More, Better, Best in the Workplace

When Maslow created his 1943 hierarchy of needs, the working world was basically a whole different planet to the one we live in today.

His theory, based around human motivations, assessed unmet needs in a hierarchy from basic physiological needs (food, shelter etc) to self-actualisation - being the best we can possibly be. Once we’ve achieved all we need at each level, we are naturally motivated to strive for the next level. It’s really an allegory for man’s constant desire for more, better, best.

If applied to the workplace, the substance of each of Maslow’s levels would have changed, markedly in recent times. It behoves managers, business owners, facilities managers et-al, to recognise that employees may view what was once a perk (maybe at Maslow’s ‘Esteem’ level) as now just a basic requirement – a physiological need. Wifi and mobile phone connectivity are obvious examples.

Employees used to the comforts and conveniences of home working, will find it disappointing if the workplace experience is essentially a step down. As a result, they may also wonder why they should bother coming in as much as their bosses would like. But whether or not employees compare the workplace to their homework-spaces, the experience of change and upheaval over the past few years has caused a tsunami of reassessment of how (and where) we work.

What was once better or best, is now expected as a starting point.

The workplace needs to adapt and change and deliver more. Provision of “Me, We, Us” spaces for example (individual, small and large groups) to allow response to business needs. Adapting the old ‘neighbourhood’ departmental model to a more adaptive environment based around ways of working – focus, collaboration, innovation. Where we once considered environmentally friendly or eco aspects of the workplace as nice-to-haves, employees may now consider these as entry-level. Ensuring circadian rhythms are catered for with specialised lighting or natural daylight may be far more important as people have become used to working in rooms with a view, or even in outdoor spaces.

Words such as ‘frictionless’ and ‘seamless’ are more often associated with workplace design and strategy these days and words like ‘static’ and ‘permanent’ far, far less so. From wayfinding, to tech, making the workplace experience as easy as possible for those within has become the norm.

This scale of change doesn’t have to mean a wholesale redesign of your office space with the associated costs that come with architects and planning officers. A lot of this can be accomplished with the judicious use of furnishings and lighting, designed for flexibility, adaptability and particularly with wellbeing and resilience in mind. As with anything good, planning is all. Consider business needs, employee wants, required outcomes, floorplate, fixed amenities and go from there.

For more thoughts from PLN, take a look at our "Purpose" articles. These are the reasons we do what we do. Where we start the design journey.