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He is a great swimmer, runs fast and can easily cover 100 kilometers on a bike. She calls herself an amateur, despite the fact that sport has accompanied her from an early age. Brave, professional, well-organized, and very nice – that’s how her teammates describe her in a few words. Does sport, which is the greatest passion, require a lot of sacrifices, reveals Monika Ożarowska, Operations Manager at Bayer’s Service Centre in Gdańsk, the protagonist of the 10 Magnificent campaign at Olivia Business Centre.

More of a skier or a triathlete? How did your sporting adventure begin?

Parents are very sporty. Mom has a swimming record and the minimum qualification for the Munich Olympics. My dad was a high jumper, they are both graduates of the Academy of Physical Education and Physical Education, so the spirit of sport accompanied me from an early age. I didn’t become a professional because my parents showed me a completely different idea of a professional career.

A high-level amateur?

An enthusiast who can play basketball and do well in the pool. I swam under the watchful eye of my mother’s coach, and I learned my skills on the slopes from my father, who is a ski instructor. I’ve been practicing these disciplines at the same time and I have to admit that my heart belongs to both. If I had to choose, there would be a dilemma (laughs).

Triathlon turned out to be the icing on the cake?

It came when I was already working. It was supposed to be an escape from responsibilities, an antidote to stress and an idea for spending time actively. It turned out to be available – there are a lot of competitions in which I can take part, systematically equipping myself with equipment.

Will there be a gap in your schedule?

Indeed, triathlon is a very demanding discipline. When planning races, I don’t rush into the sun with a hoe, because I am aware of my priorities. Luckily for me, a lot has changed. Initially, the competition took place over long distances of the Iron Man formula, now the competitors get a number of possibilities, such as “half”, “1/8”, or “sprint”. This allows you to prepare without sacrificing your work and private life.

^{Fig. Private archive of Monika Ożarowska and (second from the left) author: Zbigniew Czajka}

How much time do you devote to training?

I train three or four times a week to prepare for shorter distances. If I want to fight for a better result, I have to intensify my work. Then some of the household chores are taken over by an understanding husband. Thanks to this, I can devote my afternoons to a hobby that takes me about an hour and a half. It gets more intense in May and June, then I train up to 6 times a week.

Which triathlon discipline is your Achilles heel?

Running (laughs). I feel like I have the biggest problems with it, probably a little bit because I don’t like it very much. I treat it as the most difficult discipline and I always have the feeling that the worst is yet to come.

Jumping into the water together is not a problem?

No, probably because I was “raised in the water”. I like swimming, I’ve spent a lot of hours in the pool, and I have a house by the lake, so training in an open and deep space is not scary. Similarly, the lack of a specific goal in such a swim is not a problem for me. The only nuisance during a joint start is the squeeze that immediately forms. People are pushing each other, pushing their way to the front of the pack. For me, the salvation is to start from the water, then I very quickly drift away from weaker rivals.

Favourite?

I’m at the forefront of swimming, but let’s not forget that the competition ends with the finish line of the race. I’m not afraid if someone in the process swims over or under me. I don’t feel that if I have to spend more time in the water, I won’t be able to cope. It’s worse if the start is about running up.

Why?

Weaker swimmers will be able to run into the water faster, there is more jostling then. When we start from the water, I automatically get in the front row and swim away quite quickly. At the competition in Gdynia it’s a bit worse – you have to run up, and as I mentioned, that’s not my strong point. If I fall behind, I have to push through the weaker swimmers.

A fan club at work? Do they know what you do?

They know and actively participate in sports life. We are very active as a company, as a Bayer Life Team we take part in various road races. Last year we raced in Runmagedon and in the business relay. From this year, we have joined triathlons, we will start on the start lists as a company individually and in relay races.

Where will we see Bayer’s representatives?

I will compete individually at the sprint distance in Gdynia, and in Warsaw at the Olympic distance in the company relay. I was thinking about the Polish Championships in Susz, but the autumn and winter preparations did not quite go as I would like.

Are there attempts to go the full distance and the title of the iron woman?

Not yet. Proportionally, the swimming, which is my favorite part, is the least. Compared to a marathon that you have to run, it has less value. It’s more like the Olympic distance, there’s more water there compared to the other disciplines.

A long vacation ahead?

There’s no need (laughs). I often extend my weekends in order to train harder. I feel like I’m ready this season!

Interviewed by: Dagmara Rybicka, Communication Department, Olivia Business Centre

Ten Wonderful Olivia Business Centre: Maciej from Arrow!

Beautiful princesses, unleavened innkeepers and a dragon that breathes fire. Anything can happen in this world, and yet the most unexpected for a long time arouses the greatest emotions. What is the phenomenon of RPGs and how can you become a Dungeon Master, explains Maciej Wojciechowski, Sales Support Specialist EMEA Education Service Team Arrow, which has turned its passion for storytelling into a way to spend time creatively while strengthening professional bonds.

 

Where did such an unusual passion come from?

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been fascinated by storytelling. I loved books, I didn’t even skip reading at school (laughs). At some point, I became engrossed in a world in which someone reads while taking an active part in the story. I immersed myself in paragraph novels, which in turn inspired me to take action on the subject of RPGs.

 

What kind of novel is this?

Books are made up of parts. At the end of each paragraph, we are given a choice, so the reader, as the protagonist, makes a decision which way he wants to go. Depending on the decision, the book sends him to the indicated page and in this way the rest of the plot develops. I’ve always been fascinated by this kind of interactivity, but a good deal of self-criticism of my literary abilities made me turn towards games. With RPGs, I felt like this was it. Not the story itself, but the message that happens face-to-face.

 

How do you understand the abbreviation RPG?

It’s role playing games. Nowadays, they are more associated with video games, but in the 70s, when they were created, they functioned as games that were played while sitting at a table with many people. The game is run by a Game Master, or Dungeon Master (system-dependent nomenclature), who tells a story in which players take an active part.

 

In a completely invented story?

The game allows you to be completely creative. Of course, there are ready-made modules with a prepared world and characters, but most often the masters decide to tell their story. Even if they decide on a ready-made solution, they still modify the whole thing to make it look better. This means that, in practice, I’m reinventing the whole world from scratch.

 

Worldwide?

The task of the Dungeon Master is to create social relations, religion, politics. In this way, he takes us to the world he has intricately prepared. The task, and at the same time the challenge, is to precisely define the entire story in which the participants of the game take part. I usually go back a few hundred years, creating the backdrop needed for the games. If I had to explain it, it’s a collaborative, collaborative storytelling.

 

Based solely on fiction? Is there room for facts?

In fact, we’re getting into the basics of science fiction and fantasy. In the best works of these genres, the story was the basis of reality and was a costume that hides the problems we experience every day. Tolkien in “The Lord of the Rings” described the situation that took place in Europe during World War I. In “Game of Thrones” the author was inspired by the history of medieval England. When I invent the world, I also reach for motifs that we know. I like military and social issues, the connection between politics and criminal groups – these are the realities in which I feel the best. The system in which I play is the oldest available – so wide that it gives you the opportunity to choose the setting and atmosphere that the Master wishes.

 

Complete freedom?

Of course. For example, one of my friends loves horror and that’s why all his stories are based on horror. I much prefer intrigues, conspiracies, secret societies and criminal groups.

 

How do I become a Game Master?

You become a game master if you want to be one (laughs). You have to have the need to tell a story, which I’ve always had in me. When I started to get interested in RPGs by watching English streams, I realized that this is what I want to do. Interdisciplinarity and multithreading engage all my creativity, being a Master I draw, paint, sculpt, write, invent poetry.

 

A man of many talents…

A little bit, although I wouldn’t describe myself that way in a few of them (laughs). Even though I have to support myself in some sectors, it’s still extremely creative and intellectually stimulating.

 

What do you feel strong in?

You have to ask my players. Recently, in order to find out what they wanted, I did a survey among them – I found out that the strengths are the characters I create. I, as a champion, am the world and the characters that the players meet. I’m a beautiful innkeeper, I’m an old lady selling vegetables, or a broad-shouldered guard at the gate. I become all the characters I play. As a result of the study, I found out that they really like the ones I play. A lot of motivation!

 

What counts in the game?

Intellect and understanding of the system and all the mathematics that accompanies the games are important. At the same time, it should be remembered that RPG is a game of imagination and emotions – players take on the role of various characters, and from the perspective of a master, I manage to skillfully manage their emotions. This makes us feel sympathy or dislike for the character.

 

How many players are participating?

It all depends on what strength the Master has. At one point, my group consisted of 7 people – it turned out to be too much. Optimally, if there are 4 participants.

 

Do you meet at home?

It depends. We happen to be meeting at the company. After working hours, we annex the conference room and play.

 

Arrow dungeon stands?

We feel a connection with the company, and that’s probably why the team of players called themselves the Team of the Flaming Arrow. In the near future, I’m starting a campaign with a second group in the same world, on the same map and at the same time, but coming from a completely different city. It’s going to be interesting, we’ll see if they meet!

 

What is so addictive?

A real impact on what is happening. Players feel it and appreciate it. They quickly realize that navigating the world prepared by the Master has many faces, brings elements of puzzles and, what is important, surprises.

 

How long does it take to move into this world?

On average, a session at Arrow lasts about 3 hours. According to specialists, this is quite little, which is why our sessions are quite intensive.

 

What dimension would be perfect?

I’m assuming 6 hours. However, I can see that despite the shorter time, our players are very good at empathizing with the characters and starting to think like them.

 

Like this?

The coordination specialist stops thinking like a team leader. Becoming a master of the order, who fights with his fists and is constantly looking for adventures, he enters his head in a way.

 

This must open up new perspectives

Absolutely. That’s why, for many reasons, the idea of playing at work turns out to be a good one. I’m talking about integration, which won’t be provided by going bowling or billiards with a beer. Paradoxically, the moment when people start pretending to be completely different characters is the turning point where they discover themselves and start to get closer to the people they play with.

 

A bit of a therapy?

Yes, playing RPGs and playing as various characters is successfully used by psychologists in their work with patients. These roles are therapeutic in nature. I’ve noticed that the characters I choose as a player are partly what I am and would like to be. It is a projection of the creator that allows us to pour out a part of our personality. Even if we want to pretend to be someone we are not, over time we become real, speaking with our own voice, externalizing emotions that are no longer an invention. Playing with co-workers brings you closer to each other and teaches you how to work as a team. In an RPG, you won’t be able to win against your teammates. Instead, we will succeed together. We acquire the ability to cooperate, empathize, get closer to others, and if they are strangers, we have a chance to get to know each other, removing the social layer of inhibitions. As a Master, I play characters, and I do it hard. When I play a woman, I try to speak in a woman’s voice and change my body language. As a dragon, I also change accordingly. All this makes a person feel liberated. That’s why I recommend RPG to everyone!

 

 

Interviewed by: Dagmara Rybicka, Communication Department, Olivia Business Centre

Each of us can save someone’s life. Truly! We invite you to Olivia Business Centre on May 16 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Together with DKMS, we register donors. It doesn’t take much time, it doesn’t require any tests, it doesn’t hurt, it doesn’t involve any complicated procedure (not complicated either). Together we can do more!

See how easy it is. You don’t even have to go to the post office, because all the declarations you fill out will go to DKMS straight from Olivia!

Who can become a donor?

• every healthy person between 18 and 55 years of age,
• weighing more than 50 kg;
• who are not significantly overweight.

All you need to do is sign up and be aware of your commitment.

Every registered person is extremely valuable.

There are currently over a million registered donors in the DKMS Polska database, but new ones are still needed, because as many as one in five patients does not find their donor. Why? Our genotype is very diverse. The chances of finding a “genetic twin” (a person whose histocompatibility antigens are the same as ours) are very low. The probability is 1:20,000, and in a rare genotype even 1 in several million. That is why it is so important that as many people as possible register as potential donors.

Meet Piotr from Energi, bone marrow donor.

During the Bone Marrow Donor Day at Olivia Business Centre, you will be able to meet Piotr from Energa, a bone marrow donor for Ali, whom you may have met in the elevator or on our patio. You can ask him any questions you may have about being a donor, Piotr will certainly help to dispel any doubts. After all, this is information from the first source:). In the lobby of the Star there is a very intimate place, where at 10:00 and 14:00 Piotr will be waiting for everyone who wants to meet him.

Take a look at what Ala and Piotr’s potential donors have to say about the Heroes:

 

Do you need to think for a moment? No problem!

It will only take a few minutes to register with Olivia. However, if you need a longer moment to think, no problem. The registration package can be ordered online, as well as filling out a form with personal data. You can find more information here. From the submitted sample, histocompatibility antigen typing is performed. The results of the test, along with the data from the form, are entered into the Stem Cell Donor database, and you receive a potential bone marrow donor card. The process takes approx. 2-3 months. You can also register online.

We cordially invite you to Olivia:)

Volunteers will be waiting for you in the lobby of Olivia Star. We have prepared 10 registration desks for you. See you there!

 

Cultural diversity is less and less surprising. We open up to its multidimensionality, and what is new and unknown turns out to be a source of many inspirations. During the next meeting of the HRBP Club, the attention of experts was focused on the skilful combination of organizational cultures with traditional elements, such as gender, age, origin and beliefs. Ryszard Świlski, Deputy Marshal of the Pomeranian Voivodeship, was a guest at Olivia Business Centre this time in a completely different role, in his opinion, the diversity resulting from internationality best releases the potential necessary for the development of the entire Pomerania.

Was the role of a manager during the HR Club meeting at Olivia Business Centre a challenge?

I admit, the situation is quite specific (laughs). Indeed, I rarely find myself “on the other side”. The participants of the meeting were specialists, and I, as you are aware, come from a slightly different reality related to employment. The stage fright was, fortunately, passed quickly!

Do you see the role of a manager as a manager?

Yes, looking at the labour market and the needs of both parties, the task is ultra difficult. In the past, employers were given the chance to select employees. Today, the situation has been reversed – the expectations of job applicants are adequate to the competences, and the needs defined are precise. The bar is set high, changing the system of values requires the employer to skillfully find themselves in new solutions, which fortunately are becoming more and more numerous. In my opinion, from the perspective of all the complexity of the process, recruitment specialists do not have an easy bread at all.

How do you think Pomeranian entrepreneurs deal with cultural diversity? Are we ready for it?

We’re learning that. However, I observe that in many moments we are still not ready.

What is failing, what are we missing?

Please note that the world in urban areas looks very different. It must be clearly stated that outside the Tri-City this image is changing. There is a lack of greater openness and trust. We are still overly conservative in the choices we make, we have not yet learned to think what I would describe as a little bit visionary. The past has left its mark on us, and time must pass for things to change. Knowing this, we try to reach places where this change is necessary. On behalf of the Labour Office, we try to travel around Pomerania, meeting and talking about diversity with entrepreneurs in every county. We see what it’s like.

How?

The farther away from the Tri-City, the less openness there is. Closer looks better.

Is the fear of the new, the different, the unknown working?

Let’s take a look at what’s happening in the public space. Unfortunately, in various types of media, as well as organizations, signals are being released that we should take care of “our” employee. I ask the question, where is this one of ours? Employees make choices, move around, leave, and we have to look for other solutions in their place in the form of people who want to come here and acclimatize in terms of work, education and culture. This enclosed space lies dormant inside of us. The perception is negative, because we have superstitions, which in many moments prevail.

Do you need to work at the grassroots?

Yes, this is the only way we will be able to break certain stereotypes. We travel, talk, and invite other institutions to join the discussion.

Who wants to talk?

The Labour Inspectorate, representatives of the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) and the Border Guards. There are many people willing to do so, they understand that knowledge and exchange of experience will make them able to provide real help that will meet the expectations of those who come to us. We want to turn the classic “I can’t”, which was the result of administrative issues, into “what can I help with” by solving problems comprehensively. Step by step, we teach and show how you can act. Unfortunately, there is still a lot of work to be done, and it’s not like a magic wand will heal certain principles of operation in a fraction of a second. We, moving within the areas in which we formally can, also try to exert influence on the Voivodeship Office in the matter of, for example, various permits that people from abroad should obtain in due time. As short as possible, because delaying deadlines will cause us to lose our assets. Open borders mean that the Czechs are already starting to use the human resources that we wanted. In a moment we will start to turn off the lights, because there will be no one to work for us.

But there is no such thing as a golden mean?

No. Everything is at the heart of upbringing and education. The younger generation is definitely more open-minded.

Why is there a difference?

Young people have never experienced the so-called closed border. They didn’t have to get a passport. The possibilities have made what was amazing and almost out of reach for many elders is within reach for them. They are not afraid of neighbouring cultures, they are open to them, and their fascination makes them more willing and easier to find themselves in these seemingly divisive differences.

Is there no hope for the elderly?

The process of openness will simply take longer. Our role is not only to tame, but above all to convince that differences do not have to be a source of trouble and fear. Sometimes the problem lies only in the fact that the older ones simply did not have the opportunity to come into contact with other cultures, for example. When such an opportunity arises, the problem disappears. Most often, we are afraid of what we don’t know.

How does Pomeranian openness fare on the national map?

We are pioneers and our initiatives are held up as examples. They showed that openness in Gdańsk is and has always been greater. This has to do with both the centre of emigrants and the message we have been carrying for the last few months of telling entrepreneurs to “open up”. Give a hand to others, just as we used to help the people of Gdańsk and Pomerania. People in other regions can see our actions and their effects. They ask, they copy a bit, it all depends on the specifics of the places, the Warsaw agglomeration looks different, the situation is different in the South and in Pomerania – each place has its own specificity.

How many years does it take for change to happen?

We cannot wait and we must not forget about information and educational activities that show culture and its offer in individual cities. The power of word-of-mouth advertising is proven – when someone says, come to Gdańsk – it’s a good life, it’s the best here, these people will come. We don’t have to advertise ourselves, we can encourage and show that it is worth working in Pomerania. All this is done so that individuals can find the perfect place to live, learn and develop. Time passes, and for us, every day not used is wasted. If in a few months the borders open to other employees, we will not have any chance here in a moment.

Interviewed by: Dagmara Rybicka, Olivia Business Centre

 

More about the HRBP Club meeting with the participation of Deputy Marshal Ryszard Świlski

Another business and networking meeting of the “Business Women’s Zone” community, dedicated to enterprising ladies from the Tri-City and the surrounding area, who run their own businesses and want to meet other entrepreneurial women and start real cooperation on various levels, is behind us. It was also the birthday of the community:)

Małgorzata Bellwon from Slim Factory talked about psycho-dietetic metabolism, analysing how and where dietetics collides with psychology and presenting truths and myths about motivation.

Joanna Suchocka from the Business Women’s Zone gave a lecture on “An engaged community around your business, or how to build a tribe of your brand?” You could find out m.in. This How important it is for our businesses to build a community interested in what we do, trusting us and our actions. Only such a community is willing to buy and recommend our services. Joanna has been successfully building the “tribe of her brand” for over 5 years and at the meeting she revealed what activities are the most effective in this process.

Monika Wyderka-Chodak from Alltidao, on the other hand, talked about how pprepare and implement our brand strategy. What actions should be taken at the beginning to adjust everything to you and the type of business you run. She pointed out what should not be missing in such a strategy, what period it should cover and what is the guarantee that we will achieve the assumed business goal.

The host of the event, O4 Coworking, was represented by Dominika Rossa, Head of Women’s Coworking.

 

The thrilling, exciting, spring Easter Concert of Olivia Camerata at Olivia Star is behind us. It began with a recital by artists with truly velvety voices, Krystyna Gedzik and Ulyana Hedzik. The ladies enchanted the audience with jazz, gospel and folk songs.

 

Then he made his debut on the stage… Olivia’s choir, which consists of employees of our center’s resident companies, m.in. Nordea, Airhelp, Bayer, OBC, Energa, Sii, Thyssenkrupp and Avaus Marketing Innovations. They performed Don Howard’s “Oh Happy Day,” “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” a classic ballad written by Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg for the 1939 film “The Wizard of Oz,” and Elvis Presley’s “Can’t Help Folling in Love.”

 

Watch Olivia’s Choirs debut (amateur recording)

 

The finale was the performance of the VITA ACTIVA orchestra, which has performed as many as 270 concerts in 60 cities in Polish and Europe. The orchestra has been active since 1995 in the Polish Association for People with Intellectual Disabilities Koło in Gdańsk. She has performed works by G.F. Handel, J. Offenbach, M. Mussorgsky, A. Pizzolli, I. Rekhin, G. Scherterberger, S. Joplin, J. Kandler, Q. Jones, arranged for percussion orchestra.

 

Thank you for so many impressions and emotions.

 

We invite you to the next Camerata!

 

Competition until the last whistle, making up for losses, a series of penalty shootouts, defeats of the favourites – all this happened in the quarter-final matches of the Olivia Sports football league. In the first round of the knockout stage, there was no lack of excitement. Suffice it to say that only 1 of the 4 seeded teams advanced to the semi-finals.

Olivia Business Centre – thyssenkrupp 5:5 k. 2:3

What an emotion it was! In this match full of twists and turns, both teams had chances to win. The lead changed several times in favor of each team. Having recovered from a two-goal deficit, Olivia had a great chance to win, playing in the end with a man advantage. thyssenkrupp’s promotion was decided only by a penalty shootout. After the match, however, there was no shortage of high-fives and thanks for the fierce, sporting rivalry.

PwC – Lechia Gdańsk Foundation 3:7

Last season’s finalists, the Lechia Gdańsk Foundation, were a surprise, defeating No. 2 seeded PwC 7:3. It is worth noting that it was PwC who led 3:1 before the break… However, the second half was a completely different story. Thus, the Lechists took revenge for the heavy defeat from the main round and became the authors of one of the most spectacular comebacks in the history of the competition.

HK Finance – Dream Team Indestructibles Energa 3:6

In the last two matches, HK Finance and Dream Team Indestructible Energa met. These meetings are a “classic” of the Olivia Sports league. This time it was Energa who came out on top, winning 6:3 and eliminating their No. 3 seeded opponents. The old sports adage not to underestimate the heart of a champion has been confirmed. And DTN Energa are the champions of the league from 2014!

CityFit – CCC 9:2

There was no surprise, however, in the last quarter-final. Defending champion and No. 1 seed CityFit defeated CCC 9-2. For CCC, reaching the quarter-finals was their biggest success so far, and it was won in dramatic circumstances in the last round of the group stage.

Semi-final pairs (fixtures coming soon):

• CityFit – thyssenkrupp
• Energa’s Indestructible Dream Team – Lechia Gdańsk Foundation

author: Pawel Pinker