21st-Century Work Habitats (43KB PDF)
Technology gives people mobility so they can work anywhere. Collaboration and the innovation it can spur call for places where people can come together. Attracting skilled, talented people is critically important, but so is creating spaces that keep them engaged. Multiple generations--each with its own ideas about how to work--share the same workplace. As these and other realities shape 21st-century work habitats, the industry that designs them faces new challenges. For some perspective on how these challenges are being met, Herman Miller spoke with four Chicago-based designers from the architecture and design firm Gensler. In this wide-ranging discussion, they speak about what they're experiencing and what they foresee.
A Life Cycle Assessment:
Comparing Fixed and Modular Structures (321KB PDF)
In this assessment, researchers studied the environmental impact of built-in millwork and modular casework. They also compared steel-stud-and-gypsum-board walls to movable walls. The assessment gauged the impact of producing, installing, and replacing these elements. It considered the impact from many aspects, from raw materials to manufacturing processes. And, it considered the waste generated from manufacturing, construction, and demolition. The model for the calculations was Bluewater Health, a hospital system in Ontario, Canada. Results showed that modular casework and movable walls have less impact on the environment than fixed casework and architectural walls. These positive results occur regardless of a hospital's rate of change.
Change and Challenge in the Petroleum Industry (94KB PDF)
Oil fuels most of the world's economies. And while the industry is strong, it is subject to considerable stresses. Demand is increasing in the face of ever-tighter supplies. Exploration, already risky, is made more so by political instability in many producing areas. Terrorism has added a new dimension to the industry's traditional focus on safety. These and other stressors are causing oil and gas companies to change the way they do business. They are increasing cooperation with competitors. They are balancing massive investments in finding and refining hydrocarbons with expanded development of alternative fuels. They are managing mergers and addressing a knowledge gap as an aging workforce retires. How companies handle these changes influences the way they view their real estate holdings and how they house the scientists and engineers who play a vital role in transforming the industry.
Demystifying Corporate Culture (198KB PDF)
Many companies looking for a competitive edge have turned their attention to corporate culture. While there is no recipe for a performance-improving corporate culture, there are some cultural traits that successful companies share. Managing culture to achieve better results is difficult but--with time and an understanding of leverage points within the organization--possible.
Forward Thinking:
Why the Ideas from the Man Who Invented Cubicles Still Make Sense (144KB PDF)
In the nearly 40 years since Robert Propst wrote The Office: A Facility Based on Change, what has become of his ideas? His study of offices found "it is our buildings, furnishings, and services that have to be revisualized and revitalized." That required an approach for addressing what Propst called the new master in organizations--constant, rapid change. For Propst, this meant new rules for the office: a "forgiving" behavior in facility design; the ability to change with "grace"; putting more control in the hands of the person working in the space. While these rules have been unevenly applied and sometimes misused in the intervening years, they continue to resonate even as work and work environments evolve. Built on Propst's original thoughts, two additional rules address the new office landscape apparent today: Give people choice and variety in how they create and share; enrich their work experience with a workplace that is flexible and open to change and serendipity.
Hang on Loosely:
The Common Sense of Retention (346KB PDF)
While the Human Resources Department has a role in retention--setting context for it through people policies and practices--retention is also the responsibility of individual managers. In a diverse work force, the factors that motivate employees vary widely, but determining what they are is critical to retention because motivation leads to engagement, and an employee immersed in satisfying work is not going to feel the need to look elsewhere. The best way to find out what keeps an employee engaged and motivated is to ask him or her, and ask on a regular basis since not only do different people want different things, but also what each wants may change over time. Whatever approach an organization uses it must meet two sets of needs--the company's needs for a certain type of individual and set of skills and the individual's needs to contribute in a meaningful way and feel connected to something bigger than himself as he earns a paycheck.
Healthcare Facility Issues: Standards Guidelines Mean Simplicity, Savings, Sanity (67KB PDF)
Using a consistent set of standards can help people perform better by allowing them to focus on tasks, handle change gracefully, budget accurately, and keep costs down.
Innovation and Creativity:
Something New or Just a Rearrangement? (273KB PDF)
This research summary considers a subject that nearly every organization is eager to understand--and foster. With experts saying "an enterprise that fails to replace 10 percent of its revenue stream annually is likely to be out of business in five years," it is no surprise 80 percent of CEOs claim "becoming innovative" as one of their top three strategic goals. While it is difficult to pin down innovation, there are some things we can say: it relies on networks of people, not solo performers; it thrives in environments that mix thinking, economy, and energy; it usually results from the slant view, the off-center perspective, the second glance. As one observer wryly notes, "Have you noticed that it's the brain that sleeps while it's the mind that dreams?"
Is This Really a Bank?
Exploring New Trends in Financial Services (500KB PDF)
When deregulation allowed banks and credit unions to sell investment and insurance products, it gave the industry an incentive to stop thinking like bankers and start thinking like sales consultants. That emerging sales culture is reflected not only in the attitude of employees, but also in the look of facilities. Eager to persuade customers to consider them for more than just checking and savings accounts, retail banks and credit unions are rethinking their interiors. Today, the corner bank is likely to look and act more like the corner store, as financial institutions seek to transform themselves into one-stop financial supermarkets.
Mutual Attraction:
How to Get the Attention of Top Performers Who Fit (298KB PDF)
In the coming years, it's going to be tough to find enough workers to fill all the jobs vacated by retiring baby boomers and tougher still to attract the right "top performers" that make an organization great. Companies are taking action, positioning themselves as desirable places to work by building their employer brand. A strong corporate culture and consistent communication about that culture are prerequisites to success.
New Directions in Call Center Design:
Demanding Challenges for a Complex Workplace (52KB PDF)
Today's call centers have evolved to become sophisticated, high-tech showcases of service, support, and sales. For companies that interact with customers primarily through their call center, it is often the only opportunity they have to build a relationship with customers. Aside from customers and the corporation at large, call centers need to serve the people who work there, too. Many of them are highly educated, highly sought after workers with a command of both technology and interpersonal communications. A comfortable, well-designed workplace can go a long way toward attracting these agents and keeping them on the job. Strategies for accomplishing this include planning for inevitable changes and more technology, achieving density without sacrificing comfort, making use of natural light and views to the outside, and providing furnishings that adjust to support personal preferences.
Taking on Workplace Change (332KB PDF)
Change may be "business as usual," but for most companies, managing it is not. The major challenge in any change initiative, including a facilities change, is overcoming employee resistance. Employees resist primarily because they don't understand what the change is or what it means for them. Using change communication to increase employee buy-in before, during, and after a facilities change is critical. Workplace change has the best chance of succeeding when everyone wants it to work. If a company identifies the different audiences and communicates effectively with them, then chances are good for successful change.
Three-Dimensional Branding:
Using Space as a Medium for the Message (94KB PDF)
With a distinct brand image, companies can break free from the me-too morass that bogs down so many product and service categories, staking their claim to a firm market position competitors can't approach. While many companies look at brand building as a marketing challenge alone, others realize they have to live their brand, not just promote it. And the surest way to do that is by weaving brand building throughout the entire organization--even the office environment. Think of it as three-dimensional branding, the idea that physical space can be a critical medium for communicating the message.
Transportation and Logistics:
Planes, Trains and ... 3PLs? (279KB PDF)
The transportation industry consists of distinct segments that operate differently from each other and vary greatly in their history, culture, and potential for growth. One rapidly expanding segment is a new form of transportation intermediary--third-party logistics providers (3PLs). They function as a service industry, they are more oriented toward knowledge workers, and they are evolving to manage complex global distribution and supply chains. As companies outsource more of their transportation and logistical needs, 3PLs are integrating within their customers' supply chains as strategic partners. As this sector matures, workplace issues such as flexibility, branding, and technology integration will increase in importance.
When Work and Life Balance, Everyone Wins (94KB PDF)
Companies in some developed countries are facing a labor shortage. One way they can attract and retain workers is by helping them achieve a better work-life balance, an issue that cuts across social and geographical borders. Some companies have responded by offering flextime, telecommuting, and a compressed workweek, for example. In one study of 29 American firms, offering flexibility to workers had a positive impact on the companies' bottom lines in a variety of ways. However, formal work-life balance programs and even legislation aren't likely to be effective unless the corporate culture is conducive to work-life balance. So far, smaller companies have been more adept at work-life balance initiatives than larger ones, perhaps because it's easier for managers at small companies to see how flexibility works for both the company and the worker.
Workplace Trends in Law Firms (485KB PDF)
In a profession built on precedence, change occurs at a measured pace. Recently, however, law firms in North America have experienced increasing pressure to change more quickly. As a result, law firms are dealing with many workplace issues. They must be progressive enough to attract new business yet sufficiently stable to reassure clients. They are often faced with the challenge of managing mergers with other firms. They wrestle with how to embrace different ways of working to give clients greater value. They wonder how to control costs while still attracting and keeping good people. They are concerned that the benefits of technology outweigh its costs and fears about security. The ways law firms address these issues shape how they conceive, construct, and furnish their facilities.
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