After reading an article in Time Magazine this week: Why Morning Routines are Creativity Killers, I think I have figured out the five key elements of a perfect office for creative types:

1. Fancy coffee for all. 

2. Spa (including all services)

3. Showers galore (in keeping with the spa idea)

4. Video walls playing nonstop loops of cute, happy laughing babies. 

5. Puppies

And there you have it: the five key components of a creative office space.  Genius!  I’m ready for the first pilot – who’s signing up?!

Steelcase's "Airtouch" Desk

Steelcase has researched the topic extensively and gives us 9 reasons why height-adjustability is good.  On the health side they note that “Since static posture can result in strain/discomfort, possible injury, and increased workers’ comp claims, ergonomists now recommend movement throughout the day (…) standards include a recommendation to regularly change posture from a seated to a standing position.”  

Despite the health and other benefits of adjustable height desks though, some clients seem to be hesitant to make the switch—possibly because of the higher upfront costs, or the aesthetics of having surfaces at different heights.  

Google's HQ with Standing-height Desks

On the flip-side, some companies have embraced the trend, and employees are standing up all over the place!  I came across a post by a friend who works at Google’s HQ in Mountain View—she linked to a Fast Company article and was excited because her team’s cube was featured in the photo.  I was equally excited to see this because: a) waitta go Brie! and b) they use standing-height workstations!  (Wondering if she likes her desk?  She reports: “I love love love my standing desk!”)  

Employees standing at Facebook

In a recent article about Facebook’s new HQ in Menlo Park, CA, employees also have the choice of sitting or standing—and many are choosing to take a stand.  

It seems this trend is taking off—but is it mainly in the new-school type companies so far?  Perhaps other companies will soon catch on to this trend—and by then the Googles and Facebooks will be moving on to walkstations (also by Steelcase).  

 

Rachel's Creative Standing-Height Desk

I leave you with this photo a friend of mine once sent me of her make-shift “standing-height desk” made of cardboard boxes and wooden shelves.  While I love her creativity here, I’m sure she’d be more comfortable in the long-run with a real adjustable-height desk! 

Fortunately, advocates have Paul Wheeler to defend the cause (or at least to define it properly).

On Monday morning, BBC Radio’s Vanessa Feltz dedicated a portion of her program to an interview with Susan Firth, occupational psychologist, who challenges the open work model, citing the noise, interruptions, and spotty concentration associated with large, partionless spaces. All of these, she says, contribute significantly to reduced productivity and raised stress. The interview raises a critical question: Is the open workplace concept merely a perceived good, passing, unchallenged, from one real estate executive to another because it is cost efficient?

Enter HOK’s Paul Wheeler, who, as Workplace Strategist, spends his days helping corporations create innovative new approaches to working. BBC Radio invited Paul to join the program as an opposing view.

Paul, however, agreed.

The open workplan can indeed be distracting and noisy, he says.  The problem is in assuming that a collaborative workplace must look (and function) like a warehouse full of desks. As designers, architects and consultants, says Wheeler, we need to listen very carefully to what clients and their end users are asking for… and then help them figure out what they actually need to work productively. In his call to cast aside severe and overbroad solutions, Wheeler reminds listeners that a good designer will create spaces that work well for the people who work within them  — which should include providing the right amount of quiet spots for heads-down work as well as opportunities for creative collision.

To hear the BBC interview, click on this link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00n0dgg

Click on ‘Listen Now’ and pull the bar to the 2hr 02 min where the workplace discussion begins. The link will stay live only until Monday the Jan 30^th.

Many organizations spend a lot of time developing methodologies for telecommuting – a lot of what I hear about telecommuting is about how to go about “getting it done”. Establishing policies, procedures, technology, etc. This all comes from the organization’s perspective, but how does this relate to you? I personally have left a standard 9-5 office environment and now am telecommuting at least once a week. I realized quite quickly that I needed to change some behaviors to be effective and it helped me to establish some ground rules for myself:

1. Get dressed for the day. Sure it’s a lot of fun to think about spending all day in your pajamas, but getting ready psychologically puts me in a different frame of mind. I become more task oriented and effective.
2. Flexibility comes with responsibility. You are an adult – act like it! Be accountable to yourself and your employer. Meet deadlines and make sure they know what you are doing – communcation is key so that trust is reinforced.
3. Figure out a schedule that works. Seriously? Do you think your IT guy is going to hang out till you are ready at 9 PM to help you with the glitch because you’re “special”? One can only dream! Be realistic about when you can get the support you need – be it IT, HR or communicating with your boss.
4. Figure out a way so that you are not always “virtual”. There is a high value on the social structure of the office – yes we always joke about wasting time at the “water cooler talk”, but those are the moments that develop a connection between you and you co-worker. It opens the door for better communication and understanding when you are working on a project because you have a better understanding of each other. This is much harder to do in the telecommuting world. If at all possible, make a point to physically meet those that you work with most, even if you are simply comparing notes on Mad Men’s latest developments!
5. Maintain the technology on your end. Organizations have different policies on how they go about providing technology to a remote location, but the bottom line is that if you want to work from home, the internet speed should be fast enough to get the job done.
6. Maintain a work / life balance. The traditional lines of “office” and “home” are blurred even more in the world of telecommuting. It’s easy to get in a grove, look up and see that you were supposed to leave 2 hours ago. Personally, I found that maintaining a schedule (as mentioned earlier) tends to work the best to maintain balance.

http://www.teleworkexchange.com/?utm_source=AdaptiveMailer&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Telework%20Exchange%20Weekly%20Blasts&org=2022&lvl=100&ite=1282&lea=607548&ctr=0&par=1

Happy Telecommuting!

Conference area at Google HQ

I came across this article from the Harvard Business Review blog, in which blogger (and CEO of The Energy Project) Tony Schwartz describes a list of 12 items that his “dream employer” would provide. 

His list includes some seemingly obvious (though often-overlooked) items such as paying employees living wage, offering two-way performance reviews, fair and respectful treatment of employees by upper management, among others.  Hopefully all of your employees do at least these! 

Item #3 on his list is where we here at HOK come into the picture: “Design working environments that are safe, comfortable, and appealing to work in. In offices, include a range of physical spaces that allow for privacy, collaboration, and simply hanging out.”  We’ve been seeing this trend of mixing space types with many of our clients, including Deltek who just moved into their new office space, complete with a game room, community whiteboards, and more. 

Deltek’s new game room—pre-move in (& pre-ping pong table)

 One of my two favorites is #12—“stand for something beyond simply increasing profits.”  This enables employees to gain a sense of real meaning from (and feel good about showing up for) work every day. 

As for my other favorite—that would be #5: “create places for employees to rest and renew during the course of the working day and encourage them to take intermittent breaks.  Ideally, leaders would permit afternoon naps, which fuel higher productivity in the several hours that follow.”  With all of the studies showing that naps increase productivity—you’d think every one of our clients would insist we design napping rooms into their office space!  Maybe someday. . . 

Does this dream employer sound too good to be true?  It is. Tony notes he hasn’t seen a company that fulfills every one of these ideals, but that Google (pictured above) would probably come closest.  And this, he believes, is the key to their success.  I’d guess that there are many more companies that also come close—zappos.com comes to mind, which operates by their “family core values.” 

How many items on Tony’s list does your company fulfill?  Maybe the design of your work place could earn your employer a few more points?

In late 2011, Cornell University and the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology – with SOM and Field Operations (designed the High Line in NYC) – won a competition run by NYC’s administrative office under Michael Bloomberg to repurpose a portion of Roosevelt Island.  The winning proposal included 2.5 million square feet total, with technology focused on NYC-centric industries such as medicine, finance, and advertising, and endowments for start-up companies.  What is particularly attractive about the campus, however, is that the proposal centered the 2,500-student academic institution around central “hubs” (see Fast Company for the animations of the space) and expansive, open areas organized by interest, not by discipline, to foster the exchange of ideas.  Polish it off with interwoven public spaces to serve the academic and general population and a net-zero goal for each of the academic buildings, and you have a pretty great recipe.  Or, at least one good enough to garner the attention of Bloomberg anc Cornell alumni alike. 

Understanding how people work, how ideas are shared, and how environments affect the ways in which people learn and collaborate is powerful knowledge.  And competition can be a powerful driver.  Mixed with expertise, experience, and brilliant people, and I think that HOK is an ideal candidate for the actual design.  Who’s in?

PS – They also want to hire an architect who went to Cornell.  Daphne Kiplinger: are you in?!

Sources: The New York Times and Fast Company  websites.
Image courtesy of Fast Company.

“In Eastern symbology, the Dragon is considered a benevolent creature that brings about luck. The Dragon, even though it was the largest, fastest and most powerful animal of creation, it arrived fourth to the call of the Jade Emperor because it stopped along the way to make rain for the farmers and to help the Rabbit cross the river that all animals had to cross to arrive at the palace. Dragon years are expected to be full of benevolence and grace.  This year is going to be a transformational life-changing year! Generally, there are more goodies in store for you in the year 2012 than 2011. It’s a good year to improve oneself, take calculated investment risks and to build wealth. The year 2012 holds much promise and may be a major transition in your life. Whether it turns out extremely good, or really bad, will depend on how you ride the mighty Water Dragon!”

Whew! The economist must happy to hear the “building wealth” part, but what does this forecast this mean for the workplace and the people who occupy it? The main message that I pick up is that of transformational change, either organizational or personal. It is often said that the only constant in life is change, so I wouldn’t find this particularly unexpected or earth shattering. But if this forecast is true, how does one go about taking calculated risks? To me the answer is obvious – through Change Management.

There is an old proverb that states “he who fails to plan, plans to fail”. If the forecast is right, managing change and providing communications necessary to enable change could be more pivotal than ever before! Research has shown that engaging in Change Management methodologies can achieve:

• Increase the velocity and impact of key initiatives
• Create alignment and facilitate communication between management and staff, across business units / agencies
• Minimize work disruption and lost productivity
• Enhance employee satisfaction and performance
• Help dissipate resistance and achieve buy-in for workplace change

These all sound like things the benevolent and graceful Water Dragon would approve of! Health, Happiness & Good Fortune To You!

The sands are shifting.  Every client we work with has something going on in their organization that will change their future landscape/workscape.  New IT systems, tools, changing processes, organizational structures and performance measures are all constantly in play – sometimes a symphony…sometimes more jazz free style.

Strangely, when you add workplace change to that ensemble, things can get really messy.  The physical, visible manifestations of the past/present – that often represent personal and individual sense of stability in  the chaos – can send otherwise sensible and professional people into panic.

A dear friend of mine (Dave Lathrop at Steelcase) can be quoted as saying “workplace change boils every dysfunction of the organization to the surface” (I’ve attached an article from him).  I believe he is right.  With everything else in flux, it would seem that the sacred cow is workplace. 

I think that there is a huge opportunity to make workplace the thing that ties everything together…rather than the final straw the breaks things apart.  The challenge is approaching workplace change as an integrator, which means approaching the entire design process in a new way.  Developing workplace strategies that anticipate an uncertain future requires a unique thought process.

“Insanity is doing things the same way and expecting a different outcome”

Let’s stop the insanity.  Let’s really look at workplace as the powerful change integrator it has the potential to be.  Can we make it an enabler of new process…and more importantly new attitudes and behavior?  Can we make it be the facilitator in business changes that can make an organization successful?  If so….how?

Would love to hear your thoughts…I’ll add mine in my next blog…

Why bother with space at all

Click here to view the embedded video.

Not a cube, definitely not an office.

The cube is dead!  Long live the cube! 

Just read an interesting article in Interiors & Sources: The Cubicle, Deconstructed, quoting one of HOK’s own, Pam Light, Director of Interiors in Los Angeles.  The article quickly moves through the history of the open plan office, highlighting some of the successes (better space efficiency!) and failures (can’t find anyone in a maze of high-paneled cubicles!), and then addresses some of the major concerns users typically have:

• Visual privacy
• Noise or acoustical privacy
• Hierarchy
• Flexibility

Designers and furniture manufacturers are amply aware of these concerns and have been addressing them through thoughtful space planning and design and manufacture of products that offset the issues.  Check out the article for some tips and product ideas.