I’m
going to start this off by bringing the master-strategy game of Chess into the
picture. This is a game which requires
the utmost analytical consideration, concise strategy with both immediate and
long-term consequences.
If you
study the game of chess, you will quickly find out that many of the pieces move
different from one another. At first
glance, it’s baffling how someone can keep a mental record of these different
moves; use foresight in their moves to augment the moves of other pieces; and still
execute brilliantly on a strategy that had only formed minutes before in their
head.
Chess –
like many sports – also challenges strategy because the opponent’s move is a
calculated guess at best. You can plot,
plan and scheme all day and night, however it’s impossible to mentally compute
the end result of a game. There are too
many variables and calculations.
At
first glance, chess seems like a behemoth of a challenge; however, clearly as
proven by the world champions, it’s a skill that can be learned; and by the
various clubs, it’s a game that can be fun.
The reason why I brought up
Chess is because like Chess, your workplace has different generations – like
different pieces – with different wants and needs, and just like Chess, your
employees and coworkers can feel like a behemoth of a challenge to facilitate
growth, so you just let them grow distinct from one another.
Two
things, a poor chess strategy is worse than no strategy at all; and letting the
pieces move based upon their available options rather than an overall strategy,
opens up weaknesses and disconnect between the pieces.
How
does any of this tie into office furniture and four different generations? Simple, by understanding the dynamic of your
workplace, you should be able to integrate a strategy (furniture or otherwise)
that accommodates the different work-styles, yet still focuses on your brand
strategy (not just marketing, but social interaction; productivity).
If I
were writing this up fifty years ago, the chess analogy would be null: the
office of 1960 had no computers, no fax, photocopier or teleconferencing
equipment. It was characterized by a
strictly ordered plan that placed private offices at the perimeter and a warren
of cubicles at the center. People looked
different, too. Men wore shirts and
ties; women skirts and stockings. A
hierarchy was securely in place from executive at the top through middle
managers to secretaries and clerks.
Today’s
workplace houses four generations of diverse workers – men and women of different
ethnicities who represent cultures from around the world. A successful workplace – one that is able to
recruit, retain, manage and motivate people – must embrace diversity and take
into account the different needs and expectations of people who do not see work
(or life) in the same way.
Referring
to the master-strategy game of chess, looking at these different generations
and how they operate differently, can be a difficult challenge at first. But just like a Rook, Bishop or Knight – each
generation can be defined into a distinct group. Let’s first identify what the generations of
the workplace are, and then we’re going to talk about why it matters:
-
Traditional (1928 – 1945)
-
Boomers
(1946 – 1964)
-
Generation
X (1965 – 1980)
-
Millenials (1981 – 1991)
In
general, traditional workers joined the workforce before the social upheavals
of the 1960s. Boomers arrived in the
‘70s when the proliferation of digital media was still nascent, while GenX and
Millenials came of age in a Web-based world.
At work, these tech-savvy young workers exhibit high expectations of
self, comfort working in teams and a fluid sense of space. Everyone ‘owns’ all the space. Work can take place anywhere. It’s an attitude that appears to be analogous
to growing up in a networked world where you can connect with others at any
time and any distance; or access any information you need via your iPhone or
BlackBerry.
By
understanding what you’re working with, the creation of a brand strategy
becomes simple. Plan a course of action
for overall strategy, with contingency plans and responses to dynamic changes
in the environment. Take into account
the pieces that you have in play – your different generations – and how they
best fit into your overall strategy.
A study
by the Carroll Thatcher Planning Group, a workplace strategy and design group,
identifies the different attitudes and expectations of these four generations
in terms of:
-
Desire
for color variety
-
Need
for ergonomics
-
Want
corner office with window
-
Noise
tolerance
-
Expect
professional attire
-
Expect
supplementary amenities
In
order to address these vast differences in preference and need, office planning
must provide for variety and choice. A
regimented, cookie-cutter approach cannot encompass such a wide range of what
is deemed acceptable in terms of sensory stimulation or desirable in terms of
amenities and behavior. Success lies in
finding a balance between uniformity – a degree of structure is necessary – and
giving workers the ability to make choices.
The challenge is to design appropriate variation.
That is
the ‘who’, the ‘what’, the ‘why‘, and the ‘what they want’ – but how do you translate this information into
a tangible strategy that is good for business? Just like with chess, there is no ‘end-all’
set of moves; you have an opening, mid-game and end-game, each of which will
speak distinctively about your overall chess strategy, but each with an
incalculable amount of moves and odds.
However what makes Chess an amazing game is that it highlights how an
overall understanding, strategy and approach dominate the end-result.
When it
comes to planning for the workplace of today, an overall understanding of the
workplace, a strategy and approach, is key to tackling any moves, initiatives,
or changes. Two strategies I want to
encourage have been executed by HP and IBM, and are managing your real-estate costs and embracing collaboration.
Manage your real-estate cost:
A lot of companies don’t have the analytical force like HP, but there
are groups – even our dealership – that has the ability to assess and capture
occupancy and space utilization. That’s
the first step. If you take your understanding
of your own workplace dynamic, and now the newfound information on occupancy
and space utilization, you will be able to better determine the best possible way to layout
your office and functions.
HP
managed to reduce its real estate cost per employee by 55%, by simply managing
their real-estate cost once they found out that employees were utilizing their
dedicated space only 38% of the time.
They didn’t just cut space down, but they improvised and improved on it,
managing to reconfigure facilities to use offices and meeting rooms
differently.
How
much is your real estate cost per employee?
Do you know?
Embrace
Collaboration: A major global architecture, design and
consulting firm recently published its 2008 Workplace Survey for the U.S. Among its salient points, the survey noted
that success in a knowledge economy requires a workplace defined by varied and
dynamic interactions. Productivity is no
longer characterized by long hours of solitary research, analysis, writing and
creating with the occasional break to confer with colleagues. In today’s most successful companies, more
time is spent collaborating, learning and socializing.
IBM
recently produced a white paper entitled, “The New Collaboration: Enabling Innovation,
Changing the Workplace.” According to
the IBM document, “People increasingly work in places other than their offices
– and on teams that draw expertise from virtually anywhere in the world. They access applications, data and subject
matter experts live and across networks – and others tap into the same
information. They employ whatever
end-user device is right for the job to improve productivity –while enhancing
the work experience for themselves and their employees. Today, collaboration is the name of the
game.”
It’s
not always easy to balance the desire for privacy with the need to
collaborate. Interaction has to be
“designed in” not only as discrete areas for large and small meetings, but by
creating an entire environment conducive to communication, creativity and
innovation. As an example, if one has to
book a conference room in order to meet with fellow team members, the
opportunity for collaboration may be lost.
Companies require design that invites contact and participation
throughout.
To
summarize this report, the best chess players don’t accidently become the
best. It’s through constant attention
and growth; understanding how to use their pieces most effectively; and how to
plan through losses and changes succinctly that make them the best.
A huge
shout-out to Teknion and their investigative prowess in ‘Workplace One’. Checkmate.
For more information Contact:
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