As the way we work continues to evolve, businesses should think about how the physical office needs to change as well -- and perhaps even rethink their whole concept of what and where the office is.
A fundamental shift of where business is conducted is happening as WiFi connectivity has become prevalent. Acclaimed individuals, such as Malcolm Gladwell and J.K. Rowling, often work remotely from coffee shops and restaurants, while frequent fliers are increasingly able to find purpose built work places in airports. However, these are just a few of the places that offer dedicated workspaces. In fact, space is being redesigned and repurposed to enable work either virtually or physically in all sorts of less familiar places.
Western Athletic Clubs, for example, which owns and operates private health, fitness, and athletic clubs on the U.S. west coast, has recently created a members business center in their Redwood Shores sports resort. Now members can work out in the gym, swim, play tennis, or enjoy the spa facilities, and then go (straight back) to work. The new business center offers computer kiosks, a computer community table and two closed-in meeting rooms adjacent to the lobby where members can conduct physical or virtual meetings. They also have a community iPad table in the foyer so members don't even need to bring their own!
As new 'here and now' workplaces spring up, an evolution of the traditional office facility is also happening as more companies are embracing flexible work models to help cut costs, support the needs of a more distributed workforce and increase their sustainability efforts. This is translating into companies reducing the size of their offices and rethinking their design.
Some years ago, we put a flexible work model called 'workshifting' into place at our company and also started planning for a new campus. Despite our growth during this time period, we have just moved into new offices with 10 percent fewer seats than we had back then - a direct result of the flexible work policy we implemented. A third of our people workshift regularly, and it's had an incredibly positive effect on morale. Not to mention the fact that we will save $2 million in facilities costs while adding 100 new employees over the course of the year.
Here are some suggested best practices for what to think about when implementing an optimal workshifting environment, whether it's at locations that are being 'here and now' work-enabled -- or redesigning the office:
• Equip employees with the right tools. For workshifting to be a viable option for your workforce, you must give people the tools and technologies they need to work from anywhere. My company has created an "office in a box" kit that includes all the essentials: computer, phone, headset, mobile phone, IP phone, firewalls. Additionally, we work with employees to make sure they have all the connectivity points they need at home and on the road for reliable Internet connection and sound quality of phone calls.
• Know where to look for on-demand workspaces. In parallel with the trend of different facilities being renovated to enable people to work, new location-based mobile apps such as LiquidSpace, can help employees find places where WiFi is installed and available for public use, such as offices, business centers and lounges. Other helpful web sites for on-demand meeting locations include Worktopia and Loosecubes, which make it convenient for workers on the go to find temporary office space on-demand.
• Facilitate collaboration in the office. Designated areas in offices for collaboration are often in open locations around cubes. When employees get together in these locations, it's noisy, preventing others around them from getting their work done. One solution is to design smaller closed-in spaces or mini conference rooms for informal meetings. Another approach is to create opportunities throughout the office for collaboration, even in hallways. Using advanced building engineering, the latest tools and technologies such as connected interactive whiteboards can be installed, ensuring remote workers have the same impromptu meeting experience as their office colleagues.
As companies continue to embrace the idea of the workforce not being tied to location, they should assess how best to create opportunities for collaboration both in the office and virtually. With the creation of new here and now workplaces, the opportunity for on-demand collaboration and business innovation is limitless.
For more information on how organizations are managing changing work patterns, virtual work styles and 'here and now' workplaces visit www.workshifting.com.