25 years of Mibcon: Interview with Antonín Cihlář

Our Consulting Director Antonín Cihlář revealed in an interview what Mibcon was like 16 years ago and why he is interested in the topic of extreme ownership.

Tondo, you have been in Mibcon for 16 years. At the beginning, could you have imagined that you would last so long with this group?

I honestly didn’t think about it at the time. I went for the challenge. At that time, I was working in the role of team architect, so I knew that success always depends a lot on cooperation between team members. And because I trusted the people I “went into” with, I wasn’t afraid. Which probably partially implies that it could easily be for a very long time. (laughs)

I know about you that you started as a SAP Portal and NetWeaver specialist. Don’t you miss working as a consultant?

Yes, I do. I have been programming since childhood, I studied computer science. But I wouldn’t dare to do that today. The teams are already somewhere else and I’m simply not good enough for them.

At one time you ran the utilities and technology division. Do you still have time to follow what’s new in “sap” technologies?

Sure, I have to and I enjoy it at the same time. That is essential for my role – consulting is about people and their knowledge. In order to be able to react appropriately and intervene in some decisions, I regularly monitor what new SAP has prepared for us “again” and what we need to prepare for. Whether it concerns the field of technology or solution architecture. I admit that I don’t get too involved in the processes.

And what about artificial intelligence? Is this a topic for a consulting company like Mibcon?

The topic is mainly for people at Mibcon. They caught on and I believe it won’t be long before our product portfolio grows with new AI ideas.

From the position of director of consulting, today you supervise the events in 8 divisions of Mibcon. What exactly does that entail?

That’s for a longer time… (laughs) People are Mibcon’s gold, their knowledge and skills form the core of our business. So, first of all, it’s about people, how to give them space for development and realization – and of course we mustn’t forget about having fun at work. However, I do not solve this alone. We work in a divisional team, my closest associates, where almost everyone “runs” a micro:MIBCON, about the size of the entire Mibcon some twenty to twenty-five years ago.

Customers are the other side of that golden coin. We would be nothing without them. So, together with professional teams and the project office, we figure out how to effectively connect our experts and their skills with customers and their needs, so that everything finally makes sense and at the same time we deliver projects within the expected parameters. And there is one more thing: the basis of success at the size of our company is the ability to effectively delegate all those experienced. And this cannot be done without the team leader surrounding himself with capable people who can be relied upon and who will responsibly carry out the assigned tasks.

As I talk about it, I realize that maybe I could have answered quite simply: It involves building capable teams

Does Mibcon still maintain the same business “playground”, or is the portfolio of its competences and services increasing?

We strive to maintain a high standard of what we can do and what we offer. The result is that we do not offer the full SAP portfolio, because we simply cannot train our people quickly enough on all fronts – and we do not even have interested parties for some specific topics. We prefer to focus on improving what we already know and where we have something to lean on. It is not dogmatic, but it is a quality that often makes decisions. Of course, there will be topics somewhere that we don’t want to reject or that are so fundamental to the future of our SAP consulting segment that we focus on them. In connection with this, two topics from recent years come to mind as examples – the SAP BTP platform and the S/4HANA Cloud Public solution.

Would you say that Mibcon has fundamentally changed in the 16 years you’ve been involved?

Definitely. While we used to be one group, we knew each other and we all went out for a beer or a BBQ party, today it is hard to imagine. We’re just not just a couple anymore. On the one hand, I’m sorry, on the other hand, in the growing Mibcon, smaller teams are naturally formed that can function like this even now and maintain this tradition. Only it’s just not the whole Mibcon anymore, but just a division or a team. Nevertheless, we strive to make Mibcon’s authentic values permeate all our divisions and be their link.

Your favorite topic is extreme ownership. What exactly is it about?

Don’t let things slip away unsolved. (laughs) Don’t make excuses. Cooperate, act. Don’t let the ego work, but the team spirit. This is how I function internally, that’s why it’s close to me. Together with the team leaders in all positions, we went through several months of team building, which also included discussions on these topics. That was great – usually an opportunity like this gives you a huge boost of energy because you realize that you understand and agree on a lot of topics with other people in the team, even if you’ve never actually said it outright.

There are golfers, pilots, volleyball players and cyclists among Mibcon employees and experts. How do you relax? And do you even have time for hobbies?

I have played basketball all my life, although it was already clear at the age of fifteen that it would not be the right thing for me due to my height. And I also wanted to play hockey. However, I didn’t really get into it until I was in my forties. Even so, it’s a dream come true for me. For the last 7 years I have been playing and training in a team of like-minded players, of course as a hobby, and I still enjoy it. I will find the time, because for me it is the part of the work-life balance, without which the scales would tip too much on the side of work and responsibilities and that would probably grind me down mentally. Being able to decompress is essential for me.

Mibcon celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. What would you wish for the company in the coming years?

So that great people continue to grow up in it as they have until now and gradually take over the reins from the current management. And that they succeed at Mibcon in maintaining the spirit and values that they shared and share with it during the first 25 years of its existence.

Thank you for the interview.