Business Breakfast: Why Your Team Doesn’t Do What You Asked

How to get results through people when your team, the market and tools change every year.

Date: Wednesday, 11 November 2026, 08:40–11:00
Format: Business breakfast
Location: Mimosa Brooklyn Pizza, Suur-Karja 12, Tallinn
Language: Russian

You explained the task, but a week later you see that it’s only half done—or done their way. You have to redo it yourself, check every step or repeat the same thing. Every business owner and manager knows the feeling.

Maarika Honkonen has led people for more than 30 years: sales and marketing at Statoil; Marketing Director at Baltika; board positions at SEB Life and Pension and ERGO Baltic States, with teams in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania; six years leading the Estonian Hotel and Restaurant Association; and seven years on the board of Port of Tallinn.

At the breakfast, she will share what she has learned about teams over the years: why people don’t do what they were asked to do, and how managers can get results through others.

About the speaker

Maarika Honkonen

2018–2025: Board member, Port of Tallinn
2015–2021: Head of the Estonian Hotel and Restaurant Association
2011–2014: CSO and board member, ERGO Baltic States; led insurance sales in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania
2006–2011: Sales and Marketing Director and board member, SEB Life and Pension Estonia
Until 2006: Sales and marketing at Statoil; Marketing Director at Baltika

She now works with senior and middle managers, is a board member of the Estonian Mentoring Chamber, and is the founder of the Venueplace platform. She has an MBA from TalTech and studied strategic management at Rotterdam School of Management.

Drawing on real examples from her work, Maarika will discuss:
- Why employees don’t carry out tasks as you expected, and what depends on you
- How to assign a task so that someone understands it the way you do and takes responsibility for it
- How to delegate without checking every step
- How to work with strong people who don’t like being told what to do, and what to do when a team resists change
- How your leadership style affects your team

In the second part, Maarika will answer participants’ questions. Prepare questions about working with your team that are on your mind. There’s no need to send them in advance—Maarika will discuss them at the event.

Programme:
08:40 Doors open, registration and networking
09:00 Talk by Maarika Honkonen
09:40 Participants’ questions and discussion
10:00 Breakfast and informal conversation
11:00 Event ends

Who it’s for: Business owners and CEOs with a team who are tired of keeping everything under their personal control, and managers who need to get results through other people.

Ticket: €50. Food is not included in the ticket price. Club residents can get a special price with a promo code.

Photography and video recording will take place at the event. By purchasing a ticket, you agree to be filmed and photographed and to the materials being published on the club’s social media.

Organiser: CEO Business Club. CEO Business Club is a community of business owners and managers in Estonia, Latvia and Cyprus. The club is now in its tenth year.

When you’re responsible for a company yourself, many decisions have to be made alone. At the club, you’re alongside people going through the same things: hiring and letting people go, finding money for growth, entering new markets, and dealing with taxes and teams.

What membership offers:
- A circle of people you can speak honestly with about figures, mistakes and difficult decisions, without putting on a show or selling
- Other business owners’ experience that you can apply to your business as soon as tomorrow
- Direct access to the people you need—partners, clients, investors and experts among members and their contacts
- A look inside other companies: members open their offices and show how things work there
- First-hand knowledge from meetings with experienced speakers and economists
- Time for yourself: group sports and informal gatherings where business connections become friendships

Throughout the year, the club holds breakfasts and dinners with speakers, business trips, online meetings, investment evenings and sporting events. To find out how to become a member, contact us or visit ceobusiness.club.