Generation change involves consciously deconstructing the ego

Péter Bárány, László Bárány Sr., László Bárány

László Bárány Sr: – The Bárány family started working in poultry farming and processing 113 years ago. I grew up with the hatchery in the background in Derecske, where my father got me to like the trade. Later I earned a degree in agriculture at the university in Debrecen, after which I started working in Kisvárda. It was a new company and I was climbing up the career ladder fast – I spent 10 years there.

This was the end of the 1980s… Did you feel the changes coming?

L.B.Sr: – In the spring of 1988 I quit and started breeding poultry myself. By September 1993 I managed to save enough money to buy my first hatchery in Szabolcs, where I founded Baromfi Coop Kft. with five workers.

At this time your sons, László and Péter were already teenagers. How did they grow into the life of the company?

L.B.Sr: – By what we can call early involvement. Since their childhood they worked at the poultry farms for a month every summer. When they were 9-10 years old, I took them to the marketplace, they stood behind the stand and had to sell 5,000 eggs.

László, Péter, how do you remember this period?

László Bárány: – Every summer we were there at the hatchery with my brother, doing physical work. Let me emphasise the importance of this, because it gave us the necessary humility for the job.

Péter Bárány: – We were three years old when our father first took us to the farm. I liked to work among the chicks, then came selling eggs at the marketplace…and later the summer jobs.

Were you always enthusiastic about having to work as children?

P.B.: – It happened that I wasn’t happy when my friends were going to the swimming pool and we had to work in the hatchery. At the same time we were motivated, because we got paid.

L.B.Sr.: – I was proud of my sons who didn’t shy away from hard work. They saw that hard work and expertise bring great
results.

What kind of values and guidance did your father give you?

L.B.: – One of the most important messages was that one has to think in terms of generations in the business life, so ethical behaviour is essential.

P.B.: – Ha also taught us never to make compromises when it comes to quality: one must always strive for perfection.

L.B.: – Plus we learned that only a well-organised team can win the match, one where there is peace and trust – 50-60 percent of the success depends on this.

How did the generation change happen at Master Good?

L.B.Sr: – It wasn’t easy to accept the fact that I am not the boss any more. I had to learn that letting something go is like deconstructing your own ego.

L.B.: – There were conflicts and many debates when the generation change took place at Master Good, but every conflict ended with a compromise that made the team stronger.

P.B.: – Our father is a special person, who realised that at the age of 30 we needed more trust and responsibility to be able to make professional progress, and the only way to do this was him toning down his ego – which was a very brave thing to do.

How do you solve the problems?

L.B.Sr: – Once a month there is an owners’ meeting. We discuss the tasks and all three of us have one vote.

P.B.: – Formerly our father made all the decisions. Now this burden lies on the shoulders of the three of us.

The fifth generation is already getting ready to join the team, László Bárány has five grandchildren…

L.B.Sr: – …and I am already trying to find out which of them is talented in what. My sons’ task in the next 5-10 years will be to teach them how a company like ours makes money.

L.B.: – The next generation must be involved in the work very early, so that they will understand how the company works. It is also crucial to trust them and to make them feel their own responsibility. //