Early Warning Europe

ResC-EWE project

ResC-EWE project continues the mission of the EWE project to change mindsets in European entrepreneurship education, training, counselling, policies and in society to see failing not as a shame, but as an integral part of the life cycle of a company, i.e. something normal and possibly a necessity, as opposed to a taboo.

The work in the Early Warning Europe has demonstrated that ResC-EWE, risk prevention and early mitigation, is urgently needed in Europe to reduce the number of start-ups failing within the first years. Three of the participating countries – Spain, Poland and Greece are particularly affected by many insolvencies and bankruptcies. If the ResC-EWE interventions can reduce the failures of SMEs by only 1% in these countries within the life-time of the project, the project will already have achieved a considerable impact with great benefits for local, national and European economies and for the people involved.

Who is ResC-Ewe for?

The ResC-EWE project addresses the whole area of entrepreneurship education and training in Europe, which in some countries already starts at secondary school level and is extending into college and HEI education and non-formal/informal adult education and continuous /on-the-job/WBL training.

Also, guidance and counselling services for students, unemployed people, start-ups, SMEs will benefit of the project outcomes, streamlining risk prevention and mitigation skills into all dimensions of entrepreneurship education and training in Europe.

Results

Definition and mapping of the specific needs and the skills in each participating country to make start-ups and existing SMEs resilient and future-proof

Development of a tool-kit with educational resources and guidelines for business counsellors, educational staff, VET/HEI students and entrepreneurs in SMEs

Development and deliver demonstration courses: A MOOC for guidance and educational staff, a course adapted to the needs of several levels of students in participating countries, work-based learning courses and materials to be delivered to SMEs

Development of a guideline (policy communication and recommendations) for streamlining ResC-Ewe training into European entrepreneurship education, training and counselling systems.

Early Warning Europe Mentors

Here are the first EWE mentors who would be tasked with supporting the entrepreneurs who fall into trouble, becoming the companions in change.

See Mentors on map

To check information about the mentor click on the photo

Early Warning Europe – Success Stemming from Organic Effort

Entrepreneur, Consultant, Mentor – these are the most important of the Early Warning Europe’s figures. However, to make it possible for this triangle of mutual help to work together, and thus to heal the troubled enterprise, many things need to happen along the way. Let’s have a look at EWE’s backstage.

The EWE personnel is ready to provide help for entrepreneurs in distress. This is a result of organic effort undertaken beneath the visible surface, by the team behind the Early Warning Europe project. Many people are involved in the whole undertaking.

Before the mentors or consultants appeared, someone had to recruit them and provide them with training. Since the very inception of the project – December 2016 – nine training events for mentors and twelve networking events for everyone involved have been organized. Thanks to those events it is possible to share knowledge and skills required to provide support. But this is not everything. Another benefit stems from the fact that we are able to meet everybody who is willing to become a mentor in person. On one hand the meetings contain workshops and other training-related activities. We frequently invite foreign experts who, since many years, have been involved in similar projects similar to EWE abroad. On the other hand, using that experience, we have created our own mentor-training solutions, and mentoring process methodologies. We also see that the training provides the mentors with a high degree of autonomy, enabling them to take over and show their own initiative. This is shown through creation of small teams, for instance, and all of that is done to help the troubled entrepreneurs.

These activities, not visible on the outside, are creating an important basis for all involved in the project. Furthermore, they result in establishment of an authentic bond among the Polish EWE team – and this, in our opinion, is the cornerstone of the success that EWE had in Poland so far. Thanks to that it is possible to perfectly match the mentees and mentors, with the entrepreneurs reaching out for help.

Not only do we know all of the mentors in person, for the sake of assurance we also check their personality types, so that we are sure that the temper of the entrepreneur and his consultants or mentors go well together.

We proceed in line with the rules of Nonviolent Communication. We make proposals, not give orders. We propose the mentors or consultants the entrepreneurs they could work with, but before the cooperation begins each of the parties involved needs to accept our proposal.

It needs to be stressed that the mentors involved work as volunteers, not receiving any remuneration whatsoever for their mentoring effort. And this deserves enormous respect. However, no full involvement could be expected, if the mentors had no benefit from participating in the project. Apart from great satisfaction resulting from saving their mentee’s business from falling apart, the mentors, as they admit, get a chance to work with their experience in varied circumstances and through a number of problems. This makes it possible to reach conclusions, both for the next mentees, as well as for the mentors themselves. In this way, new solutions can be provided, applicable in the context of common problems.

One should also note that most of the mentors also work as entrepreneurs, and this evokes enormous respect – we know how hard it is to handle all of own problems and provide support for other businesses at the same time.

So far over 500 companies have received EWE support in Poland, with 100 mentors having been recruited. Up until now they completed 160 mentoring processes. EWE also sees a major involvement of all persons working within the scope of the project.

All this means that there is a significant chance that the dream the Family Businesses Foundation once had stands a chance of coming true. This dream is to create a network of support the lifetime of which would extend beyond the limits set within the project’s assumption, and that it would still function after the project is settled and brought to a closure by EASME (Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises). We deeply hope that the team we have formed, and that we are still forming, will still work well and offer mutual support among its members. This reaches beyond what has been assumed. We believe that a community as such could remain open, so that more people willing to help could join us.

It is also worth to note the added value created by unusual duo: FFR-PARP. The complementarity of the know-how of both entities undoubtedly contributes to the success that we are witnessing in Poland. PARP acting as a partner provides the project with a major, institutional advantage, with support granted within the scope of logistics, systemic solutions and access to resources that have not been available to any entity in the country so far. Had it not been for the Agency, it would not be possible to disseminate information concerning the Early Warning Europe programme among 450 thousand entrepreneurs who have been reached via the Central Registry and Information about Business Activities (CEiDG). Access to such a database is not available to anyone else.

On the other hand, we, the Family Businesses Foundation act as the driving force of the project, bringing in lightness, agility and individual approach, wherever they may be needed. Thanks to the above PARP and FFR are walking hand-in-hand, thus acting with such power and engagement.

Undoubtedly, both PARP, as well as FFR, have deep love for this project. Without that love, we would not have been able to accomplish what we have managed to accomplish. Finally, I would like to stress the attitude with which we approach the entrepreneurs in need of a helping hand. It turns out that they do not ask for help following an ad, they are following referrals – as in the case described further. However, a majority of entrepreneurs reaches out after their first interaction with the project – mostly after an event that we attend to tell the EWE story. To reach the entrepreneurs we have attended 36 meetings, during which we spoke to an audience of almost 15 thousand. And all of the above has been done by a small team of the Foundation: 5 persons, including one accountant.

However, thanks to the above only adequate entrepreneurs ask EWE for help. Not only are they in need of assistance, but they are also ready to fight for what they deserve, for survival of their business. Without that, it would be impossible to be successful, in any dimension.

To show you the process undertaken within the framework of the EWE project, we are willing to showcase a story of one of the companies that has already used the help provided by us. The story in question is being told from three points of view: consultant’s, mentor’s and mentee’s – in this case – company owner who took part in the project.

Case Study – Consultant’s Point of View

“Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results is insane”
~A. Einstein

We began working with Kasia from eating a cookie. Kasia invited me to have a conversation at her place, proposed a cookie and a tasty coffee and we started to talk.

My work began with taking care of the relationship. I started from building trust and a safe space for learning. My experience is telling me to make creation of a comfort zone for sharing the experience and conclusions one came up to when making mistakes is a priority, when doing a consulting job for a troubled company. Learning new strategies or habits requires a safe, friendly relationship to exist. Without the above, no depth occurs, we only scratch the surface. Without an honest, open and deep relationship it is difficult to tell a story about what did not work out, it is difficult to admit to own, personal failures. A relationship as such is worth to be established during the very first meeting, so that we make a rapid transition from getting to know the other person to constructive work.

It turned out that Kasia is an expert in her field, however, she struggles to develop her company. And that was the first definition of the problem. However, no consultant is needed to come to such conclusion. Working with Kasia involved asking questions concerning the mechanisms that led to emergence of the said problem. We were creating maps of the problem, uncovering its faces. We were looking at the problem from a number of point of views: finance-, marketing-, value-, goal-, process-, management- and customer-driven perspectives have all been adopted.

Throughout the consulting assignment in question I have been working in two domains. On one hand – the diagnostic dimension – I was taking great care of analyzing the information. On the other hand, I was working with the mental layer. The businesswoman’s self-esteem, the identity. The latter layer turned out to contain information pertaining to the source of the problematic issue. The self-perception, perception of business, perception of handling the business and business relations, methods used to develop business, were all creating mental barriers that required reconstruction and adaptation to the changing reality. We have managed to work, crushing some of the beliefs. We have made it. This was the breakthrough in case of Kasia. Getting aware of one’s way of thinking, with that way of thinking leading to emergence of issues turned out to be liberating for Kasia. Getting these thinking patterns onto the surface and thus noticing them also made it possible to recognize them and to look for potential opportunities among them.
Working with strong points and assets turned out to be an effective, when working with Kasia. Getting to know one’s strong points and assets resulting from any action she took gave Kasia a pair of wings. She was doing more and more, getting involved and proud about anything she did.

Kasia did notice her potential in a number of areas which triggered the aware use of her assets. She was surprised and astonished with the capabilities she had. She did not know that she had so much. I remember the emotions that accompanied us when those discoveries were made. We were both thrilled. Once Kasia found out what remains at her disposal she knew how she can use it. And only afterwards, the mentoring process could start.

What turned out to be useful in Kasia’s case is the formation of a relationship allowing her to freely admit to any mistakes she could have made. Getting rid of feeling guilty is of key importance here. It is quite common in situations as such. The second milestone came in a form of an in-depth analysis that led to a discovery of Kasia’s thought patterns leading to problems. Here, the awareness of causality was crucial.

The third milestone has been defined here as the awareness of strong points: Kasia’s and her business’s. Obviously the diagnosis was done in an open atmosphere, open towards coaching needs of the mentee, with listening understood as a partner’s competence, in a relationship defining the limits of each of the parties. All of the above was conducted with the use of a myriad of work methodologies tailored to the customer.

Agnieszka Szwejkowska,
EARLY WARNING EUROPE Consultant

Case Study – Mentee’s Point of View

I have discovered the Early Warning Europe initiative thanks to my friend from Wrocław who, listening to what I have to say and witnessing my energy, suggested that I should get to know the initiative in question. She’s quickly sent me a link. And I was procrastinating when it came to getting acquainted with the website, the nature of the project, not to mention the decision whether I would like it. When I finally sat down in front of the computer studying the information I came to a conclusion that it is not really sensible for me to participate in a programme as such. “I know what to do myself” – I said to myself.

“I have a plan, I have steps arranged”. But then, another thought came into my head: “And I am not sticking to that plan anyway”. I was torn apart. On one hand I felt that something is not right and that I need help, on the other hand, something was keeping me in the old tracks. I was thinking that it is not so bad, that I have my strong “why?”, that my goal, visions and plans are clear but I simply lack discipline. And people experience trouble that is usually far more serious than that. I called my friend then, looking for a kind of confirmation – should I really make a decision to join this initiative. And then, she said:

– You know, sometimes one needs to have a look at your issues from a different point of view, seeing something that you do not see.

So, I chose the consultant and sent a submission.

It was early November 2017 when Agnieszka Szwejkowska called me to make an appointment. I remember all of the positive energy and drive towards action evoked in me by that phone call. I gave a meaning, significance to that period. I knew that something new was coming up. It was the moment when I realized where that energy came from – I did not even meet Aga, and yet, the submission itself was a breakthrough for me. That breakthrough made me realize that I took care of myself and I had a courage to direct someone’s attention solely and exclusively towards myself. I knew it later on, during the project, I was beginning to understand the phenomenon of giving the most precious thing one has to the other human being: time and attention. On one hand, I knew this. I work as a mentor myself. On the other hand though, that awareness has reached deeper levels of empathy and understanding. Not only did it influence my work with myself, as it also had an impact on what I was doing with other people.

When working with Agnieszka, it was very important to me that she was a meditation practitioner and a psychologist. I needed a point of view provided by someone who knows my thing and has a degree in psychology at the same time. Agnieszka has this incredible calmness in herself. That calmness and attention have created a safe space for me, within which i could freely open myself towards the process. It was priceless to listen to myself, see my doubts and answer the questions Agnieszka was asking, so that I could get aware of the fact that my thinking patterns are the only stumbling blocks I was encountering. It was a relief and a Eureka moment at the same time.

I am an open person who is eager to have an honest converseation. However, had it not been for Agnieszka’s attitude and the conditions she has created, I would not have told her all that I have told her and I would not have understood as much as I have understood. Even if I told her, I would not be eager to follow the tips later on. The trust Agnieszka created made it possible for me to believe in what she had to say, in her conclusions, in her point of view and in her suggestions. This accelerated the change also creating more energy and drive, towards the objectives that I have set for myself. No wonder then, that when she proposed a mentor to me, showcasing his profile and the reasons why I would fit well with that very person, expecting good and constructive results, I only said: OK, let’s do it!

I was really interested in Darek Urbaś as a person, following the e-mail communications we had and making the first appointment I really felt that he has a lot of energy and optimism in himself. I was not wrong here. Darek is just like I said, full of energy, smiling, to the point and decisive. My doubts were scrutinized, with the most important things selected. Then my actions were directed and monitored, to make sure I was heading in the right direction. Starting from the very first meeting, he was specifi and friendly. We discussed the initial steps, also setting out the rules of cooperation. Then, it all got even better.

Work with Darek was focused on the domains that, so far, have been slipping through my fingers. It is a very precious experience to work with a person who is so good to talk to, with whom you may joke, or with whom you may constructively work on your weaknesses, whose nature and experience complement your weaknesses, with whom you have flow. In other words: Darek, as to my understanding, was representing the tangible “hard” world. I, on the other hand, was coming from the “soft world”, with a strong resolution, that it’s high time to implement the hardness.

The moment when Darek presented his own approach has been a breakthrough – he told me the lessons that life taught him. And these lessons were coherent with my cognition, feelings and the “soft” approach. This created more energy and willingness to take action. I was feeling that life was providing me with support, coming in a form of a human being speaking in an understandable language and telling me about the proven ways to combat the issues I have been avoiding.

The effects were immediate. Finally, thanks to the monitoring, I started to deal with the matters of critical importance. With a solid foundation established with Agnieszka, with Darek who was a good listener as well, I transitioned to acting. The greatest benefits stemming from cooperation include growth of confidence that entailed new, courageous decisions, a clear course of action and creation of new habits and inner peace. That inner peace was supported by being aware that I’m not alone. On one hand, Darek has been a precious a source of valuable information. On the other, it often was enough to talk my trouble “out”. Then, the answer came in automatically. It was even more motivating when I heard that the cooperation was also precious for him and that our meeting led to some important decisions that he has made. Then I was grateful for the decision I’ve made in November even more, again – coming to a conclusion that life is fascinating.

I thank all of the EWE people for this experience, with Agnieszka and Darek coming first. I am also thanking myself, for making the decision.

Kasia,
Early Warning Europe mentee

See what other Mentees say about their experience with EWE

Case Study – Mentor’s point of view

I have received Kasia’s details in mid February. Agnieszka Szwejkowska, working as a consultant shared a rich and exhaustive SWOT analysis with me, concerning the Kasia’s potential. Thanks to the materials provided by her, my job was easier. Since the very beginning I’ve known what should be done.

Since the very first meeting I knew that I am not dealing with a person who was breaking down or whose business is going down. I met a person in need of support and helping hand when it comes to the changes she wants to implement, in her life and in her business. Thanks to the consultancy process, Kasia found out that there is so much to do that she began to doubt her ability.  She was not sure whether she will be able to handle everything and whether she will be making right decisions, when it comes to the tasks that she would need to complete first.

Thanks to the SWOT analysis carried out by Agnieszka and thanks to the first meetings we had I came to an understanding that I am working with a person of huge potential who is going to get effects and results desired quick, if she does what’s needed first.

Agnieszka, through her in-depth analysis, has shown me the Kasia’s potential and what should be done. During the initial phase I focused mainly on threats. I assumed that this is the area that hampered the change the most. Recommendations I got were like a lighthouse that I had in my sight constantly, when I was working with Kasia.

Since the very beginning of the work we were open and reciprocal in our relationship. This was quickly creating proper results. At the very beginning we set out the rules of cooperation, assuming that, at least in the beginning, we should meet regularly, so that Kasia also creates a proper set of habits. She trusted me deeply, and she implemented all of the ideas quite rapidly.  We started from working on proper habits – this is where I recognized the key problem. Lack of priorities and the consequent chaos had been creating fear in her, that she was not doing what should be done. And this – where the priorities are – was the first issue that we addressed. First things first: we assumed that Kasia should be working in line with her priorities, pushing the less important matter aside. I understood that without better organization she will be unable to fully utilize her huge potential. Many of her weaknesses stemmed from lack of the skill to classify the matters to deal with in a proper and good manner.

When we reached the point when Kasia started to know how to manage her time and priorities – starting from the key matters – we went on, to solving further problems. We were working on raising the rates and supporting actions as such with proper arguments, in front of the potential customers. For me, myself, it was an incredible experience to observe how much can be achieved by a person trusting her mentor. I, so far, was not selling my services at a pricepoint we have been talking about. I got in Kasia’s and Kasia customers’ shoes, showing her how this could be done.

To my astonishment, Kasia adopted the proposed method, implemented it, and then her results were booming. This rapid income growth was primarily caused by a proper use of the existing potential.

Then, during the next stage, we have addressed her target group, creating a proper offer with particular focus placed on that very group. Kasia was getting more and more confident and work I was doing was becoming increasingly easier. Only small adjustments were needed for her to perfect her offer.

Meeting by meeting I was seeing that Kasia is becoming more and more confident, defining her priorities better on the basis of the assumptions she made. During one of the meetings I have told her that she has become a true entrepreneur from that moment on.  It was a great pleasure to have observed how much can be done by a person who remains in possession of immense capacity and who does not really need much to expand that potential, so that it unfolds. That person only needs a trustworthy companion to change who would support him/her during the tough time and provide her with occasional tips as to what should be enhanced.  Numerous cases emerged in which Kasia knew what and how action should be taken, and she only needed confirmation or a slight adjustments to begin. In many cases I was only the ideas critic who wholeheartedly provided suggestions as to what should be done. And she, I think, was seeing this and using that wholeheartedness.

Being a companion in change changed me as well. I was thinking that, within the framework of the program, I would be working with persons and companies who are on the brink of failing, needing a helping hand in deep crises. And in this case, the material I was working on has been very much different. We were working on getting better things out of Kasia, to enhance what she’s doing on a daily basis. And it was enough to achieve what was previously unachievable.

My change has also come at the level of recognizing my own competency. When joining the programme, following my own hardships, I had no inner understanding of the value that my support could have. My confidence was growing too, one meeting after another. I have found out that I have a lot of gifts that could be used to help the others. I have also found out that I have a proper know how and skillset at my disposal, to do so. This skillset was only waiting for being activated.

The cooperation helped me in setting my own business goals, that could be achieved thanks to my newly-discovered skills, resolving important issues for my customers. I had no aware goal as such when I was joining EWE. However, such business goals emerged during the work – here I am really grateful towards Kasia Gierczak-Grupinska who believed in me more than I did, when inviting me to participate.

The kindness of the Polish Family Businesses Foundation team and tangible acceptance expressed by other mentors gave me wings too. I did not think that this assistance that I decided to provide would change my life and help other entrepreneurs. The lonely people struggling with problems that emerge daily. Meanwhile, the solutions are close by – as close as a trustworthy person is who, with sensitive and honest approach, and proper know-how, can support us.

Dariusz Urbaś, 
Early Warning Europe Mentor

EWE Team in Poland

The EWE project in Poland is carried out by the Polish Family Businesses Foundation and by the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development. Both organizations work closely together, over the entire course of the project.

FFR Team

FFR is tasked with creating a mentor network, aimed at creating an environment in which they could work effectively. This is ensured through organization of training and creation of an experience-exchange platform.

Video materials

          

         

 

Photo Gallery

FINAL MENTOR’S NETWORK MEETING – CELEBRATION, Oct. 18. 2019

Early Warning Forum, Apr. 24. 2018

Here’s a photo gallery depicting the international EWE Forum meeting taking place in Warsaw, on April 24th 2018.

EWE Mentors Workshop

EWE Mentors Networking Meeting

 

The materials published via the present site are a part of the Early Warning project that received EU subsidy within the framework of the COSME project (2014-2020).

See the EWE Consortium document