Three lenses in the “Return to Office” conversation

We live in an interesting age. We have experienced a digital explosion of cloud-based tools and powerful data storage that has enabled many people to successfully work from home or better yet, work from anywhere. As with any seismic shift in work, there have been early adopters and outright resistance. This reminds me of the conversations that were happening when the internet was first launched and disrupted the way we experienced and delivered our work.??

Let me take you back to early 2001 when I was working as a project architect in New York City for a boutique firm that specialized in interiors for law firms and corporations. Back then cellular telephones were relatively new at work. We used fax machines to communicate with contractors on our job sites and bike messengers carrying envelopes filled with drawings and sketches. It was kind of a big deal to get an office email address. My point is that back then we were working with less connected tools and the office was a necessity for access to these tools.???

Fast forward to 2020. 19 years later we have all kinds of digital tools at our fingertips like email, chat, shared documents, video calls, webinars, videos, etc., the list is long and ever-changing! We use an online whiteboard, Miro, where teams work together adding content, writing each other comments, and where we create, review, and present work. It’s fantastic! It’s very different from the one-way communication tools of yesteryear. We also have VPNs and cloud-based workspaces where we can share highly complex models of buildings, enabling teams of architects, engineers, and contractors to collaborate in ways we never were able to before.?

Now, back to the topic at hand – work from anywhere. We have a valuable perspective on this topic mainly because the work that we do at Gensler建筑设计事务所 with our clients is often complex and collaborative. Every campus or building project requires a tremendous team of people to realize the final product. Working in teams is part of what makes our work exciting! It’s also what makes our work challenging.??

?So, when talking about the topic of “Return to Office,” the three lenses that we should consider are the needs of:?

• The organization
• The team
• The individual

?So, let’s start at the highest level by considering the needs of the organization. If we are to achieve great projects with minimal risk that provide innovative breakthroughs, we must be together. Why is that? Well, as articulated in this research, “My Work in a We World”, we learned that we are more productive and more collaborative when we are together. Human beings produce better work when we work together. So, it is in every organization’s best interest for people to physically be together for at least some portion of their work.??

Organizations are also the place where teams and individuals are united by a shared purpose and mission. The organization is serving a need in society or business, and as a result needs bright, happy, productive people to deliver on their purpose. Our work is often strategically relevant to making the world a better place at the inspired level of the organization.??

Let’s now consider the needs of the team. Currently, I work on a regional strategy team with people located in offices from Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia to Charlotte and Atlanta, all the way down to Tampa and Miami. This dispersed team has thrived and grown over the past three years. The digital tools that I referred to before have enabled our team to work creatively and collaboratively together on a wide variety of efforts, delivering excellence for our clients on change management, real estate strategy, and workplace strategy. ?

We’ve also been able to train and learn from one another. It has been the highlight of my career as a people manager to see the growth and development of this fantastic team of strategists, designers, and leaders as we have navigated virtual teamwork. Even still some of our best work happens when we can be physically together.??

Our strategy practice area leader Elaine Asal brought us together for a training event in the fall of 2022. This on-site training helped us form new relationships and shared connections through activities, games, and meals. This was intentional, by design, and this two-day event has fueled engagement and productivity across the team for months to follow.?

Teams are the place where people often learn directly from their peers in the work.?As the work is being delivered, teams are often the source of engagement and enjoyment.?While teams vary in size, they function as a subset of the larger organization where people develop friendships that make them loyal and engaged.??

Finally, let’s consider the needs of the individual. I am a busy working wife and mother. I love my team and my clients; however, I have responsibilities outside of the workplace. Being able to work from home occasionally is a fantastic opportunity to spend time with my family and get a few things done around the house like piles of laundry or getting a healthy home-cooked meal on the table. ?

Beyond my own experiences and responsibilities, many people benefit from the quiet contemplation that comes from being alone at home in a space that’s filled with the mementos of your life. In chapter 5, “Thinking with built spaces”, in the book, “The Extended Mind”, is the idea of the study. This is a space designed for an individual to do their best thinking. It is private and personal. Several of my colleagues have shared that they enjoy greater productivity on tasks that require intense focus when they are able to be at home away from the hustle-bustle and energy of our open office.?

Individuals are talented, unique, and delightful people that make work happen. And we know that when people are given trust and autonomy, they are happy, creative, and productive (as detailed in "The Progress Principle"). If organizations are going to continue to win the talent war, they are going to have to listen to the needs and desires of the individual, shaping policies around what works for most rather than focusing only on the needs of the organization.??

So, let’s consider all three of these perspectives together – the organization, the team, and the individual. How can we find the areas of overlap? We should prioritize open dialogue where leaders and people are coming together to think through what the “Return to Office” might look like. It’s obvious that the top-down dictates are not working as people communicate their displeasure with this through resignations. ?

How might we layer the needs of the organization with the team and the individual? We might start by considering which activities are best performed in person, and which ones are best done at home, at a client location, or at a third place.?The Gensler Research Institute’s recent Global Workplace Survey Comparison 2023 found the following interesting insights about the role of the office:?

• Office workers spend most of their time working with others.
• There is a gap between current office utilization and what employees say they need for productivity.
• The workplace must offer choice to become a destination of choice.
• Effective spaces and a great workplace experience have far-reaching benefits for the business, team, and individual.?

This work clearly demonstrates the tension between workplace experience and effective spaces. The best managers and leaders ask questions about what their teams need to work effectively, listen to their people, and persuade their teams and individuals to use the office as a place within the eco-system of work. I believe it is incumbent on everyone to have open conversations about the needs of the organization, the team, and the individual to find common ground. And we must remember that change is hard. It requires us to think, ask, listen, and be open to trying new things.??

So, if you’re a CEO that is begging your employees to come back to the office, perhaps you should consider the following questions:?

• What kind of work is my team doing that requires intense focus??
• What kind of work is my team doing that requires collaborative energy?
• Do we have the right spaces in place in our office that will allow our teams to thrive and do their best work??If we don’t, how might we take a design strategy approach to figure out what types of spaces we need?
• Have we invested in the right tools and technology to allow our people to be successful in the office and at home??
• As an organization, are we prioritizing psychological safety, so people feel comfortable speaking up and sharing why they want flexibility???

If you are wrestling with these questions and need a design strategy, please reach out! We are here to help!