Life would be pretty dull without personal preferences. Influencing everything from the clothes we wear to the way we take our coffee, the choices we make reflect not only our personalities but provide us with our sense of autonomy and self-determination. In the workplace, personal preferences manifest in how we work, from the way we interact with others to how we approach problems. Yet, with the surge in complex work processes and the shift toward more innovation-oriented business needs, personal preference often is trumped by organizational effectiveness.
In response, workplace design is struggling to keep pace. But as highly personalized assigned workstations give way to more shared activity areas, there is a real fear by the workforce that personal preference is slipping away. This perceived deemphasizing of the value of the individual can signal the demise of established values and expectations such as hard work and the dedication that traditionally are rewarded with high walls and doors. Additionally, perceived loss of personal control can create worker anxiety that leads to low morale and reduced productivity, which can seriously affect a company’s culture and bottom line.
An efficient and effective workplace design is essential to develop and maintain a high-performing workforce. At the same time, it is important for organizational effectiveness to acknowledge, address, and incorporate individual needs. As with any change, this duality is often challenging.
Impact of Change
Although many businesses recognize today’s work requires greater collaboration and closer interaction, consideration for the burgeoning cry for innovation resets workplace expectations. In rushing forward with an open design plan and highly collaborative workplace, it is assumed the workforce will readily adapt to new open work behaviors. This is rarely the case.
In reality, reactions to change run the gamut, especially when change appears to fly in the face of long-held expectations and established traditions. While individual workstations may not be contractually guaranteed, employees assume they are implied and treat these areas like a second home, setting them up according to their personal preferences. When a workplace strategy blindly enacts workplace changes that challenge such beliefs, it can be like a parent taking away a child’s bedroom and insisting they make do with the living room. The same is true for employees who assume rewards (offices) are given for exceptional work. Others, content with the status quo, have trouble seeing the bigger picture and assume any workplace modification is just a waste of time in a losing battle with constant change.
Helping Workers Appreciate the New Workspace
Transitioning a workforce to a new environment can be difficult, but in a market that demands change, the end results are worth the effort. Start by engaging the workforce early and follow these guidelines to ensure a smoother process.
- Provide ample opportunities for workers to communicate personal fears regarding the new space. Change often elicits an emotional response. What employees need to know is how they personally will be affected by the new workspace. “What is the space going to be like? What is expected of me? How will I need to adapt?”
- Seek to understand “why.” It’s only human nature to want to know the reasons behind a decision before buying into a concept. Unless this is clarified, the new configuration will be challenged and changed before it has a chance to work, which can waste valuable company time and money. The fact is assigned workplace spaces are underutilized, which signals an opportunity for companies to ask deeper questions about the value of the workplace as a tool to generate results.
- Anticipate and address foreseeable problems before they arise. Concerns over noise pollution in a different work environment are expected. If quiet areas are to be included in the design, make this a topic of discussion early in the process. Although facts do not immediately quell fear, they do plant seeds that can lead to acceptance once emotions are replaced by new expectations and behaviors.
- Utilize analogies and storytelling to engage people in the future of their workplace. How employees see themselves in the story of the new workplace allows them the opportunity to envision and appreciate the changes. Encourage employees to talk about favorite places they have discovered to work. Help them to see that just like in the home where many rooms serve various purposes, the workstation is not the only place to create results in the office—and in many cases may be one of the worst.
- Realize you can’t please everyone. Some people are resolute and are against change of any kind. Yet, it is important to continue the dialogue. These individuals may have thoughtful insights, which can add value to the workplace design.
- Transition individual preferences to team needs. Each team has its own sub-culture and unique work processes within the whole. Discover and accentuate these unique qualities in the workplace through environmental graphics and community identification. Just as a living room in a home reflects the identity of the whole family, the workplace can reflect the individual identity of the team.
Help workers reach their own conclusion that past standards of personal preference and one-size-fits-all workplace design are failing the modern work needs. In addition, keep in mind that with continually expanding innovation and technology, the change cycle is small. Opt for workplace strategies that adapt daily to increase the value of the office to the people who work there. Additionally, create and maintain a flexible workforce culture to meld personal preferences into organizationally effective work and workplaces.
Develop a positive strategy
Like a family, every member of a workforce contributes to the culture, history, pride, and story that create the brand of the team. For this reason, eliminating personal preferences completely will damage the organizational effectiveness that is vital in today’s workplaces. But as the nature of work continues to develop, the benefits of organizational effectiveness must take center stage. A positive workplace strategy today guarantees smoother workplace transitions in the future that allow for the personal and the effective design drivers that will support business results for many years to come.
Brady Mick is an architect, a workplace strategist, and client leader for Cincinnati, OH-based BHDP Architecture. Established in 1937, BHDP is an experiential design firm that focuses on creating environments that affect the key behaviors necessary to achieve strategic results. Mick focuses his 25 years of professional experience on thought leadership, relationship building, and shared vision creation. For more information, visit http://www.BHDP.com or call 513.271.1634.
