Space as Strategy…

… OK, that may be a stretch, but it just might be the reason so many CEO’s are getting personally involved in the design of their office makeover.  You can’t deny that the look of your office weighs on the minds of your new recruits,…especially the best talent out there, the ones with lots of offers on the table.  And why is that…?  My feeling is that it is no different than how they evaluate other choices in their life; they are looking for that option which they feel will benefit them the most.  This certainly includes interesting work (‘the what’), which they feel can advance their learning,… the quality and diversity of those they will work with (‘the who’),…but in addition, they look for an office environment that reflects the way they want to work (‘the how’).  Any one of these three can be the reason they walk.

So what makes a work place catch the eye of that new recruit…?  First is snacks, how you feed the troops.  Don’t laugh; companies like Google and Bloomberg design their offices around food as a central feature.  They know that people gather around food, and when people gather they talk, and when they talk they exchange ideas, and when they exchange ideas innovation occurs.  Not everyone offers snacks/drinks for free, like Google,…but many see the value in the social hub (or hubbub) it creates.  The draw may be the fact that it satisfies one of our lower level deficiency needs noted by Maslow (psychological), but I believe it’s because it satisfies the highest level Maslow growth need (self-actualization).  Self-actualization involves creativity, spontaneity and problem solving,…and what better fuel for that than a group gathering at the watering hole for a bagel and a cup of joe.

A second element of a work place that may not seem obvious at first as important to new hires is to see evidence of your appreciation for art, or the arts for that matter.  The use of art not only communicates that a company values the whole individual (you’re not just a cog in some white collar assembly line), but a recognition that art can be a source of inspiration as well.  The more employees can be inspired at work, the less chance they will seek 3rd Place environments for inspiration.  This art can take many forms.  It can be that painting or collection of paintings from someone famous or better yet someone local to your area.  It can be a whimsical sculpture that says something about the business or industry you are in.  It can be in the use of vibrant colors or patterns,…created with paint, carpet or even lighting.  Anything that catches people’s eyes and trigger that spark of new thought.

The last element is maybe the most important.  It is the design of the work space itself.  Is it designed to decrease costs (efficiency), or to optimize value (effectiveness)…?  This is not all that tricky to spot.  Is the space jammed full of people in cookie-cutter like individual work stations, or is the space tailored to the particular needs of not only departments, but individuals and individual work styles.  Is it fixed or flexible space; are there a broad range/variety of settings including sufficient team/project rooms; are the individual and group spaces outfitted with the tech tools to do your job;  is the design one that encourages interaction or promotes isolation…?  Bottom line: does your employer care how you like to work …or are you expected to adapt how you work to how they have designed the space? Every company’s mission statement or values list identifies the strategic importance of their employees.  I say, then prove it.  For as much time as each one of us spends in an office, it should be a place you love to work.  Wouldn’t you agree…?

Comments

[Mark Greiner]

An interesting question to ponder Jon,… could there be a synergistic relationship between geography and companies within that geography, to a larger ecosystem of ‘space.’ I’m not sure, but I would say that the idea of space and how it is leveraged in a strategic sense,… certainly extends beyond the walls of an organization, as people work in many places within a community. So community and geography are important to that extent.

Thanks,
Mark

[Jon King]

Great topic. I had a thought I will share to help fuel the dialogue. Many members of the new talent pool put importance on community and health. Having said that, I wonder if there is a "where" in the mix that influences some of these decisions. The lifestyle in one area might be more appealing then in another and vise-versa. If they find a community that is appealing but the corporate environment represented in the opportunity does not mimic that spirit, they might pass. The same result might transpire if the company looks really appealing, but the community is lacking.

It seems there could be a synergy between the area and the office... a geographical influence on the companies that reside there. Thoughts?