|
Believing in yourself
For the next few weeks KEVIN DRAKE will be attempting to
come to grips with the elusive and enigmatic notion of success.
More specifically: What makes a person successful? What is success?
Are there any secrets or short-cuts involved in the long and
arduous roads towards success? Vital nuggets of success-related
information will be imparted by people who have undoubtedly
been successful in their own right. The first interview in this
series is with Vodafone Malta’s commander in chief Joe
Grioli, with whom we shall be discussing power, pressure, ethics,
ministerial mobile marketing, and, somewhere along the line,
the secrets of success.
Joe Grioli, what’s your story been so far?
Well, I was born in Valletta in 1947. Definitely the best year
for man and wine! And since I was baptised at St Paul’s
parish and my father was a member of the La Vallette band club,
a former Prime Minister deemed that this necessarily gave me
a particular, political pedigree! (laughs)
Skipping over the years somewhat, what was your first work
experience?
In 1962 I had to start working because my father was unemployed.
I wasn’t even 15 at the time. I had three A levels and
I started work as a junior clerk with the cigarette manufacturers
Carreras. After two years at Carreras I went to work with Montedison/Chatillon
as an accounts clerk in charge of debtors. After another two
years there I was employed by the Malta Hilton as credit manager
and then as assistant manager. I spent almost five years there
and it was the best University I could ever have gone to, the
best experience of my life. What I learnt there I can never
forget. You have a problem which you can’t leave pending,
you have to solve it there and then. You have a guest in front
of you who’s expecting a solution. That really influenced
the way I worked from then on. It changed my life completely.
This notion of not leaving
things pending, how important is immediacy?
It can mean money, it can mean pain. One of my characteristics,
for better or for worse, is my ability to take quick decisions.
I don’t take long to decide. I consider my decisions but
then I decide, and I don’t keep things pending in my mind.
Are you impulsive?
No, no. I consider my decisions carefully. I’m only impulsive
with my comments when it comes to football, if the referee rules
against Roma (laughs).
Can you shut off?
Yes, absolutely. I’m really disciplined in that regard.
I hardly ever take any work home, all I do at home is answer
my e-mails. I’m not a workaholic. I work 12 hours a day
but for five days a week. When I’m home, I’m home.
I never work on a weekend. I really hate it when someone calls
me about work on Saturdays and Sundays, unless they really have
to.
Are you a good time-manager?
I’m not a bad one, not an excellent one either. Average.
Well, actually better than average by Maltese standards (laughs).
I’m very punctual though. I’m never late for my appointments.
I hate to keep people waiting.
Let’s go back to the Hilton. Why was this period so important?
Well, there I was, a 19-year-old, a “manager in charge”,
and I found myself in situations where, for example, the kitchen
caught fire. At 19 I had to organise staff to put the fire out,
not to panic, not to make noise. The next morning no-one knew
that there’d been a fire, less so that we’d put the
fire out without the assistance of the fire brigade. Other times
the staff would be on strike and I’d be sent to the kitchen
to rustle up a burger. When you’re in charge you have to
be flexible and do what needs to be done. I look at this period
very positively.
Do you apply these same principles of flexibility to everything
you do?
Yes. It’s the ability to solve problems, basically. One
of my mottoes is that every problem presents an opportunity.
I seek opportunities in everything.
After your years at the Hilton, what happened then?
I spent five years at General Instruments Corporation as deputy
financial controller. After that (1977) I was asked to close
Pharmamed down, but instead I built it up (laughs). It was the
biggest challenge of my life. Enormous. A company that was technically
bankrupt. It was losing money every month. Within five months
we were in the black again, we started to make money every month.
To what do you attribute this turnaround, this success there?
The company had a great workforce, a good product, but it had
to compete with the big boys, Hoffman La Roche, Ciba Geigy,
Sterling. And I realised that the only way to compete was to
find a niche, and that’s what I looked for. This niche
was the world’s charity markets which the “big boys”
were not focusing on at all. It was then a question of establishing
a good rapport with the organisations that supplied the charity
markets in Africa, Asia, South America and so on. Coincidentally
at that time there was a war raging in Uganda and the demand
was immediate and large. I was given a “carte blanche”
by the German and Dutch organisations that supplied the charity
markets there and from then on we established ourselves firmly
in that particular sector.
How do you tackle problems?
First of all you have to understand the problem, analyse it.
Then you attack the problem’s weaknesses and capitalise
on your strengths. With Pharmamed I had a good product and well-trained
personnel. The company’s weakness was marketing and that’s
where I had to put my efforts. Today everyone uses big words,
S.W.O.T analysis and such-like. I was using the principles of
a S.W.O.T analysis before any of us knew what that it was called
so. It came naturally. I’m lucky and I’m thankful.
After Pharmamed?
I spent 13 years at Pharmamed and I’m proud to say that
I left the company in a very, very healthy condition. After
this time I decided that I’d travelled quite enough for
work-related reasons. I wanted more time with my children. So
I decided to start a business that would keep me here most of
the time. But, I was head-hunted by Vodafone and that’s
where I’ve been for the past 11 years.
And that’s the story so far?
Well, other things have happened along the way too. For example
during my last years at Pharmamed I was president of the Federation
of Industries (1988-1990). That was another very positive experience.
Before that I was vice-president. Those were very hard years.
The Maltese economy was not in a healthy state. It wasn’t
easy but it gave me a lot of experience. I did try, and I hope
I managed, to change the Federation of Industries for the better.
Nowadays when the FOI expresses itself it gives well-
considered opinions based on facts and figures. It’s a
far cry from what used to happen before my time.
Is that something you’re very concerned about, ‘Leaving
your mark’?
No, not really. What does make me very happy is that Pharmamed
is a very successful company, the FOI is definitely still going
strong, and that is what I hope to do with Vodafone. Oh, yes,
there was the Maritime Authority too. In 1991 I was appointed
founder-chairman of the Maritime Authority. Together with all
my colleagues there we were able to claim a lot of successes.
I also think that I managed to give a businesslike image to
what would otherwise have been a run-of-the-mill government
department. I was given more freedom, or rather, I took more
freedom to give it a greater business orientation.
Why doesn’t the government
service work?
Well, I’ll tell you why I can’t work with government,
with the politicians. (laughs) It’s very difficult for
a businessman to survive in a governmental environment. I am
motivated by success, not necessarily by my personal success,
but by the aura of success. Politicians are motivated by their
votes. With my brand of motivation I can afford to take unpopular
decisions for a while which will then turn into successful outcomes
in the long-term. Politicians can’t afford to be unpopular
at any time. I am not born to be a politician, I will never
be a politician and, after all these years I still can’t
understand politicians.
Is that why so few successful businessmen make the transition
into politics?
I can only speak for myself. I can’t see myself ever joining
the fray. Quite the opposite (laughs). I had a lot of respect
for the political world until I saw it for what it is up close.
What I can’t understand is how a politician gets his motivation
from a vote, as if success can only be obtained through the
ballot. I’m sure that all politicians begin their “careers”
with the best of intentions. They are altruistic, genuine, convinced
that they can make a real difference. But then power changes
you. I’m not interested in power. I take satisfaction in
seeing things move forward.
But don’t you wield power as well?
Well, my door is always open. More than anything else I consider
myself as a primus inter pares. Whenever I’m involved in
something there’s always a lot of discussion involved,
everyone is free to express themselves. I’m a firm believer
in collective decisions so in actual fact I’m spreading
the power. Certain decisions I do have to take myself. I’m
being paid to take the risks, to take the decisions that can’t
be reached collectively, to take decisions where no clear-cut
solution exists. Mine is a risky position because if things
go wrong, at the end of the day, its my head that’s on
the block.
What motivates you? What is ‘success’ for you?
Well it is not “power”. First and foremost I want
to have that peace of mind that stems from having achieved something.
You could say that it is a sense of achievement that motivates
me. I hate the idea of going home with the feeling that I haven’t
achieved anything during the day. I feel that I have to achieve,
not necessarily achievement linked to money or material gains.
A sense of having “achieved” fulfils me. Knowing that
I’ve done something “good’ makes me feel proud
of myself. I have other goals and other motivators too. I want
to be the best employer in terms of rewards for my staff. I
love the people who are around me, as simple as that. I want
to build a family that is respected because we do business in
a fair and honest way. I want to distinguish myself in that
regard, that business can be done in an honest way. I don’t
believe that there’s a particular region of hell reserved
for businessmen (laughs). Well, there could be, But I don’t
think that I’m destined to go there.
How important are ethics to you?
Immensely. And that’s where I find it very difficult at
times. Whenever I tried to introduce the British or Northern
European sense of fairness and correctness within the Mediterranean
mentality of “anything goes” (where even ethics can
be done away with), that’s when I have serious problems
in trying to bring the two attitudes together.
Do you think there’s a conspicuous lack of ethics in this
country?
There’s definitely room for improvement. Let’s put
it this way, a sense of ethics is not an inherent part of our
culture. Our colonial past contributed towards that. People
nowadays have to be moulded to think in such a way as to make
ethical behaviour something that you simply take for granted.
At the end of the day it’s just a question of time. If
we’re serious about joining the European Union then we
definitely have to have our house in order where ethics are
concerned.
Vodafone no longer enjoys a monopoly. Do you still apply the
same ethical standards as before?
Absolutely. And I trust that others apply the same ethical standards
that we always have. I’ve never read anywhere, at any time,
that we’ve been accused of not being ethical. I will never
use ministers to sell my phones. (smiles). Just as an example
of course (more smiles). Although the market situation has changed
I will not accept any “moving of the goalposts”. If
circumstances force me to, I would prefer to quit rather than
compromise my standards. That is something which is below me.
I won’t accept it.
You talk of the staff as if you’re talking about your
family. What’s your role within this ‘family’?
I don’t want to be seen as the prefect of the class, maintaining
rigid order and discipline. Everyone has their own responsibilities
and I interfere as little as possible in what they do. I believe
that one of my greatest achievements has been ensuring the personal
development and growth of every member the staff. The company
is the people. No expense can be spared in guaranteeing personal
growth and development. My role here is to coordinate and not
to be the one wielding the whip. Someone once criticised me
for surrounding myself with people who were, on paper, much
more qualified than me. In truth, I much prefer to be surrounded
by 10 people holding Ph.Ds than for me to have a Ph.D and be
surrounded by 10 incompetents.
Where does motivation fit in?
That is my major role here: To keep everybody motivated. And
it’s very hard. There are moments when you start doubting
your policies, your strategies, everything. But you can’t
show your doubts because you have to keep everyone motivated,
showing them that you believe in them. There are times when
I have to take unpopular decisions. I hate that. Not for political
reasons but because I don’t like people to be disappointed.
But they’re decisions that at times have to be taken and
those are very difficult moments.
Are you very concerned with likeability, with being popular?
I’m not overly concerned, no. I think that I am a popular
person but not because I want to be popular. I think its more
the “up” side, a fortunate by-product of my style
of management. I tend to look at the person as a person before
I look at him or her as a member of the staff. I’m very
concerned about a person’s welfare and well-being, irrespective
of whether it has anything to do with someone’s private
life or professional life. I do care and where necessary I try
to do whatever is in my power to ease anyone’s personal
problems that I may become aware of. I’m sure that everybody
here realises this and appreciates it.
Are you concerned with your popularity, outside of Vodafone?
Popularity no. But I do want to be seen as a professional person
giving a professional service and value for money to all our
customers. I want to be seen as providing a kind of
service that reciprocates the confidence that is vested in Vodafone
by our customers.
Why mobile telephony?
Well it wasn’t really a conscious choice. I suppose you
could say it was “circumstances”. I’m not a technical
person. I just have a natural love for marketing. Looking back,
I don’t think that choosing accounting as a profession
was the right thing to do. But back in 1965 the concept of marketing
didn’t even exist, definitely not as we know it today.
But marketing is what I’m good at and is what I enjoy doing.
Your background is vary varied. How do you attain success in
so many disparate areas?
It’s very simple. Since I’m not a technical person
I don’t have to be an “expert” in any particular
field. What I do have to do is study plans, motivate people
to produce plans. We study them, we study their financial viability
and marketing viability. Basically it involves applying the
same sets of principles to various areas. Then it’s a question
of getting people to produce their best.
Do you believe in the maxim that “If you can make it here
you can make it anywhere?”
I believe in the “Global” eco-nomy. If you have the
right qualities you can “make it” anywhere. I look
at myself for example. Today I’m a director of Vodafone
South Europe: Greece, Malta, Italy, Spain, and Portugal. And
here we’re talking about little Joe Grioli from small Malta.
It’s all about proving yourself. I look at the USA and
I see the same thing, eminently capable Maltese people making
a great name for themselves in huge, high-flying markets. I
have great faith in the Maltese. The large amount of successful
Maltese people I’ve met abroad is something that makes
me feel very proud.
Success involves both risk and luck. Which comes first for
you?
I consider myself a lucky person. Lucky that my parents made
great sacrifices for me. Lucky that I grew up in the slums and
survived. Leaving the slums behind you was not easy when I was
growing up and when I started working for the first time. There
was a conspicuous class divide at the time and “mingling’
was not easy. But success doesn’t come from nowhere. Continued
success cannot just be a matter of luck either. Commitment comes
first and foremost. I have always gone into a job with a strong
sense of commitment and a belief that I could carry it off successfully.
Then again, I have never considered money to be my prime motivator.
When you plan ahead is there a strong ‘risk’ element
involved?
The projects that I handle today involve millions of liri so
you can’t possibly forge ahead on the strength of a “feeling”
alone. The risk element has to be minimal. You might have a
“feeling” or a particular instinct for something or
other but before making any move forward you have to prove it
in your plans. You market-test it, you seek advice. I am surrounded
by professionals from whom I am constantly seeking advice. That
is something that helps me considerably and I don’t think
I would work any other way. You can’t afford to be conceited
or arrogant when you’re dealing with expenditures involving
millions of liri of other people’s money.
Are you happy with your successes or are there still things
you want to achieve?
I am very happy with my success but that doesn’t mean I
want to stop. I want to die at my desk. I don’t want to
be a retired person who is bored and boring. The image that
comes to mind is one of a lazy, unmotivated, inactive old man
who makes his own children uncomfortable and prompts them into
thinking “How boring daddy is!” I don’t want
to be that man. I want to keep busy and I wish to be an interesting
man. From a career point of view I have very few goals left
to achieve. But you have to update your goals constantly because
times change. I will still keep on creating new projects and
new goals no matter what. For example I am a great art lover
but I don’t consider myself to be very well versed on the
subject. One of my projects for retirement is to study Art “properly”.
You have to have a goal.
Do you honestly see yourself retiring in the traditional sense
of the word?
Absolutely not. (laughs) Lets say partial retirement. I want
to remain active for as long as I have the strength to do it.
In what capacity? We’ll see. I’m one of the trustees
of Eden Foundation, so maybe I’ll involve myself more there.
But rest assured I have no ambitions of replacing Josie (Muscat)!
How important is ambition in order to succeed?
Very important. I became a
managing director at 30. Up until that point I was extremely
ambitious, very hungry. I had this urge to prove myself to myself,
that whatever it was, I could “do it”. But once I
began to shoulder the responsibilities of a managing director’s
job, insatiable ambition gave way to a more realistic kind of
ambition: You achieve what you can achieve rather than wanting
to achieve everything, everywhere at any time. My goals today
are programmed. They’re more realistic, they’re planned
one at a time.
Are stress and pressure integral elements of being successful?
Yes. There’s a certain rhythm that I have to keep. Rhythm
comes from pressure and I need a certain amount of pressure
every day. When I don’t have pressure I become depressed.
Its part of my life, I can’t move too slow. Its like an
adrenalin fix, I have it in me.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?
A farmer once told me “God is almighty, he created you
and he created you with two eyes, both of them in the front
of your head. There isn’t one eye at the back and one in
front. So just focus on your way ahead and stop thinking about
the past”. I was very impressed by that piece of advice.
And the best advice you could give?
First of all not everyone is cut out to be a businessman. But
if you feel that “business” is your calling then go
for it and don’t stop. Calculate all your decisions, don’t
take risky decisions. Don’t take risks you can’t afford.
Borrow. Pay back and always on time. Any idiot can borrow. Idiots
default but a good businessman measures his success by honouring
his commitments, including tax. Whoever takes short-cuts should
be out of business.
What’s the secret of success?
Believing in yourself. But you can’t believe in what you
can’t do. You can’t expect to win the Super 5 lottery
every week if you don’t buy the ticket first. First comes
the effort, the sacrifice, and then comes the reward. If anyone
thinks that you can reap rewards without working hard for them,
then the chances of success are very few indeed.
Do you think that there exists one foolproof formula for success?
There isn’t one formula. Definitely. If there was then
everyone would be a millionaire. But, on the other hand, you
can’t simply equate success with making money. Success
can take on many forms. Somebody once gave me a very interesting
definition of happiness and it wasn’t at all related to
money. This basically was: Be content with what you have. That
makes you a very happy person. If what you have is talent then
don’t spoil it. If your talent gives you satisfaction writing
books, then write them. If you’re a businessman then go
for business. Consider what you are, your natural talents, your
strengths, your weaknesses, and then go for what you feel. But
you have to go for it, it doesn’t come to you. I’ve
met a number of people in my life who had been waiting for success
to come knocking at their door. But for these people success
has never been forthcoming.
Do you equate success with
happiness?
With satisfaction. I’m happy with what I have achieved
and so I guess I’m a happy man.
| 
