Zurich Financial moved 99% of staff to open office. Employee satisfaction up 40%.

You can’t just throw some plants around the office and move some desks–designing an inspiring workplace takes research and care.

Kate Lister’s insight:

Zurich Financial seems to be doing it right: 1) understand the needs 2) reconfigure the space to support the work 3) invest in culture change 4) measure results, something way too few companies are doing.

See it on Scoop.it, via Agile Work Solutions

@HBR – Offices should be designed more like neighborhoods

To reform conference room wastelands, think like an urban planner.

Kate Lister’s insight:

For those of us in the workplace strategy biz, there are no real surprises here, but it’s nice to see an article like this in HBR!

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Choice and Empowerment Unlock Productivity In The Workplace @CBRE Research Finds

“A balance of different types of workspaces within an office environment is the key to improving worker productivity, according to a new research report from CBRE Group, Inc. When a company provides a variety of work spaces that employees can select from, CBRE says satisfaction levels increase 10 – 15 percent. “

Kate Lister’s insight:

The study reveals that the biggest disconnect between what employees want and what they get is remote access to information.

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How Microsoft thinks about company culture in its workplaces (Part 1)

In recent weeks culture has become a major topic of discussion at Microsoft. The company’s CEO Satya Nadella sent an open letter to employees discussing how important company culture is and why it …

Kate Lister’s insight:

An interesting perspective on how this tech giant ties business drivers with property planning and office design.

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This really powerful animation sums up the why and how of agile work in 9 minutes. Even if you’ve seen it, watch it again!

“How can we get people more engaged, more productive, and happier at work? Is technology part of the problem – and could it also be part of the solution? Dave Coplin, Chief Envisioning Officer at Microsoft, imagines what might be possible if more organisations embraced the full, empowering potential of technology and encouraged a truly open, collaborative and flexible working culture.”

Kate Lister’s insight:

Even if you’ve seen this incredible video before, do yourself a favor and watch it again (and again) and send it to everyone you know in workplace strategy.

See it on Scoop.it, via Agile Work Solutions

One design firm envisions an office space with no desks as a way to discourage sitting.

With nooks and crannies to help you get creative with your positioning, you’ll no longer have to choose between sitting or standing while you work.

Kate Lister’s insight:

I dunno. The kind of postures I see there would make the ergonomics people cringe.

See it on Scoop.it, via Agile Work Solutions

What Virtually Every Woman You Admire Thinks About Working Mothers #FastCompany

What happens when you gather just about every influential woman together to talk about working family issues?

Kate Lister’s insight:

My favorite is this from Madeline Albright: “Women can do everything, they just can’t do it all at the same time.”

I’m always troubled when flexibility is tied to women/mothers because it wrongly makes a “women’s issue,” and that often polarizes the reaction. Regardless of age and gender, we all need and want workplace flexibility.

Having said that, this article is well worth reading.

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10 Down to Earth Tips For Leading Your People Through Change from @FastCompany

Change is hard–proceed with flexibility, patience, and a dose of authority.

Kate Lister’s insight:

This is quite well done. I especially like the last tip: “Determine who is on the bus and who is off the bus—then close the door and drive.”

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Tech industry wants flexibility as part of workplace design @JLL

“In an arena where company leaders must weigh economic and

socioeconomic factors equally, the only certainty is that the most
successful organizations will employ flexible strategies that address
a wide variety of ages, work habits and lifestyles, and enable quick
changes of direction when necessary.”

Kate Lister’s insight:

This is a really good piece on workplace preferences in the tech industry with some surprises:

Gen Y prefer suburban over urban living 2:1 – as they approach 30 and start having families, they are ready to move to the suburbs
Huge footprints are back in vogue
Flexibility and choice of space is key
Suburban campuses have to …read more

Excellent debrief on the: IFMA Foundation Workplace Strategy Summit 2014

“Not managing facilities. Enabling communities” Melissa Marsh. #IFMAsummit14 On June 10th I found myself with the privileged ‘final word’ at the IFMA Foundation’s Workplace Strategy Summit 2…

Kate Lister’s insight:

If you weren’t among the attendees at the Workplace Strategy Summit held in the UK this June, don’t miss this terrific summary by @IanEllison.

Also check out:

http://bit.ly/1o0fyAK – an article we did for @Work Design Mag

http://bit.ly/1o0iugM – Work&Place magazine’s entire issue dedicated to the Summit

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