If you want your organization to become agile, adding more whiteboards to the workspace will not suffice. You have to abandon the idea that the workspace is an assembly line for white-collar workers. You need to let go Taylorism. We are now in the age of the creative worker.
To become agile – and reap its benefits such as becoming more innovative –, you need a diversity of workspaces to support all forms of creative work: focus, collaborate, learn, and socialize. Also, you have to let your creative workers choose which space is best suited for a task.
Why would you spend on creating a diverse workspace in the first place? Because creating it is a sound investment decision.
Based on their proprietary Workplace Performance Index® methodology, Gensler’s “U.S. WORKPLACE SURVEY 2016” uncovers “a statistical link between the quality and functional make-up of the workplace, and the level of innovation employees ascribe to their companies“.
Copyright notice: (c) Gensler.
In other words: If your organization is trying to become agile without investing in the workspace, it may realize a lesser return on investment. It may also fall behind a competitor that has invested in a diverse workspace for its creative workers.
Download the latest Gensler’s survey from 2019 for free.
Let’s have a look at some typical issues in workspace design that contradict the needs of the creative worker:
Copyright notice: (c) Adrian Kerry.
Team members who prefer working from home are a good indicator that your workspace is not up to the agile job. Those team members are by no means unfit for agile (team) work. They probably just need to get deep work done that they cannot accomplish in the office.
Another indicator for an unsuitable workspace is the widespread use of hearing protection devices or headphones by team members.
To become agile, your organization needs a diversity of workspaces to support all forms of creative work: focus, collaborate, learn, and socialize:
Nowadays, a workspace looking great in an architectural publication no longer works if your agile transition shall deliver a return on investment. You only create a productive, agile workspace by putting the teams first and include them as early in the planning process as possible. Don’t just present the concepts from architects or interior designers. Live up to valued agile principles — such as transparency, interaction, and inclusion — when your organization is designing an agile workspace.
Transitioning to an agile organization requires changing the available workspace in most cases. And buying a few additional whiteboards won’t get the job done.
Becoming agile requires an environment that fosters all four forms of creative work: focus, collaborate, learn, and socialize. And it should be up to the creative worker to choose the right space for each task.
Last, but not least: Include your teams when designing an agile workspace. People care much more about what they help to create. (Use the IKEA-Effekt to your advantage.)
What changes to your workspace did you make while transitioning to an agile organization? Please share with us in the comments.
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