At the HR Directors Forum, which took place recently and brought together leading industry experts, one presentation clearly stood out and is sure to remain in the professional memory of participants. Vitalii Zhyhura, Head of Learning & Development at the Aurora multimarket chain, shared his perspective on how truly strong and effective teams are created. At the core of his talk was the idea that performance is defined not only by individual talent, but above all by the environment in which people work, interact, and make decisions.

Vitalii emphasized that building a “good workplaces” strategy is no longer a trend but a necessity for companies striving for engagement and stable productivity. It’s about creating conditions where employees understand their own value, have opportunities to grow, feel supported, and see a clear direction for development. These practices form the foundation of a culture in which people aim not just to complete tasks but to contribute meaningfully to shared success.

The speaker also elaborated on the specific conditions that shape passionate, empowered, and competent teams: transparent expectations, trust from leaders, space for initiative, and an organization’s ability to learn from its own actions. This type of environment inspires, instills confidence, and opens up opportunities to influence outcomes.

Concluding his speech, Vitalii highlighted that a team’s ability to change results is not luck but a consistent outcome that emerges where a business systematically invests in people and in a culture of collaboration. Strong teams do not appear by chance — they are built through daily effort, intentional decisions, and a strategic approach in which HR plays a key role.