Recently in Olivia Star’s hall, we can admire pottery and paintings of great Tricity artists: Dorota Krzyżanowska, Gertruda Wilczopolska and Wiesław Grzech (his works come from the private collection of Lidia Rutkowska).

This is another part of Olivia Business Centre’s project, which supports and promotes our artists. Previously, among the artists who presented their works in Olivia, were for example artists from WL4.

The exhibition will last till March 23, 2018. The works will also be presented in other Olivia Business Centre’s buildings.

All of them are for sale. If you are interested, please contact marketing department: marketing@oliviacentre.com.

Barbara Matysiak, a chairperson of Artimpres.me agency, is a co-organiser of the exhibition

About artists:

DOROTA KRZYŻANOWSKA. She graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Gdańsk, she was awarded a degree of Master of Arts in 1985 (diploma in easel painting at the Painting and Graphics Faculty under the supervision of professor Kazimierz Ostrowski and annex in graphics under supervision of professor Czesław Tumielewicz). Her works are presented in galleries and private collections in Germany, Poland, France, USA, Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong, Sweden, Canada, England and many other countries. The artist specialises in easel painting, watercolour painting techniques, drawing and her own techniques, including innovative digital techniques. She also deals with multimedia and photography. She cooperates with publishing companies as a designer of graphic layout of publishing series, illustrations, etc. She is an expert in fast “capturing” of a certain energy of a moment – emotions, observations, feelings, movement. She attaches great importance to facial expressions of characters. Sometimes, drawing lasts only some seconds. However, preparing her mind to create this clear and unambiguous message can last long. She likes creating while listening to natural music – sacred songs, ethnic and meditative music from all over the world.

GERTRUDE WILCZOPOLSKA. As an artist, she has been fulfilling herself for 45 years. She studied art at the Faculty of Painting at the State Higher School of Fine Arts in Gdańsk. She obtained a diploma in 1960. She works with various art techniques, for example: painting, medallic art, unique textile – tapestry, small sculpture forms and also rare painting technique with the usage of glaze on large-format ceramic tiles. Many times, she has participated in collective and individual exhibitions in Poland and abroad (for example in the USA, Sweden, Finland, Italy, Great Britain). She likes sharing practical secrets of fine arts. On the occasion of 100th anniversary of the Association of Polish Artists and Designers, in 2011 she received lifetime achievement award from the Mayor of Gdynia. She hopes that her works fill people with optimism, give hope that even from bad things, which occur in our lives, good things can be born, which are drawn from the source of all love, and she also hopes that grey every-day reality will not overshadow beauty.

WIESŁAW GRZECH. He spent his childhood and youth in Gdynia, in Orłowo district, which has always been his inspiration. He painted the Orłowo Cliff, beaches in Orłowo, pier. Gdynia is his history, there began his journey, which he started by making Gdynia famous thanks to his painting, which is well-known in many places around the world. Wiesław Grzech’s painting: first impression – unusual amount of light. Second impression: continuous spinning of the world, his repeatability. “I am a self-taught man” – he says about himself, however he took the environment of artists by storm, rocked the boat and raised standards for professionals. Wiesław Grzech began to paint at the age of 12. At that time, he created his first oil paintings, sea landscapes. He is fascinated with nature, observes its beauty and perfectly catches its harmony, what is reflected in his paintings: sometimes realistic, sometimes melancholic and brooding…. Wiesław Grzech’s self-generated talent is developing thanks to continuous creative work and searching. He evolved from post-impressionist form to the form peculiar only to an artist. Wiesław Grzech’s works have travelled nearly across the whole Europe. That’s where they find their recipients.

Wiesław Grzech’s works were made available thanks to the kindness of Mrs Lidia Rutkowska (private collection).

The 5th Oliwa Run, which is a cult event for many Tri-City runners, is behind us. The run is organized by the Oliwa District Council, the “Strong in Body, Steadfast in Spirit” Foundation and the Sportevo Triathlon Team. Olivia Business Centre was the patron of the event:) It could not be otherwise, after all, we are part of the Oliwa community and we are committed to supporting local initiatives that allow us to get to know each other better and cooperate better and better.

As the organizers say about the initiative: “This is an extraordinary event, because the intimacy and atmosphere of the place are conducive to the unique atmosphere of a family running festival.”

This year, the entire route ran along the well-known, picturesque paths of the Tri-City Landscape Park. The start of the run was located at the entrance to the forest from Jelenia Street (near AWfiS). The competition took place over two distances: 5 km (1 loop) and 10 km (2 loops).

Olivia was represented by a team of ten daredevils. As Monika says: ” It’s a fantastic event, with an amazing atmosphere, which also results from the natural conditions of the route. It is a unique opportunity to be able to run by the sea, on a route with such varied conditions, altitude and terrain. Numerous mountain sections give you a chance to experience unique emotions and enjoy running. This year, the weather and the mood of many participants, over 500, were also good. We will definitely be back on the paths of Oliwa next year!”

Results of the Oliwa Run

Recently we recommended a seminar ran by Bob Dignen, our guest from United Kingdom. Bob is an expert in international leadership training and coaching. He is a Director at York Associates, a training company in the UK. We were happy to host Bob during the “Let’s Talk Business vol. 2” event organized by LEC CENTRE and York Associates in Olivia Sky Club, where he trained those present on how to effectively communicate in an international business setting.

“Let’s Talk Business” is a series of meeting for people who work in an international environment. They host international experts who share their knowledge and insight that helps to work more effectively with foreign business partners and clients. Let’s Talk Business is meant for managers and business owners who run branches of global corporations, work in international teams or sell their products and services on foreign markets.

This year’s seminar, titled “Effective leadership for international business” consisted of a 3-part workshop delivered by Bob Dignen. An introductory key note was delivered by Krzysztof Herdzik, a manager with over 15 years of experience in the business process off shoring industry, on managing diversified global teams in the light of the 4. technical revolution.

–/ —

Monika Bogdanowicz (Communications Olivia Business Centre): What differs working in a local environment from working in an international setting?

Bob Dignen (Specialist English and international communication training, York Associates, Author, numerous titles including ‘Leading International Projects’): The answers to this question are not what you might assume. For example, if you try to think yourself of the three major differences. After not a lot of thought you will probably decide on terms such as ‘language’, ‘culture’ and ‘time zones and distance’. These common sense notions are certainly part of the issue, but more fundamentally it’s about coping with four challenging dimensions.

Firstly, there are the higher levels of uncertainty – working with strangers, communicating in a foreign language so that you cannot be sure of the effective transfer of meaning). Then you have higher levels of complexity – life internationally tends to involve more complex projects and activities. Thirdly, the curious paradoxes of one’s own company – dealing with the lack of clear responsibilities and priorities in one’s own global-local environment, where organisations seems to have become disorganisation. Finally, diversity: with a greater range of perspectives, beliefs and professional behaviours which makes collaboration difficult. A word of warning. Don’t overestimate the role of national culture.

We love to think in terms of Poles, Americans, Brits, Germans etc. But this high level of abstraction is generally not very helpful in understanding the individuals in front of us. Remember, we never meeting cultures. We only meet individuals.

Monika Bogdanowicz: How to enhance dialogue in teams to reduce the risk of conflict and verying understanding of basic terms?

Bob Dignen: Human beings think about dialogue and conversation in very different ways. Some are long talkers, some are short. Some are direct, some are indirect. Despite the diversity, all of us have to manage three choices – we say nothing (silence), we talk at someone or we ask questions. The feedback from experienced international operators is very clear. We need to ask more when working in an international context. It generates learning. It can show respect. It includes different points of view in the decision making to support innovation. And clarification questions which confirm mutual understanding are gold.

Sounds simple? Yet human beings, having observed them for the last twenty years very closely, seem strangely reluctant to ask questions. Why? Fear, perhaps. Fear of looking stupid or incompetent. Fear of being seen to challenge the other. It’s a misplaced fear. Get asking questions deep into individual and organisational behaviour and things simply work better.

Monika Bogdanowicz: What would you suggest to managers who notice issues with ineffective communication in their teams and companies?

Bob Dignen: Of course, it will depend on which kind of ineffective communication is observed. Perhaps a simple piece of advice would be to … do something about it. Offer feedback. Coach people to become curious about their own behaviour and the impacts it can have on others. Create an environment where people can make mistakes safely, and learn from those mistakes. In a world of uncertainty, complexity, paradox and diversity, mistakes are inevitable. Of course, there’s also another answer to this question. Start to doubt that what you see as ineffective is actually ineffective. Stigmatising another as less effective is something we all love to do – it protects our sense of self and the illusion that we are good and others are bad.

Fundamentally, seeing the good in others’ behaviours which might superficially be seen as irritating or unprofessional, this is the real art of management, perhaps leadership.

Monika Bogdanowicz: What tips would you give to a manager trying to facilitate a positive attitude within an international team?

Bob Dignen: ‘Positive’ is difficult these days. People are generally overworked; they feel they are underpaid, and many feel under appreciated to the extent that they have begun to lose faith in their own management. Low staff engagement surveys bear testament to this phenomenon. I think a number of things breed positive emotions.

People like to feel appreciated – so positive feedback, a word of thanks really helps. People need to feel a sense of purpose and progress. So leaders need to provide a working framework which allows these two dimensions to be identified and lived. People also want to develop themselves, and feel that they are growing as people and professionals, and working along some form of loosely defined career path. A simple piece of advice to managers, to ensure these things are secured in people’s work experience, is to have regular informal 1:1s with their staff, once a month or bimonthly.

These personal check-ins are often undervalued by senior management and yet they can yield so much – motivation, alignment of perspectives and learning for the manager on what the workforce is actually thinking and experiencing.

Monika Bogdanowicz: How can a team of culturally diversified individuals positively impact the company’s value as a brand and what can managers do to utilise the team’s diversity for creating a competitive advantage?

Bob Dignen: Most companies define their brand as being one which respects and embraces diversity. I’m not sure diversity as such is a competitive advantage because, well, everyone’s doing it. Whether people are doing it well, probably not, is another question but I think diversity is becoming almost tired in a sense as a brand support. And remember, diversity is not always and only a positive. Diversity of belief, competence, priority and strategic perspective leads to huge fragmentation is organisations. This is why managers have to work so hard to onboard, to align, to build mutual commitment to a common goal. That’s not diversity, that’s uniformity.

I’m not sure that organisations have a fully coherent understanding of their relationship to diversity.

Monika Bogdanowicz: As human beings we prefer to work with people like us and by analogy we avoid situations where we face the unfamiliar (cultures, norms etc). How to manage communication to create a culture of effective communication in a team?

Bob Dignen: Some people enjoy the alien, the unfamiliar and can thrive on walking into unknown territories. They are few and far between, but there are some out there. The question, however, is around communication and creating a culture of communication. The simple advice is to communicate more about communication. Talk about expectations. Talk about experiences. Talk about frustrations. Talk about customer impact of poor communication.

And from the discussion, build action points – sometime singular but sometimes more general about how communication should be lived in general within the team, e.g. emails should be replied to in 24 hours, frustration should be communicated face to face, no silence is allowed on conference calls – people need to say what they think.

Ground rules and guidelines for behaviour, without making them artificial and hence redundant immediately, can be useful. And remember things like ‘listening’ and ‘openness’ are not behaviours. A behaviour is something tangible. Listening as a behaviour means saying nothing, for example, or making a noise, to show you agree and value or just understand. Different behaviours which mean the same thing cause confusion and inefficiency in teams, so why not agree which behaviours mean what, have which value and then do them.

‘Yes, but…’ can be seen by some teams as constructive searching for the truth; by others as a form of destructive negativity. For a team to be really effective, it needs to discuss behaviours and perhaps set rules. Curiously, after discussion, and I know what your behaviours mean, we often don’t need to align because I just know what you mean.

It’s so simple and yet curiously ignored as a focal point by international teams.

Monika Bogdanowicz: What are, according to you, the key success factors when working internationally?

Bob Dignen: There are no golden rules. Life is always situational and complex. However, staying aware, acting thoughtfully and taking the opportunity to learn through feedback if were successful or not, can be recommended. And don’t forget, international working life is not all about stress and challenge. It’s an amazing opportunity to engage with our world, and create a better future together for the next generations. Looking at the politicians around us these days, if we don’t do it, who will, I wonder?

Monika Bogdanowicz: Thanks a lot, Bob for your inspirational talk and recommendations for our business owner’s and employers.

–/ —

^{Bob Dignen. Bob has worked in the field of business and specialist English and international communication training for over twenty-five years. He delivers professional language training both in the UK and internationally, and also runs seminars and coaches in the field of international team and leadership competence. As an author, he has published numerous titles including ‘Leading International Projects’ (Kogan Page), ‘Managing Projects’ (Delta Publishing and York Associates), ‘Communication for International Business’ (Harper Collins) and ‘English for International Business Communication’ (Harper Collins). Bob delivers interactive presentations and speeches at professional English language conferences, and has also spoken at the events of professional bodies such as Toastmasters in France, the global IPMA conference (International Project Management Association) and regional CIPD workshops (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development). In his free time, Bob enjoys jogging and photography. He is also a trustee of International Service, an overseas development charity.}

^{York Associates is owned and run by Claret Holdings Ltd together with Bob Dignen, Richard Hawker, and Mike Hogan, who hold Executive Directorship roles. YA is supported by its excellent team of teachers, trainers and staff, all of whom help us to deliver high quality English language, professional communication, intercultural and leadership training. York Associates has been offering training in the language and communication field for over thirty years. It is well known in the international communication field through its publishing of books, multimedia materials, articles and conference presentations. In 2014 York Associates became a member of the Claret Group, which has training centres in the UK and on Malta.}

 

The interview is also available in English here.

Recently, we invited you to a seminar led by Bob Dignen, our guest from the UK, an experienced trainer and coach in the field of international leadership. Bob Dignen is a director at York Associates, a language school and specialist training company. He visited us on the occasion of the seminar “Let’s Talk Business vol. 2”, organized by LEC CENTRE and York Associates, which took place in Olivia Sky Club. The meeting was devoted to effective communication in an international environment.

“Let’s Talk Business” is a series of meetings for people who work with foreign partners on a daily basis. The guests of the events are international experts who share their knowledge and experience to facilitate working with foreigners. The “Let’s Talk Business” series is dedicated to managers and business owners who manage branches of international corporations, lead multinational teams or sell their products and services on foreign markets.

This year’s seminar, entitled “Effective leadership for international business”, consisted of a three-part workshop led by Bob Dignen. The introductory presentation was given by Krzysztof Herdzik, a manager with over 15 years of experience in the BSS industry, who talked about how to manage culturally diverse teams in the light of 4. technological revolution.

We invite you to read the interview with Bob Dignen, which was conducted by Monika Bogdanowicz from Olivia Business Centre.

–/–

Monika Bogdanowicz (Communication at Olivia Business Centre): What is the difference between working in a local environment and working in an international organisation?

Bob Dignen (International Trainer and Communications Expert, York Associates, author of many publications including the bestseller “Leading International Projects”): The answers to this question do not sound as they might seem at first glance. What are the main differences that come to mind when you think about this question? Upon reflection, you will probably point to phenomena such as “language,” “culture,” and “time differences.” These three questions are certainly part of the answer, but at the core is dealing with four challenging dimensions.

Firstly, there are higher levels of uncertainty in an international environment – you work with people you don’t know, you communicate in a foreign language, and you can’t be sure of the effective transfer of meaning. On top of that, there is a higher level of complexity – as a rule, more complex projects and activities are carried out in international teams. Thirdly, an interesting paradox – we have to deal with decision-making and responsibility dispersed in a local-global environment. In my experience, organizations are becoming more and more disorganized. And finally, diversity – we have to deal with a wider range of perspectives, culturally and professionally conditioned behaviors that make it difficult to work together. And here’s a word of caution – the role of national culture should not be overestimated as it has an impact on people’s behavior at work.

We love to think in terms of Pole, American, British, German, etc. But the use of concepts with such a high level of abstraction is usually not useful in understanding the man before us. It is worth remembering that we never meet cultures, only specific people.

Monika Bogdanowicz: How to strengthen dialogue in teams in order to reduce the risk of conflict and different understandings of basic concepts?

Bob Dignen: People think about dialogue and conversation in many different ways. Some say a lot, others say little. Some are direct, others beat around the bush. Despite the diversity, we all have three choices: we don’t say anything, we talk to someone or we ask questions.

My experience of working with people with extensive international experience clearly shows that when working in an international context, we need to ask more questions. This initiates learning. That can be a sign of respect. It also allows different points of view to be taken into account in the decision-making process and thus supports innovation. And questions aimed at clarifying something, which serve to confirm mutual understanding, are worth their weight in gold. Sounds simple, right?

However, the people I’ve been following closely for over 20 years seem reluctant to ask questions. Why? Maybe out of fear of something. For fear of coming across as foolish or incompetent. For fear of being seen as a challenge to others. But these are misplaced concerns. When we start asking questions about individual and organizational behaviors, things start to work better.

Monika Bogdanowicz: What advice would you give to managers who encounter difficulties resulting from ineffective communication in their teams and companies?

Bob Dignen: Of course, a lot depends on the type of ineffective communication. Often the simplest advice is… do something about it. Offer feedback. Support people to be more curious about their own behaviors and how they affect others. It’s worth creating an environment where people can safely make mistakes and learn from them. In a world full of uncertainty, complexity and variety, mistakes are inevitable. There is, of course, another answer to this question.

Try to question whether what you perceive as ineffective actually is. Stigmatizing others as less effective is a behavior that comes easily to all of us – it protects our self-esteem and the illusion that we are the good guys and others are the bad guys. Essentially, seeing what’s good in others’ behavior, which may be superficially considered irritating or unprofessional, is the true art of management and leadership.

Monika Bogdanowicz: What tips would you give to a manager who is trying to create a positive attitude in their international team?

Bob Dignen: Being “positive” is hard these days. People are generally overworked, they feel like they are not earning enough, and many feel undervalued to the point of no longer trusting those who manage them. This is proven by employee surveys, which confirm a low level of engagement.

In my opinion, several things give rise to positive emotions. People want to feel valued. Positive feedback, a word of thanks really help. People need a sense of purpose and progress towards achieving it. Leaders need to create structures that allow their people to see and experience these two dimensions. People also want to develop, to feel that they are making personal and professional progress, and that their work is based on some, even loosely described, professional path. A simple method managers can use to make sure their people are experiencing these things is to meet with them regularly 1:1 in an informal setting once every month or two. Such in-person meetings are often underestimated by managers, but they can bring many benefits – add motivation, compare points of view, and give the manager the opportunity to learn what their employees are experiencing and thinking.

Monika Bogdanowicz: How can a culturally diverse team have a positive impact on a company’s value as a brand, and how can managers use this diversity to create a competitive advantage?

Bob Dignen: Most companies describe themselves as brands that respect and embrace diversity. I don’t think that diversity in itself is an advantage, because basically everyone experiences it today. Another question is whether people manage diversity well. I believe that diversity wears out as a supportive element of a brand.

It is important to remember that diversity is not always and not only a positive factor. Diversity of beliefs, competencies, priorities, and strategic outlook on business can lead to divisions within an organization. That’s why managers have to work hard to create a common, understandable commitment to achieve a common goal. And that means uniformity, not diversity. I have the impression that organizations do not fully understand their relationship to diversity.

Monika Bogdanowicz: As beings, we prefer to work with people who are similar to us and, by analogy, we avoid situations in which we face the unknown (culture, norms, etc.). How to manage communication to create a culture of effective communication in the team?

Bob Dignen: Some people like the strange, the unknown, and thrive when they enter unfamiliar territory. Such people are few and far between, but they exist and are worth looking for. But the question is about communication and creating a culture of communication… A simple piece of advice is to talk more about communication. Talk about expectations. Talk about experiences. Talk about frustrations. Talk about how poor communication affects customers. These discussions should result in concrete actions. Some of them are single, but usually more general, about how we want to communicate in a team. For example, that an email must be answered within 24 hours, that disagreements must be resolved in person, silence is not acceptable during a conference call – people should speak their minds. Rules and guidelines for certain behaviors designed not to be artificial and thus immediately unnecessary can be useful. But it’s important to remember that phenomena such as “listening” or “openness” are not behaviors. Behavior is something tangible. Listening as a behavior means not saying anything, or, for example, making a sound to show that we agree with or understand something.

Different behaviors that mean the same thing can cause confusion and inefficiency in the team, so why not agree on what specific behaviors mean, what value they have, and then start applying them. The phrase “Yes, but…” It can be seen as a constructive search for truth in some teams, and it can be a form of destructive denial in others. In order for the team to communicate effectively, it needs to discuss behaviors and perhaps establish rules. Interestingly, as a result of the discussion, it may turn out that I know what your behavior means and we don’t need to set any rules because I know what you want to say. It’s very simple, yet often ignored as a key element of international teams.

Monika Bogdanowicz: In your opinion, what are the basic factors of success in working in an international environment?

Bob Dignen: There are no right rules here. Life is always complex and depends on the specific situation. However, being aware, acting with intent, and taking advantage of opportunities to learn from feedback whether something works out or fails is always recommended.

It should not be forgotten that working in an international environment is not only stressful and challenging. This is an amazing opportunity to get involved in what is happening around you and to create a better future for the next generations together. Looking at politicians today, I wonder who is supposed to do this if not us?

Monika Bogdanowicz: Bob, thank you very much for your recommendations for the development of communication in international teams. This knowledge brings great value to our community of Olivia Business Centre, where people work in several languages.

–/–

^{Bob Dignen She has been specializing in language training and effective business communication for over 25 years. She conducts language training in the UK and beyond, lectures and coaches in the field of international team management and management competences. He is the author of several books m.in. “Leading International Projects” (ed. Kogan Page), “Managing Projects” (ed. Delta Publishing and York Associates), “Communication for International Business” (ed. Harper Collins) and “English for International Business Communication” (Harper Collins). He speaks at industry conferences and events organized m.in. by IPMA, PMI, CIPD.}

^{York Associates is a British training company headquartered in York, part of the Claret Holdings Ltd group. She specializes in teaching English, business and intercultural competence and communication, and leadership.}

Other interviews from the series:

Interview with Professor Witold Orłowski

Interview with Leszek Szmidtke, from the Inspiring Examples Foundation and Agnieszka Zglinicka from Olivia Business Centre

5^th Oliwa Run , which is for many Tricity runners an iconic event, has come to an end. The running competition is organised by Oliwa Borough Council, “Strong in Body, Steadfast in Spirit” Foundation and Sportevo Triathlon Team. Olivia Business Centre was a partner of the event 🙂 It could not have been otherwise, as we are the part of Oliwa’s community and we are very engaged in supporting local initiatives, which enable us to get to know each other better and cooperate in a more effective way.

This is what the organisers of the initiative say about it: “This is an unusual event because intimate character of the place fosters the unique atmosphere of this family running feast.”

This year, the whole route led through well-known, picturesque paths of Tricity Landscape Park. The run started at the entrance to forest on Jelenia street (in the neighbourhood of Gdańsk University of Physical Education and Sport). Rivalry took place on two distances: 5 kilometres (1 loop) and 10 kilometres (2 loops).

Olivia was represented by the team of ten daredevils. Monika said: “This is a great event with unusual atmosphere, which arises also from natural conditions of the route. This is a unique opportunity to run at the seaside, on the route with such a diversified conditions in terms of height and the whole topography. Numerous mountainous stretches make it possible to feel unique emotions and sheer joy of running. This year, the weather and the spirits of more than 500 participants were favourable. We will surely come back to Oliwa’s paths next year!”

The results of Oliwa Run

A resident of Olivia Business Centre, Invest in Pomerania, has launched a new project dedicated to the economic promotion of the Pomeranian Voivodeship. Invest in Pomerania is a regional non-profit initiative that helps foreign investors implement investment projects in Pomerania. Since 2011, there have been as many as 77 such investments! As a result, approx. 12,000 new jobs.

“The Pomeranian Voivodeship – an ideal place to work, develop and live” is the motto of the new promotional project of the Invest in Pomerania initiative. The aim of the several-year-long information campaign carried out under the slogan “Live more. Pomerania” is to attract new employees and retain potential employees in Pomerania.

The “Live more. Pomerania” will primarily use a website to communicate with it, serving as a reliable source of information about work and life in Pomerania, as well as social media, profiles to show the greatest advantages of the region from the perspective of its residents. In addition, the organizers will prepare promotional materials that will be distributed during selected job fairs in the province and beyond.

– The project “Live more. Pomerania” is just starting, but we invite you to visit our profile on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. The creation of the Polish, English and Russian-language website will take a few more weeks, we want the portal to comprehensively present reliable information about the region, answer all possible questions that may arise at the time of making a decision to move. says Wojciech Tyborowski, Director of Invest in Pomerania (ARP S.A.). “The idea to create such a place on the web came after conversations with many companies that reported that their potential employees do not know where they can get their knowledge about the region from and often feel lost even after arriving at the site.

“Pomerania is the third most popular region in Poland. That is why more and more people, not only from our country, want to move to us. comments Mieczysław Struk, Marshal of the Pomeranian Voivodeship. “What’s more, the Pomeranian Voivodeship has recently recorded great economic results, which are conducive to making a decision to live here. Low unemployment at the level of 5.9 per cent, a record number of 12,000 job offers reported by the Provincial Labour Office in August and a record number of declared jobs created by investors – confirm the accuracy of the choice.

Economic development naturally entails an increasing demand for new workers from various industries and with different educational backgrounds. The search for them more and more often goes beyond the Pomeranian Voivodeship.

Living, working and studying

The Pomeranian Voivodeship has been beating the rankings in the quality of life category for years. According to research, as many as 73.7% of people are satisfied with life in the region, and as many as 86% of Tri-City residents describe their quality of life as high, these are the best results in Poland! Why? Residents point primarily to the natural values of the province (after all, not every region can boast of, m.in, 316 km of coastline, 2901 lakes or 2000 km of bicycle paths!), cultural events and festivals.

In recent years, the region has also become one of the strongest players in the IT and modern business services market, which opens up unique career paths for potential employees. Thanks to numerous investments from companies such as m.in. Intel, Amazon, Lufthansa Systems, State Street or Swarovski), the Tri-City labour market is very absorptive – the unemployment rate here remains below the national average.

Also, 85% of students describe their decision to study in the Tri-City as a good one, and there are diverse, modern fields of study waiting for them at Pomeranian universities.

– Why “Live more. Pomerania”? Because you live more here. We experience this every day and we know that this slogan touches the heart of the quality and energy of life in our region. We also invite residents and employers to share their experience and co-create the project and promote the province – adds Łukasz Żelewski, President of the Management Board of IDA S.A.

About “Live more. Pomerania”

The information campaign “Live more. Pomerania” is one of the elements of the “Invest in Pomerania 2020” project, financed from EU funds under the Regional Operational Programme of the Pomeranian Voivodeship for the years 2014-2020. The project is implemented by the Invest in Pomerania initiative and is coordinated by the Pomerania Development Agency and the Pomeranian Voivodeship Self-Government. As a result, over the six years of operation, 79 investment projects have been implemented, which have contributed to the creation of 12,000 sqm. Jobs. Invest in Pomerania supports investors in many fields – it provides detailed data about the region, helps to establish contact with local authorities, organizes study visits.

For more information, please visit: http://livemorepomerania.com/

Olivia Business Centre’s resident, Invest in Pomerania, has launched a new project dedicated to economic promotion of Pomeranian Voivodeship. Invest in Pomerania is a regional non-profit initiative, which helps foreign investors fulfil investment projects in Pomerania region. Since 2011, there have been as many as 77 investments of this type! Thanks to that, about 12 thousand new workplaces were created.

“Pomeranian Voivodeship – an ideal place for work, development and life”, this is the motto of the new promotion project of Invest in Pomerania initiative. The aim of information campaign conducted throughout several years under the slogan “Live more. Pomerania” is to attract new and keep potential workers in Pomerania region.

To communicate, “Live more. Pomerania” campaign will use primarily Internet website, which is a reliable source of information about working and living in Pomerania region, as well as social media. Profiles are to show the biggest assets of the region from residents’ perspective. What is more, organisers will prepare promotional materials, which will be distributed during selected job fairs in the voivodeship and beyond it.

– “Live more. Pomerania” project is just starting up, but already today we would like to invite you to visit our Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn profiles. Creating Polish, English and Russian Internet website will take few more weeks. We want the website to present reliable information about the region in a complex way, answer all your questions, which may appear while making a decision whether to move here or not – said Wojciech Tyborowski, President of Invest in Pomerania (ARP S.A.). – The idea to create such a place in network appeared after discussions with many companies, which reported that their potential employees don’t know where they can search for information about the region. Very often they feel lost even upon arrival.

– Pomeranian Voivodeship is the third most eagerly chosen region in Poland. That is why, more and more people, not only from our country, want to move here – commented Mieczysław Struk, the Marshal of the Pomeranian Voivodeship. – Moreover, Pomeranian Voivodeship has been recently achieving excellent economic results, which foster the decision to live in our region. Low unemployment rate of 5.9%, record number of 12 thousand job offers reported by Voivodeship Employment Office in August and record number of declared workplaces created by investors – confirm the right choice.

Economic development naturally involves an increasing demand for new employees from different industries and with different educational backgrounds. Employers more and more often decide to search for them outside Pomerania region.

Living, working and studying

For many years, Pomeranian Voivodeship has been winning in the rankings concerning the quality of life. According to research, as many as 73.7% of people are satisfied with living in the region, while as many as 86% of Tricity residents claim that their quality of life is high. These are the best results in Poland! Why? The residents indicate, above all, natural virtues of the voivodeship (eventually, not every region can boast, for example, 316 kilometres of coastline, 2901 lakes or 2000 kilometres of cycling tracks!), cultural events and festivals.

Over recent years, the region has become one of the strongest players in IT and modern business services market, which opens unique career paths for prospective employees. Thanks to numerous investments of such companies as Intel, Amazon, Lufthansa Systems, State Street and Swarovski, Tricity labour market is very absorptive – unemployment rate is lower than the national average.

Also 85% of students claim that their decision to study in Tricity was right. Pomeranian universities offer diversified and modern fields of study.

– Why “Live more. Pomerania”? Because here you live more. We experience it every day and we know that this motto touches on the core of value and energy of life in our region. We also invite residents and employers to share their experiences and co-create the project and promote our voivodeship – added Łukasz Żelewski, President of the Management Board in ARP S.A.

About “Live more. Pomerania”

The information campaign “Live more. Pomerania” is one of the elements of “Invest in Pomerania 2020” project, which is financed by EU funds as part of Regional Operational Programme for the Pomeranian Voivodeship for 2014-2020. The project is implemented by Invest in Pomerania initiative, which is coordinated by the Pomerania Development Agency and Self-Government of Pomeranian Voivodeship. As a result, throughout six years of activity, 79 investment projects have been implemented, which have contributed to creating 12 thousand workplaces. Invest in Pomerania supports investors in various fields – it provides detailed data about the region, helps establish contact with local authorities and organises study visits.

More information can be found on: http://livemorepomerania.com/

As part of the “Olivia’s Talks” series, we met with Krzysztof Herdzik – leader, innovator, speaker at the “Let’s talk business 2” conference. We invite you to read the interview conducted by Monika Bogdanowicz from Olivia.

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Monika Bogdanowicz (Communication Olivia Business Centre): Why should so much attention be paid to training on the ability of managers to treat other team members individually? Why are these competencies so important in today’s business, which aspires to great achievements?

Krzysztof Herdzik: The twentieth century was the century of standardization, and deviations from the standard were treated as a statistical error. The 21st century, on the other hand, is the century of individualization. We want to be ourselves, and we want to be treated like that, in every aspect of life and interaction with other people. Companies understand this approach very well when it comes to customers, but when it comes to employees, solutions from the 20th century are still being implemented and applied, i.e. standard employee evaluation procedures, periodic interviews, etc. In the same way and according to the same scheme, feedback is also given, or promotions and recruitment – the same rules for everyone. This is what this standardization looks like and is doing well in the area of the treatment of employees in companies. Students are also seeing this today. I had a meeting with students and when asked how corporations perceive them, I got the following answer: “The same man on the left as on the right.”

Individualization allows you to demystify these stereotypes.

Monika Bogdanowicz: The challenges faced by managers today are often m.in. low employee engagement, high turnover, talent war, multicultural diversity in the workplace, global and remote teams, automation, robotics, etc. Who do you have to be, apart from the role of superheroes or action movies, to face these hardships? Is the role of a manager in business one of the most difficult missions in Poland today, which we could call “impossible”?

Krzysztof Herdzik: I once heard that if you want to help people, you should become a leader. It’s a responsible job. Only 8% of people in the world have their dream job. It is defined as work in which you can use your strengths, have a chance to grow, and feel that the work serves a higher purpose. A leader’s primary duty, then, is to create the conditions for their dream job. It is the right or duty of the employee, to take advantage of it or not.

It’s a responsible job and very demanding. Therefore, not everyone is able to meet such obligations. However, equipping the leader with tools that help in an individual approach to the employee certainly makes the task easier. As it turns out, employees who are treated individually are much more engaged in their work. In such conditions, it is more effective to manage multicultural and global teams or retain employees in the company.

^{Fig. Pawel Banaszak}

Monika Bogdanowicz: The theory of “Management by values”, based on the work of Prof. Clare W. Graves, gives modern organizations the opportunity and tools to quickly recognize the individual needs of employees and the resulting changes in the sphere of team management. I mean, for example, the choice of training, the provision of feedback, the choice of communication style… In your opinion, does this theory have a chance to be implemented and developed in Polish companies of various types?

Krzysztof Herdzik: The work of Prof. Graves’ was the basis for the creation of the concept of teal organizations. In many companies, it was difficult to implement, remaining in the realm of ideology all the time. However, the very concept of management by values is based on the principle that it is only at the level of values that we find motivation within ourselves, we do not have to look for it outside. When a leader understands the values of their employee and team, they reach the most important areas of the person, their individuality. The ability to understand these areas allows for clear communication, tailored to the individual values of the employee, and thus the basis for creating conditions in which a person activates his or her true potential. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a small or large company, whether it’s from the technology, service or traditional industries. Finally, it does not matter whether it is a Polish, local or global company, because in each of these aspects people are at the center of their values.

Monika Bogdanowicz: In my opinion, the vision and approach to employee development in companies presented by you should be more and more commonly used in Polish business, contributing to a real change in the quality of management.

Krzysztof Herdzik: I agree, of course, with this opinion. I think that active implementation of strategic practices in the field of management by values and good communication in teams are a guarantee of optimal business development. Leaders who understand this will win and succeed in 21st-century companies.

Monika Bogdanowicz: Thank you for the interview.

–/–

^{Krzysztof Herdzik – Managing Partner in the You Can Business project. He helps organizations introduce disruptive business models, specializes in future trends and modern people management supporting technological change 4.0. Senior Manager with over 16 years of experience in managing international and multicultural organizations. He founded and managed a BPO center in 3city, helping global clients manage their processes. Awarded as the best Manager in Central and Eastern Europe in the Outsourcing industry.}

Last week, a series of events took place in Olivia Business Centre as part of the National Career Week: 16-20 October 2017, organised in cooperation with the Talent Development Centre.

The National Career Week (OTK) is an annual activity organized by the Association of School and Career Counsellors of the Republic of Poland, aimed at inspiring national and local initiatives for the development of career guidance – career support, vocational education and work.

More about OTK: http://www.sdsiz.com.pl/aktualnosci/123,Ogolnopolski_Tydzien_Kariery_2017.html

The theme of this year’s National Career Week: I’m on the job market. My talents and my competences. The Talent Development Centre together with Olivia Business Centre has planned as many as 13 interesting events during the week, as well as exhibition entitled. Talent Gallery. Here are some:

• Talent in the lead role, or a meeting with the rapper ARKADIO

The music project DO WHAT YOU LOVE is a social campaign aimed mainly at young people, whom she wants to encourage to make their own decisions in choosing their future jobs and fields of study in accordance with their talents and passions, and not the expectations of the environment, surveys or fashions. Arkadio believes that every person has talent and wants to convey that you can really do what you love in life, make a living from it, and thus be happy.

• City game – “On the trail of the employer”. The event will be carried out in two stages:

Stage I – in the Talent Development Centre – dividing participants into groups according to their predispositions,

Stage II – on the premises of Olivia Business Centre – carrying out tasks aimed at noticing talents in action.

• Workshop ” Competences of the 21st century – CREATIVITY STOP”

Through creativity exercises, participants were able to learn techniques to help develop their personal creativity.

• Workshop ” 3Z: see, ask, act – test your competences in action”

Participants could learn what working with metaphor is all about, they will acquire the ability to work on personal and professional development. When setting goals, they will break stereotypes of thinking and go beyond mental calques.

• Exhibition of works from the photography workshop ” With Passion about Passion”

The presented photographs were the result of a photo session “with passion about passion”. On 10-14 July 2017 photography workshops were held at the Talent Development Centre. The authors of the initiative are the Talent Development Centre and the Morena Association, the organiser of the European Voluntary Service programme in Gdańsk. Over the course of several months, CRT’s team of career counsellors worked intensively with young people to identify the potential that each of them could use in their future work. Some of these passions and skills can be easily depicted in a picture. This is how the idea of a photography workshop was born. The exhibition took place in the reception areas of the Olivia Business Centre. The works can be seen on the profile of the Talent Development Centre.

Thank you for your participation and involvement.

As part of “Conversations in Olivia” series, we met with Krzysztof Herdzik – a leader, innovator, speaker at the “Let’s talk business 2” conference. Read the interview conducted by Monika Bogdanowicz from Olivia.

–/–

Monika Bogdanowicz (Olivia Business Centre Communication): Why should so much attention be paid to trainings within the scope of treating other team members individually by managers? Why are these competencies so important in modern business, which aspires to achieve great things?

Krzysztof Herdzik: 20^th century was the age of standardisation and any deviations from the standards were treated as statistical error. Whereas 21^st century is the age of individualisation. We want to be ourselves and want to be treated like that in every dimension of life and interactions with other people. Companies understand this approach very well when it comes to clients, but in case of employees, solutions from 20^th century are still being implemented and used, that is standard appraisal procedures, periodical talks, etc. In the same way and according to the same pattern, they give feedback, promote employee and recruit – the same rules for everybody. That is the way standardisation looks like and is doing well in the scope of treating employees in companies. Today, also students notice such a situation. I had a meeting with students and when I asked them how they perceive corporations, they answered: “On the left there is the same man as on the right”.

Individualisation makes it possible to disenchant these stereotypes.

Monika Bogdanowicz: Challenges, which managers have to face now, are very often connected with low involvement of employees, high rotation, war for talents, multicultural diversity at workplace, global and remotely based teams, automation, robotisation, etc. Who should you be, apart from the roles of superheroes or action films, to meet these challenges? Is today in Poland the role of manager in business one of the most difficult missions, which we could call “impossible” to fulfil?

Krzysztof Herdzik: Once I heard that if you want to help people, you should become a leader. This is a very responsible task. Only 8% of people have dream jobs. It is defined as a job, in which you can use your strengths, have a chance to develop and feel that what you do serves a higher purpose. That is why, basic responsibility of a leader is to create such conditions: for dream job. An employee has the right or is obliged to use this opportunity or not.

This is a very responsible and demanding task. That is why, not everyone is able to face such responsibilities. However, equipping a leader in tools, which help him approach every employee individually, surely makes this task easier. As it turns out, employees who are treated individually, are much more engaged in their work. In such conditions, you can manage multicultural and global team or keep an employee in a company in a more effective way.

^{Photo by Paweł Banaszak}

Monika Bogdanowicz: The theory of “Management by values”, based on the works of professor Clare W. Graves, gives organisations opportunity and tools to quickly recognise employees’ individual needs and, consequently, changes in the area of managing, also a team. I mean, for example, the range of trainings, giving feedback, choosing the best style of communication… Do you think that this theory has a chance to be implemented and developed in Polish companies of various types?

Krzysztof Herdzik: The work of professor Graves was the foundation for creating the concept of turquoise organisations. In many companies it was difficult to implement and it remained in the sphere of ideology. But the idea of management by values is based on the rule that we can find motivation in ourselves on the level of values, we don’t have to search for it outside. When a leader understands his or her employee’s and team’s values, he or she can reach the most important areas of human, their individuality. The ability to understand these areas makes it possible to communicate clearly, in a way tailored to individual values of an employee and thereby to create the basics, conditions, in which a people mobilise their real potential. It doesn’t matter if it’s a big or small company, from technological, service or traditional industry. Finally, it doesn’t matter whether it’s a Polish, local or global company because in each of these aspects a human is in the focus together with their values.

Monika Bogdanowicz: The vision presented by you and your approach to employees’ development in companies should be, in my opinion, more and more broadly used in Polish business and should contribute to a real change in the quality of management.

Krzysztof Herdzik: I completely agree with this opinion. I think that active implementation of strategic practices from the scope of management by values and good communication in teams guarantee the optimal development of business. Leaders who understand it, will win and achieve success in the companies of 21^st century.

Monika Bogdanowicz: Thank you for the interview.

–/–

^{Krzysztof Herdzik – managing partner in You Can Business project. He helps organisations implement innovative business models (disruptive business models), he specialises in future trends and modern ways of managing people, which support 4.0. technological change. He is a Senior Manager with more than 16 years of experience in managing international and multicultural organisations. He was a founder and manager of BPO centre in Tricity and helped global clients manage processes. He was awarded as the best Manager in Central and Eastern Europe in Outsourcing industry.}