Stefan Tudos, Genesis Property: “We are reasonably optimistic about the business environment’s ability to evolve and to adapt in 2021”

“2020 was a challenging year, with individuals and businesses having to face a new type of reality and its unprecedented risks. But looking at the new year, we are reasonably optimistic about the business environment’s ability to evolve and to adapt.

The main business driver for our company is exactly this requirement to adapt and that’s because we embrace problems from a different perspective, looking first at the future with a highly proactive strategy, always aiming to be several steps ahead of the present,” Stefan Tudos, Vice-president Genesis Property told The Diplomat-Bucharest.

“In 2021, we are ready to take things to the next level, continuing our strategic initiatives to mitigate the effects of Covid-19 on the real estate market.”

What do you think will be the main business drivers for growth in your company in 2021?

2020 was a challenging year, with individuals and businesses having to face a new type of reality and its unprecedented risks. But looking at the new year, we are reasonably optimistic about the business environment’s ability to evolve and to adapt.

The main business driver for our company is exactly this requirement to adapt and that is because we embrace problems from a different perspective, looking first at the future with a highly proactive strategy, always aiming to be several steps ahead of the present.

In April 2020, under high market pressure and following the initiative and leadership of Liviu Tudor, the founder of Genesis Property and the president of the European Property Federation, we deployed a team of international experts from the health, technology, real estate, architectural and engineering sectors to design a brand-new standard that can help people gain more confidence in returning to their workplace.

We worked together exceptionally well and launched The IMMUNE Building Standard™, the first global open-source standard that assess the resilience of office buildings to the Covid-19 pandemic and other potential health threats. We received amazing feedback and a high level of interest for this “avant la lettre” standard. In 2021, we will continue to focus our efforts towards improving our standards and better satisfying our customers’ need for change in a business environment that is expected to become more and more challenging.

Will we witness a Great Reset-oriented strategy in business or are we returning to business-as-usual?

It’s a mix of both, we can call it “business-as-the-new-usual”. With the “IT revolution” that has gained traction in the early 2000s, change is nothing new for businesses, so to be successful, businesses had to become flexible and quickly embrace new trends. The old saying “change or die” had become a critical business objective even before the pandemic. Going forward, we expect employees to exercise an even greater influence over corporate real estate decisions. Office space selection was historically a top-down decision made by C-suites. Office selections will be increasingly geared towards what employees want: flexibility, health and wellness, collaboration, reduced commutes, plus other amenities.

All of us are already playing different roles in a Great Reset and the world will continue to change. That is why our solutions are conceived not only for present challenges, but also for potential future ones, with The IMMUNE Building Standard™ being the most relevant example. The Great Reset process has already started and will continue in 2021 and in the years to come. The health measures taken until now will continue to shape the standards of the future, helping The IMMUNE Building Standard™ grow and evolve. This approach and these new measures will progressively bring people back together at their workplaces and social events. Therefore, some parts of our professional and personal lives will be back to normal, but in a different, more responsible, and safer way.

What is the flagship project of 2020 in your company?

2020 was a year of remarkable achievements for Genesis Property. The Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated the rollout of innovations that have the potential to transform the future of offices in Romania and in the world. It is precisely in this context that we launched The IMMUNE Building Standard™.

In 2021, we are ready to take things to the next level, continuing our strategic initiatives to mitigate the effects of Covid-19 on the real estate market. At the beginning of this year, we will announce the first office building in the world to be certified at the highest level – IMMUNE™ Resilient -, the H3 building in West Gate Business District, owned by Genesis, where the measures provided by the standard are already underway. Furthermore, there are discussions regarding the certification of several buildings in Europe, USA, UAE and Asia, so there will be more projects to announce in 2021.

What kind of workspace culture and values are to be consolidated in your company in 2021?

In 2021, we will continue to consolidate our company’s fundamental pillar: the trust of our clients and of our employees. Since the beginning of our organization, we built a reputation of trusted problem solvers on a basis of strong ethics, all with the aim of building long term relationships with our clients. We always encourage transparency and honest hard-working values to make sure our employees feel appreciated and rewarded. This is the DNA of our solid team, one that’s more than capable of delivering great achievements even in a delicate context such as a global pandemic.

What is a manager’s role and what skills are required in order to maintain and enhance a team’s cohesion?

Overall, team cohesion is a critical element in the workplace as it leads to greater company success, creativity, improved employee satisfaction, and increased motivation. When a group of talented people is successfully united and inspired to achieve a set of common goals, anything becomes possible. I would compare an outstanding manager with an outstanding orchestra conductor, they have to be a very skilled professional but also a very good psychologist.

First and foremost, a good manager needs to establish and communicate clear objectives with his team, all in line with the company goals. No matter how much time and effort goes into your business strategy, it will probably fail if it’s not effectively communicated to your employees. It’s difficult for your employees to know how their jobs help to direct your business when communication about your business strategy is lacking.

It is fundamental for any manager to understand his team, to know how to empower and motivate each team member to go above and beyond, to reward the achievements, but also to identify and tackle the areas that are up for improvement. Communication skills are therefore an absolute must.

What kind of skills and capabilities need to be improved in your company / team in 2021?

2021 will not be an easy ride. As a company we cannot, and we will never settle, instead we choose to prepare thoroughly for the challenges of the future. Every year we set a higher bar for ourselves as a business, aiming to foster critical aspects like communication, and planning and organizational skills. Also, we are focused on building a culture that constantly supports the personal development of employees. Flourishing skills will inevitably generate greater efficiency. A productive growth-oriented mindset will inspire team members to achieve company goals and managing wellbeing will heavily aid the productivity and happiness levels of every individual. Companies that capitalize on these essential aspects of work could gain a significant advantage from improving the capabilities of their workforces.

In terms of general business and team core-values, what are your three power words for 2021?

I would say the three power words are: focus, execution, and boldness.

We must stay focused on our clients to quickly understand how their business will be impacted by changes in their strategy following the pandemic. Also, we will have to pay close attention to the overall economic environment and anticipate the new world requirements in the post-pandemic era.

Flawless execution will be critical, as we will have to adapt and quickly implement measures in line with our tenants’ new expectations.

Boldness will also be very important, as we believe that future offices will look different from today, so we will need the courage to become pioneers in implementing new concepts. As we know, real estate is quite a traditional sector where changes don’t happen so fast.