Yesterday, November 13, IEDC organized a traditional HR Brunch – a thoughtful and energizing morning, where HR professionals came together to explore one of the most pressing issues of our time: how to achieve real balance between work/personal life or better say, our personal and professional selves. The event opened with a warm welcome by Mia Gostinčar, Marketing Director and Mr Ivan Papič, President of the Slovenian HR Association, recognising the growing urgency of reframing work-life in the modern world.
Dr Klemen Rebolj, psychiatrist and psychotherapist, in his keynote, reminded us that beneath every “role” we play – professional or private – lie personal stories and unconscious patterns. He challenged us to ask: Are we truly responding as mature, adult professionals, or do we sometimes slip into “childhood sandboxes” when we least intend it? The Q&A that followed brought out great questions on what companies that really value people do for mental health and well-being of their people.
The roundtable discussion, moderated by Dr Rebolj, brought voices from across sectors: Nina Martinjak, Vice-President, Slovenian HR Association & CEO Vita X, Marko Podgornik Verdev, CEO of MIKRO+POLO, Mateja Tišler, MSc, HR Director, Ljubljanske mlekarne and Maja Rojšek, HR Director, Medis Group and Asja Dominko, Asja Dominko d.o.o.. They shared candid experiences of what makes (and breaks) balance in real organisations: leadership authenticity, good working practices in place, well-being and mental support programs, recruiting process that takes into account an individual behind the CV, and how the personal inevitably influences professional relationships.
In all, the event reinforced a simple but profound insight: to lead healthy teams and organisations, we must first lead ourselves. Corporate culture starts from the top and trickle downs throughout the organization. And that means recognising our personal needs, boundaries and narratives with the same rigour we apply to business strategies. And HR professionals are key figures in shifting cultures from “work vs life” to integration, intentionality and wellbeing.
Thank you to everyone who joined, contributed and connected. We look forward to continuing the conversation—stay tuned for upcoming IEDC events and programs.
#IEDC #HRBrunch #WorkLifeBalance #Leadership #HumanCentredHR