your recommendation so that the country does not come to a standstill from an economic point of view, so that we can in one way or another concentrate individually and do our bit in the face of the circumstances we are experiencing from a business point of view?
I think that what we have done in PROA Communication can serve as an example. Since the beginning of this great crisis, we have acted in two ways. Internally, we have opted to keep the entire workforce teleworking and not to make anyone redundant if we continue to maintain the level of turnover necessary to do so. We have also drawn up a contingency plan that we are analysing week by week to ensure that the decisions we have to take are the right ones in such a changing scenario. Externally, we have made ourselves available to all our clients and companies in the market to advise them on crisis communication in order to minimise the negative impact of this complex situation and help them, as far as possible, to overcome the situation.
What do you think we can learn and take positively from the situation?
I think this situation has shown how fragile and vulnerable we are, as well as putting us all on the same level. We are a generation that fortunately has not suffered like others and we may be facing the first big test of our lives. I sincerely hope that we will be able to draw conclusions that will make us grow and strengthen us individually and as a society. On the positive side, I would say that we are learning to value, not only the work of the various professionals who are standing up on the front line, which was so necessary, but also the world of the little things. A hug with our parents and siblings, a meal in good company, a trip to the countryside or a walk by the sea, a simple dinner with friends, a morning of surfing or the smell of saltpetre. These are all everyday situations that I am sure will, at least for a while, take on a new dimension. Finally, the thousands of examples, most of the time anonymous, of those who make solidarity, generosity and dedication their banner. I am amazed to see how many are able to bring out the best in themselves in such difficult and complicated times.
And finally, from a personal point of view: what have you been able to do these days that you don't normally do or can't do?
There are two things I'm doing now that I didn't do before. The first is to set aside a moment each day to call people I haven't spoken to for a long time. A teacher at school, an uncle, a priest or a friend. And secondly, to reconnect with my childhood through cooking because I am making recipes that were prepared at home when I was little. It's funny how they come back from the world of memories and how much I am enjoying them. I would love to say that I am reading like never before and that I have all the time in the world, but this is not the case. The days are flying by and, as is happening to many of us, I am juggling home and work.
Access to the original interview via this link link.