How to communicate, collaborate and implement ideas effectively: the third module of “Action in Hope” took place in Kropyvnytskyi

With the support of the team from the Patriarchal Foundation “Mudra Sprava,” which is implementing the project, the meeting took place from February 27 to March 1, 2025.

How to make yourself heard

The first day of the third module within the mini-MBA program “Action in Hope” was dedicated to the topic of public relations. Participants delved into the topic of effective communication, because “the word is a tool that can not only convey information, but also inspire, support and unite.”

The speaker of the day was Father Igor Yatsiv, Head of the Department of Information of the UGCC and program lecturer, who shared valuable knowledge on how to write texts for social networks so that they carry meaning and meet the needs of the community, how to shoot videos for crisis situations and work with the media. “It was not just theoretical material — we learned to apply the acquired knowledge in practice, because in today’s world it is important not only to speak, but also to be heard,” representatives of the parish community of the Nativity of John the Baptist of the UGCC in Kropyvnytskyi noted on their Facebook page.

“Throughout the day, we had four 1.5-hour training sessions, during which we covered the following topics:

• PR: what is it and what is it for? (definition, significance and purpose);
• Basics of communication (skills, methods, rules);
• Crisis communication (the crisis will happen, what to do?);
• Social networks (how to make them your tool?).

Before the training and during it, participants performed various practical tasks, applying their skills in both text and video formats,” the speaker, Father Igor Yatsiv, said.

How to build your own marketing strategy

The speaker of the second day was Yulia Marunyak, a lecturer at the Ukrainian Catholic University and the founder of her own successful marketing firm, which effectively helps her clients achieve desired results.

The “Marketing” training module was conducted to help communities create an effective marketing strategy for their projects in conditions of uncertainty. Participants learned how to set marketing goals, research the audience, create a marketing mix, and effectively cooperate with the marketing team.

“During an intensive training day, participants developed their first draft of a marketing strategy for their project for 2025. In addition, my task was to provide participants with information on the effective use of artificial intelligence to automate marketing processes. I tried to build the module program on practical cases and interactive tasks so that they could immediately apply their knowledge in practice,” Yulia Marunyak said.

How to work effectively with people

The topic of the third day was human resource management, and the speaker was Liliia Cherniak, an HR consultant.

Throughout the day, participants were able to deepen their knowledge of strategic planning, effective recruitment, and increasing employee engagement.

First, the speaker spoke about the evolution of the HR function in Western countries and Ukraine, focusing on current trends and challenges. Much attention was paid to strategic planning and effective management of human assets, explaining how an HR strategy can become part of a company’s overall business strategy.

A separate block was devoted to the personnel management system. Participants reviewed its key stages, including job analysis, competency identification, and job profiling. They also discussed effective methods of finding and selecting personnel, considered the main factors of successful hiring, and approaches to filling vacancies in conditions of staff shortage.

“Do you know what financial management is? A topic that seems familiar but is actually deep and fascinating. It is not just numbers and reports, but a strategy that combines financial resources with human potential management, helping to move in the right direction. We are grateful to Mrs. Liliia Cherniak for the incredible opportunity to learn and expand our horizons. Thanks to her knowledge and experience, we have gained the tools to achieve financial success!” said Natalia Liahul, a program participant.

Another important topic was staff engagement, its impact on business efficiency, and the main drivers of employee motivation. Participants learned how the level of employee satisfaction and loyalty affects the company’s financial performance, as well as how to calculate losses from low engagement. The meeting ended with a discussion of modern methods of motivation and building an effective personnel management system.

“The training meeting became a valuable platform for the exchange of experience between the HR specialist and the participants of the ‘Action in Hope’ project. Discussions of real cases and practical advice helped participants gain new ideas, knowledge and skills,” the meeting participants noted.