What does mixed-use mean in practice? A full range of possibilities – a place full of life, a space that allows you to ensure a balance between work and free time, but also a number of opportunities for business development, not only in terms of numbers and results, but also competence and improvement of business quality.

A well-functioning body means all its organs working efficiently. With regard to an office center that is called mixed-use, it should be recognized that it should be a space where all the needs of its tenants are met. Since the popularization of remote and hybrid work, office centers have understood that in order to attract employees to work, they need to supplement their spaces with additional functions that benefit people who choose stationary work. Therefore, interest clubs are developing, common spaces are gaining new places conducive to relaxation and work in non-standard conditions, but there are also additional services that provide new opportunities for the employees themselves.

An example of an office complex developing the range of its offer can be Olivia Centre in Gdańsk, which has prepared an exotic Olivia Garden on its premises, an observation deck on the 32nd floor of Olivia Star, an event centre on its 34th floor, and is currently preparing its first residential building, which is being built next to office buildings. In this way, it will become not only a place for work and entertainment, but also a living space. The less obvious functions that are available in Olivia include educational opportunities at virtually every stage of development. The educational offer starts from the preschool age, includes primary school, high school and postgraduate studies, and ends with the top-class development offer run by specialized entities. Among them, the leader is the Gdańsk Foundation for Management Development, which has been present on the market for over 30 years. Its capabilities are complemented by the O4 coworking space, which develops its training offer for employees who want to improve their competences before they think about the professional GFKM training offer.

– Being in a diverse environment in itself carries a value that allows you to develop, learn and imitate good practices, but mixed-use centres offer something much more: it is also a space for improving competences – emphasizes Bogusław Wieczorek, the representative of the management board of Olivia Centre. – The development of the educational and training offer is related to the needs of our residents and results from the combination of experience of numerous entities operating in Olivia. O4, working on the LeadWell conference, gathered experienced managers of companies from all over Olivia and beyond, who share their knowledge and experience with both novice entrepreneurs and experienced managers who are expanding their competences or refreshing their knowledge. This is another area of synergy and a comprehensive approach to cooperation with our residents in our business hub.

The LeadWell conference, organized by O4, includes m.in workshops. During the first one, the participants answered the question of how they interpret the motto of the conference. The answers showed that the title good management is a mix of good practices, care for quality, but also well-being. All participants agreed that these concepts should not be separated. Otherwise, management would only mean a short-sighted pursuit of results enclosed in Excel tables, regardless of the sense and costs of these activities – costs on the part of employees, leaders, and the corporations themselves. The participants pointed out that focusing on results does not translate into long-term growth and building a strong market position of enterprises. The second conclusion is that management is an art in two senses of the term: both a difficult skill to achieve, which thanks to work and talent develops like a craft, and an art that requires artistry, sensitivity and versatility. However, unlike the creative processes carried out by artists in their workshops, in this case it means more interaction and cooperation than solitary work on the final result, which is the product of the artist’s own genius. That is why social skills are so important in this case, which can and should be developed.

Conferences and workshops organized by O4 are an excellent prelude to the development of competences, which can be continued in Olivia at the Gdańsk Foundation for Management Development. The Foundation organizes over 700 training days each year and they include programs related to leadership, team management and broadly understood managerial development. According to Krzysztof Jędrzejewski, Sustainable Development Coordinator at GFKM, the opportunity to follow the full path of managerial development is one of the distinguishing features of the institution: We offer a broad and comprehensive education program: from the first steps in management to the highest managerial positions. With its unique approach, the organization educates leaders at every level, offering training for new managers, programs for middle and senior management, and advanced courses for top management. Over the decades, GFKM has already educated more than 4,000 Executive MBA graduates who can continue their education as part of Post-MBA programs. Thanks to the projects carried out by GFKM, Olivia is also a forge of highly qualified managerial staff, among which Executive MBA programs are in the lead. GFKM is accredited by CEEMAN IQA, the title of Business School with Significant Impact 2020 and the implemented ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System.

– Our goal is to create a space where everyone, from an employee, through a leader, to a business owner, will find the right tools for development – sums up Bogusław Wieczorek. – Olivia Centre is not only a workplace, but also an environment of inspiration, cooperation and mutual learning. We believe that by investing in people, we build lasting value for both our residents and the entire business ecosystem we create together.