Davor Krivski
Episode · #234
MISLIŠTE Davor Krivski
Guest Davor KrivskiHosted by Sandro KraljevićMay 3, 2026
Davor Krivski
About this episode
What you'll hear in this conversation
Davor Krivski manages human resources for 180 people at Grand Automotive Group. But he is also a published poet, a mechanical engineer by training, and a former consultant who found that purely rational arguments often failed to land. His path into poetry was a pragmatic one: a way to connect through emotion where logic alone couldn't. This conversation explores how to bridge the seemingly disparate worlds of corporate efficiency and human feeling, especially when leading teams through uncertainty. Readers will consider how to motivate others not just with data, but with a deeper understanding of what drives them.
Insights from the conversation
What to take from this episode
01
Davor Krivski, a mechanical engineer by training, publishes a collection of poetry. His reason wasn't purely artistic: as a consultant, he found that "through emotion, I could show I was different." Sometimes, a non-traditional approach is the most effective way to make your professional message heard and remembered.
02
Krivski describes writing poetry as "hygiene for the heart and soul." After a day dominated by rational business demands, this practice helps him shift perception from the purely material to the emotional and intuitive. It suggests that a deliberate, non-work-related ritual can sharpen one's professional sensitivity by balancing the rational and emotional sides of thinking.
03
Leading HR for 180 people as a solo department, Krivski operates as a "supportive function" and a "motivator" for managers. His strategy isn't to directly manage all 180, but to empower managers to be "agents" of HR implementation. When scaling impact with limited resources, focus on multiplying your influence through trusted leaders, rather than trying to touch every individual directly.
04
To ensure consistent motivation across the company, Krivski develops "conversational guides" – "recipes" for managers on how to deliver praise, constructive criticism, or set expectations. These aren't rigid scripts, but a "GPS" for navigating typical interactions, ensuring that positive feedback isn't "sedating" and critical feedback leads to genuine change. Effective communication isn't just about what you say, but how you structure the dialogue to elicit desired behaviors.
05
During the lockdown and a major earthquake, Krivski's team implemented a "solar approach" to communication, ensuring unified information flowed from management to all employees. In times of crisis, a single, consistent source of information, delivered broadly and transparently, minimizes anxiety and prevents misinformation. Centralized, clear communication acts as a stabilizing force when external events create chaos.
06
During the same crisis, Krivski quickly created a 10-minute video training for employees on "learned optimism" – a technique to help them "self-support" rather than feel helpless. When external circumstances are beyond control, the most impactful support you can offer isn't a solution to the problem, but a framework for employees to manage their own internal state. Provide tools for resilience, not just fixes for immediate issues.
07
Krivski's "PUR model" (Difficulty, Belief, Reaction) suggests that emotional reactions stem not directly from problems, but from our *beliefs* about them. To shift someone from a negative emotional state to a more rational one, address the underlying belief first. Changing the narrative around a difficulty is more effective than just trying to change the reaction itself.