Meet Ajla Alić, FileWave Product owner

1. Tell us… what is the best thing about working for FileWave?

Getting to know a lot of different people from different countries, different cultures – that’s definitely the thing I appreciate the most. The team spirit that is present in the whole company is also of huge significance to me. Thanks to FileWave I met a lot of people who are today my very good friends, and I’m very thankful for that! The other equally important reason would be the product that we’re building – and the fact that we have our own product in the first place. I’ve recently grown into the Product Owner role and now I get to affect the end result of the product, which is super exciting and I’m looking forward to the new challenges.

2. Tell us… about that time you faced a challenge and how you dealt with it.

Since I’m relatively new in my PO role, I will look back and reflect more on the Agile Coach role. When you work as an Agile Coach in a remote company – placing processes that will serve everyone’s needs can be very challenging. If we’re talking about the team that I’m working with I can try to state one example: I noticed some people being very silent in the meetings and the tricky part is to assess if is everything going as it should be, having in mind you don’t have those people in the same room, so it’s a bit more difficult to assess the situation. I brought it up in one of our Retrospectives, so we, as a team agreed that we will have our cameras on in the meetings (even if it’s very early in the morning, and we don’t have a makeup/hair done and we’re in the pajamas mode). I can say it helped a lot – since having at least part of nonverbal communication even through a camera made a huge difference so we could say if someone i.e. needs more explanation regarding a certain topic that we’re discussing.

3. Tell us… about that time you made a success as a team.

If you ask me, the biggest success that we made as a team was becoming a real team. Having clear, open, honest, transparent communication inside the team, and having a safe environment where everyone can say whatever they have in their mind is priceless. So, I would say our biggest success as a team is our team spirit, our relationships, and our friendship in the bottom line, even though we’re not all physically in the same place.

4. Tell us… a little about yourself. Who is Ajla outside of work?

I have to admit that I’m a bit workaholic (I know, I know!). When I’m not working, I do private tutoring in math, physics, programming, and English. Working with kids makes me supper happy and I’m trying to share the knowledge that I have and bring these young minds closer to the topics that for most of them are scary in the beginning (but let’s be honest – math is scary for the most of adults I know!). I honestly believe sharing is caring, so I try to help out the community as much as I can. When I’m expecting a busy day, I like to get in a good workout at the gym – it helps to activate my body and brain, fills me with positive energy, and mentally prepares me for whatever that day may bring. Also, I enjoy traveling and exploring new places, people and cultures. Thanks to FileWave, I made some great travel buddies (our girls’ trip to Budapest last year was so much fun!) and even more important – friends for life.

5. Tell us… if you have any advice or something to share with other professionals in this field. What would you tell them?

Please, never stop reading and learning new stuff – that would be my advice number one. When you’re working as an Agile Coach, knowing more things about different topics is bringing value and the possibility of getting the bigger picture. Our feelings combined with knowledge are powerful tools for exceeding in this role. Being Agile Coach is not about facilitating meetings or getting different people in the same room to talk – it’s about understanding their problems and trying to figure out a way to create a process that will enable them to be better and more productive in the future. It’s also about creating a positive environment and team spirit, encouraging people to think outside the box, try out different things, and grow. Finding the right balance to manage people and create processes that will bring maximum value to the company is of extreme importance – so keep your focus there, always. That would be the best advice I could give at this moment.

Each team member at FileWave, in their own way, is an example of success and longevity of our company – with a positive and stimulating influence on their work environment and being a daily inspiration to their teammates.

We truly hope you enjoy reading our People Series showcasing the inspiring and hardworking FileWavers’ success and professional journeys. Whether you’re just out of college with fresh ideas or an experienced IT pro, we’re always looking to expand our team. View and apply for one of our many open positions today!