Zheti Kadam: seven steps to success

Asset Amirbekov, Head of Repair Service of CHP-1 n.a. B.Orazbayev of AlES JSC, has already made several practical steps to professional success, when according to the results of the Challenge and Youth Forum he was included in the programme “Zheti Kadam” – “Seven Steps” – and entered the top 50 young specialists from the portfolio companies of the Fund of Samruk-Kazyna JSC.

This was Asset’s second attempt to pass the selection process and enter the top 50 young and ambitious employees of Samruk-Energy for training under the leadership programme. This was crucial for him, given that Asset currently heads the youth organisation “Zharkyn Bolashak” of JSC AlES.

The next stage of the youth policy development programme is implemented in May is September 2024. Training of young specialists of the Samruk-Kazyna Group of Companies is aimed at developing their leadership potential and communication skills, familiarizing them with the techniques of implementing managerial competencies, building teamwork, understanding the principles of budget planning.

The programme consists of 7 modules, each of which is held in different cities of the country. And the transition from module to module is possible only if the homework of the previous course is completed.

– I am very happy to be part of this project”, Asset Amirbekov shares after completing the first three modules. – A year ago, I made efforts to enter the project, but I did not get into the first stream. Our first module started in the east – in Ust-Kamenogorsk. Here I successfully completed the first module of training and development on the topic “Inner Compass. How to find, nurture and educate a leader”. The programme was very intense. We were taught how to become leaders, how to cope with difficulties in difficult situations and how to manage a team. After all, the success or failure of the team 99% can depend on the leader, on how accurate, clear and correct tasks he sets. It was here that many of us began to realize the value and responsibility of leadership. During the sessions we got answers to many of our questions. Including how to cultivate a Leader in ourselves. The most important thing we realized is that a leader is not a position to which you are appointed. A leader is someone who, regardless of his position, becomes a leader by virtue of will, character or circumstances. We learnt a lot of new things, and most importantly, we received managerial tools: from the basics, how to express ourselves, to the fundamental – how to motivate and lead the team, because a Leader always wins and achieves the set tasks.

As part of the first module, a group of young leaders of Samruk-Kazyna JSC visited the Ust-Kamenogorsk HPP, which for power engineer Asset Amirbekov was very informative from a professional point of view.

– I was impressed by the work of this station, as the system of lean and continuous improvement “Kaizen” is implemented at Ust-Kamenogorsk HPP. It has been in place here for more than 20 years”, says Asset. – It was very interesting for me to learn and see something new. It is very impressive that the entire HPP system is automated, all controls are brought out and digitized. I received a lot of useful information on improving production processes, which can be applied at our plants as well.

Training for the second and third modules was conducted in Almaty. Here, specialists gave the project participants important recommendations on personal qualities and the ability to manage, first of all, themselves. During the Almaty block, project participants also learnt how to overcome stress and chronic fatigue, and how to restore physical and mental strength.

– “Stress management” was a very useful topic, because we often encounter it at work”, Asset said. – We learnt by examples what types of stress there are and the causes of stressful situations. We learnt how to understand if you are under stress at a given time and how your resource is reduced as a result, as well as discussed how not to bring a task to a critical situation. We were taught how to gain positive energy, how to get out of stress and be productive.

On the topic “Effective communications”, the project participants were taught how to communicate correctly, gave a classification of communications, learnt how to behave in society and how to be effective.

– We learnt the basics of effective communication, learned how to build personal communication networks, and studied crisis communication”, Asset summarises this important block. – We were also taught how to effectively apply various methods of stress management. In addition, we asked ourselves why we need to develop our personal brand. Nowadays, this is a very necessary and interesting topic. After all, our whole life is permeated with various relationships and communications with people. And a personal brand already “default option” sets it up for a certain type of relationship.

The “Project Management” course was also filled with practical recommendations, where the basics, factors and objectives of a project were analysed, and what calculations are necessary for this purpose were taught.

– I am very happy to be part of such a big project to improve my personal soft-skills, as I am already a line manager and head of the youth organisation of AlES JSC”, concludes Asset Amirbekov. – The knowledge gained in the Zheti kadam project is very useful, and I am already applying it in practice. There are four more training modules ahead in different cities of our country. I hope to pass them successfully, to get new knowledge and skills. After all, each person’s abilities are limitless, and he should not stop in his development. As they say, “we should be better today than yesterday, and tomorrow – better than today”! Many thanks to our company and the Samruk-Kazyna for making a huge contribution to the development of future leaders of national companies.

The programme “Zheti kadam” is a significant step towards the development of new leaders, creation of social and professional lifts, as more than 80 thousand specialists under 35 years of age work in the group “Samruk-Kazyna”. And it is them who in the next decade will become the basis of the labour collective at all production sites of the group of companies of the Fund. A year ago, 49 young people passed through this project, who today demonstrate their best professional qualities at their sites. In September 2024, another fifty young and promising employees will move to a new professional level, giving their knowledge, energy and innovations to their work. And this process should not stop.