At the beginning of the pandemic we all began working from home. Many companies and managers were afraid that systems would break and productivity would plummet and effectiveness and departments would be disrupted. However, as we went further through the *greatest work from home experiment* in the history of our economy, we came to realize that working from home works. Sure, it took some getting used to and some systems indeed did break, but new technologies and new methods for staying connected and staying productive arose within companies and teams. We are an adaptable people and we are a people who enjoy flexibility in the way that we work. Continuing to give employees work from home days is an important part of empowering an employee and innovating an organization's flexibility strategies. Work from home works.
#futureofwork #wfh #wfhlife #workfromhome #workfromanywhere
Where are we headed?
What will we, as workers, do to change the way we work?
Are we trying to protect the old ways? Or is it time for a new perspective?
So much is changing...
Socially, economically, biologically, politically- as we transition through the pandemic. The path forward is forged from the paths we have traveled. They look the same...yet it will- and does- feel different. With our feet on the ground, we are looking to the sky.
What brought us here? We have always known deep down what we are now beginning to live... Work is 'what' we do, not 'where' we do it.
Work is now 'open' work. People can work where they work best. We help guide the journey for you, your team, your organization.
Welcome to the 'Infinite' workplace. Your world, your workplace. We are an agency of change. We are OpenWork.
https://openwork.agency
The Technology is the Culture.
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Leaping Across the Chasm.
Over the past several weeks millions of Americans have been forced to use technologies in ways that they never knew they could. Zoom (and ‘zoom calls’) has become a household name in short order. Slack, the simple messaging platform, has also quickly leaped the chasm of adoption. From ordering groceries online to conducting all of one’s work online, we have collectively been through a shift of rapid adoption that is historic.
In the Beginning.
But there is a precedent for this. Thirty five years ago in the Bay Area we can see the outline for this moment. Stewart Brand, founder of the Whole Earth Catalog (what Steve Jobs referred to as the Google of his generation), and Larry Brilliant (who would later go on to be the President the Google Foundation), created the first community oriented online forum- the Whole Earth ‘Lectronic Link (or WELL). Long before the public internet, computer enthusiasts were connecting online around topics that were interesting to them.
We Should Be Grateful.
Interestingly, WELL quickly become the home of what is generally considered the first truly active online community, that of the Grateful Dead’s newsletter- The Golden Road to Unlimited Devotion. Dead heads used the forum to discuss their favorite shows and to trade tapes. The intersection of hippie culture and techno-culture might surprise some people, but it is baked into the history of both. Indeed, Stewart Brand was an early writer for Wired, as were many others that grew out of the Bay Area culture of the time...
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#futureofwork #covid19 #innovation #changemanagement #culture #wfh #technology #workplace #strategy #digitaltransformation
Four Minus Three.
Over a decade ago Gensler provided a simple yet powerful framework for understanding the world of work- the four modes of work.
Focus
Collaboration
Learning
Socialization
The modes are self explanatory and widely understood so another recitation is not needed here. However, in the current global work from home (WFH) experiment through which we are all living, the four modes are worth contemplating.
Subtraction
It is amazing how many people have overnight become experts in remote working. Everyday on Linkedin there is a new service on offer. Some are coming from consultancies who work in related areas, while others are coming from companies who have vested interests in having more and larger offices and fancy furniture to fill them. I guess everyone is just trying to help.
But for now we are working in a world of one mode- focus work. There is no question that new technology helps with the other three, especially with self-directed learning, but that is not what Gensler meant by 'learning mode.' For the most part, though, three modes have been taken out of the picture- collaboration, learning, socialization.
Collaboration is a roll-up-the-sleeves group activity with whiteboards and post-it notes. Digital whiteboards are ok, but they are not the real thing.
Learning from colleagues and experts is about observation, mentoring, and direct transfer of knowledge and skills, and despite our collective fascination with Zoom, this too suffers.
Socialization is, well, socialization. We are all actively trying to replicate this with Zoom calls and other tools, but there is no substitute for the warmth of human co-presence.
Equal One
Which leaves us with focus work. It is no surprise that, in terms of pure productivity, remote workers are often more productive than their office-bound counterparts. They are unencumbered by ("unnecessary") social rituals at the office that gobble up time and productivity. But I think we would lying to think that the current reduction of work to focus work is desirable or sustainable in a human sense. What Gensler talked about long ago was humans at work, not simply humans working.
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#changemanagement #wfh
20-30% of knowledge workers worked "remotely" some of the time before the crisis, and will continue afterwards. Working at home is just one node among many in a cloud economy that is an infinite workplace.
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Whether we're working from home, a company campus, a local coworking space, or our favorite coffee shop, ultimately we're all making the journey to new ways of working.
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The larger transition has really just begun.
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📸: @austindistel
#workplacestrategy #covid19 #innovation #futureofwork #activitybasedworking #wfh #coworking #digitalnomad #empoweryouremployees #coworking
Binary Impasse.
Historically the world of work has been divided into two primary silos where specialists zero in on their part of the equation:
• HR professionals deal with people: recruiting, hiring, developing, payroll, benefits, policies and compliance, and culture and leadership, etc.
•Facilities and Real Estate professionals deal with physical things: buildings, construction, space allocation, desks, chairs, IT, etc.
In a linear world where things are simple and separate, this has made sense for quite some time. It is the efficiency of Fordism applied to when, where, and how people work. However, the current crisis surrounding the coronavirus is bringing into sharp relief just how insufficient such a ‘division of labor’ really is...
~ The Design of Ecology of Work.
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#futureofwork #covid19 #workplace #workplacedesign #workplacestrategy #corporatevillage #coworking #humancenteredwork #livework #innovation #culture
Choice and flexibility are no longer optional, and many companies struggle with the change management challenge of delivering compelling workplaces and authentic cultures.
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We use a data-driven approach to help companies transition to new ways of working, including activity based working, coworking, and flexible remote working.
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We're here to help. Explore our change management services via link in bio.
#futureofwork #changemanagement #covid19 #remotework #workflexible #employeeengagement #hrmanagement #wfh #culture #coworking #businesstransformation #digitaltransformation #hr #realestate
