Inspired from her original mid-pandemic post on the Allsteel blog here, author Jan Johnson and Yong In have updated the thinking with post pandemic insights.
There are lots of on-point and insightful discussions are happening these days about what’s next in workplace strategy and design, given emerging patterns of office use and return-to-office mandates.
Our contribution is to call out what we believe to be the most important things to get right. Taken together, these four topics help us to focus on the interdependent actions that matter most.
Here are the main four insight summaries with links to each 3-5 minute read.
PART 1: Double down on people-first cultural evolution
Do dial-up engagement, authentic communication to strengthen trust, resilience and social cohesion.
Don’t gloss over or underestimate mental health challenges, new worker expectations for autonomy and equity, or the value of empathy
ACCESS FULL ARTICLE – 3 Minute Read
Part 2: Promote the value of the office to nurture connections and interactions
The highest and best use of the office is to strengthen social cohesion.
Several years ago, Allsteel sponsored research that found social cohesion to have THE highest—scientifically proven—correlation to knowledge worker productivity – specifically team productivity. More recently, Jeff Leitner also identified studies that suggest that social cohesion is also highly correlated to individual performance, motivation, engagement, and learning outcomes; it also helps workers manage fear, stress, and anxiety; which in turn reduces burnout.
ACCESS FULL ARTICLE – 4 Minute Read
Part 3: Encourage teams to develop team agreements
We see so many organizations struggling to craft and re-craft effective RTO strategies, to right-size their workplace portfolios and, most importantly, to understand how work is now being done—when THE best sources of insights and expertise are under their noses: the teams doing the work.
Rather than relying only on individual preferences for how work gets done, we are convinced that developing team-level agreements is a powerful way to establish clear group expectations, foster trust, and ensure smooth and efficient team operations—as well as promoting the clear communication and understanding of each other’s expectations that are key to successful collaboration.
We – as workplace strategists or designers – get the information we need to help inform those strategies organizations are trying to resolve.
ACCESS FULL ARTICLE – 5 Minute Read
Part 4: Intentionally design with adaptability in mind
Organizations will go through a series of “shakedown cruises.”
Even with all the best intentions, solid research, and inclusive discussions about how things might work once folks come back, workers will very likely spend several months experimenting with distributed/hybrid work patterns, free-address, technology, and new team norms. And managers will learn to support them more effectively. Plan for it.
ACCESS FULL ARTICLE – 3 Minute Read
Key Resources Referenced Throughout This Series
Allsteel (March 2020) “What Really Matters for Knowledge Worker Performance” https://www.allsteeloffice.com/insights/research/what-really-matters-knowledge-worker-performance
jeff leitner https://www.jeffleitner.com/
McKinsey Health Institute (November 2023) “Reframing employee health: Moving beyond burnout to holistic health” https://www.mckinsey.com/mhi/our-insights/reframing-employee-health-moving-beyond-burnout-to-holistic-health
Duncan, Rodger Dean (September 2018) Forbes “The Why Of Work: Purpose And Meaning Really Do Matter” https://www.forbes.com/sites/rodgerdeanduncan/2018/09/11/the-why-of-work-purpose-and-meaning-really-do-matter/?sh=5cab46d768e1
The Leesman Index (2023) “The Workplace Reset” https://www.leesmanindex.com/publications/the-workplace-reset/
Goff-Dupont, Sarah (April 2022) Atlassian “How team agreements help you navigate the brave new world of hybrid work” https://www.atlassian.com/blog/teamwork/team-agreements-examples-and-purpose
How People-First Design Enables ALL People to Thrive in the Office
