The O&G Project Environment And People

My last post on rethinking the project environment tended to illicit comments only about the layout of offices, when that is actually only a small part of the problem. Key to designing a conducive and creative work environment is how the staff relate to that environment and how the environment relates to the staff.

Where is the rule that says that as a project expands and recruits people that there has to be a desk, a phone and computer for them? Perhaps expatiate or non-local staff would need a space but does everyone have to be in the office at the same time? I think not, and nor does a number of excellent reviews on how to manage working space and workers. The new focus is for a Results-Only-Work-Environment (ROWE), where the egos of management are laid aside and the human needs of people are paramount  in order to increase creativity and productivity.

On the layout side many companies are taking a lateral approach to work spaces, like Google, BMW and Interpolis of Holland. In the last case, this insurance companies radical design concept has “increased productivity 20%, and sick leave has dropped from 9% to 2.5%”. It’s about creating spaces that people want to work in.

But it is also about treating people as people, adults who have accountability and honesty. The must be in the building, clocking in and out to check on staff is outmoded thinking. If a person can work from home and wants to do so, why not let them? It is safer, reduces travelling time, expenses claims, stress and improves productivity. It’s easy to manage because their work is either done satisfactorily or it is not.

The project workspace needs to adapt to the new lean oil and gas economy. Radical work space design coupled with understanding human needs will do this. These will be cheaper to run and will reduce the potential for errors. Mistakes which results in the creation of ‘Projects Gaps’, only become apparent during project execution and are the main causes of project failure.