- The article discusses how the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the traditional office model and created an opportunity to reimagine a new generation of workspace that is healthy, well, and resilient.
- The article predicts seven ways that business and workspaces will change in the future, such as increased need for trust, demand for healthy buildings, remote work as a business strategy, certified-healthy workplaces, technology and innovation, leadership and culture transformation, and a new generation of space.
- The article concludes that there is no going back to the old way of working and that business leaders need to embrace the lessons learned from this catalytic moment in history.
As we enter a new era of business, workspaces will evolve to become healthier. Discover seven ways the workplace could change as workers return to the office.
No one could have predicted the tectonic disruption to America’s business community that we’re experiencing right now.
Overnight, leaders found their businesses operating in an alternate reality. A remote reality. A digital reality. A reality where bedrooms and kitchens double as makeshift home offices. But what does this all mean for the future of offices?
A new era of business is upon us and we need to reimagine a new generation of workspace to fit its needs. A space that is healthy, well, and resilient.
Read on this article to explore 7 ways business and workspaces will change soon, including:
- Demand for healthy buildings
- Remote work as a business strategy
- A new generation of space that will emerge
- And More!
There is no going back. Only moving forward to a healthy, well, and resilient new generation of space.
No one could have predicted the tectonic disruption to America’s business community that we’re experiencing right now.
At the flip of a switch, everything we have ever known to be true about corporate protocols and operations came to an abrupt halt.
Overnight we found ourselves conducting business in an alternate reality. A remote reality. A digital reality. A reality where bedrooms and kitchens double as makeshift home offices, and it is acceptable for kids and pets to crash a meeting.
Despite how uncomfortable business leaders were with this reality at the onset, they had no choice but to problem-solve their way through these disruptions, or their businesses would not survive.
At the beginning of the lockdown, many leaders felt vulnerable and upended. Now more than two months in, the C-suite is seeing an amazing transformation unfold in their companies: increased productivity; more frequent and effective team communication; more trust at all levels of the organization; more humanism; more work-life balance; more satisfaction. The list goes on.
This is a catalytic moment in history. Business leaders have been forced to push their comfort level, and it is bearing results unlike they had ever imagined. We cannot, should not unlearn these lessons. They are unexpected gifts and we need to embrace them.
A new era in business is upon us and we need to reimagine a new generation of workspace to fit its needs.
Space has a new purpose. Hendy, a leading interior architecture and planning firm, predicts how business and workspace will change soon:
Table of Contents
Increased Need for Trust
As we emerge from this time of uncertainty, the trust will become an organization’s most important value. Employees and clients must feel confident that leadership has made safety a priority. This includes addressing how spaces are configured, used, and maintained.
A Rise in Demand for Healthy Buildings
The new workplace experience will be a concerted effort between building owners, organizational leaders, and end-users. It will be increasingly touchless and automated, with a focus on strategies that maintain physical distancing via scheduling, space utilization apps, and improved health and safety protocols.
Remote Work Becomes a Business Strategy
Remote work is here to stay. Hendy predicts by 2021, a new blended workforce will emerge with 20-30% of people working remotely 2-3 days a week. A strategy that adopts the blended workforce model will be key to attracting and retaining talent, reducing real estate and operational costs, increasing performance and productivity, and creating a better work-life balance for all.
Certified-Healthy Workplaces Gain Momentum
As people return to work, they will be more aware of how offices impact their wellbeing. Businesses can address these concerns by working with interior architects to design a WELL Building Institute™ or Fitwel healthy certified space for improving human experience and wellbeing through healthy design, construction, and operations.
Technology & Innovations Explode
The need for safe environments will create a surge in tech innovation. Integrated workplace management systems will help us better understand how space is being utilized. And voice-activation, motion sensors, augmented reality and video platforms will be leveraged within physical and virtual environments.
Leadership Style and Culture Transforms
A new management style will emerge to guide these new blended organizations and strengthen the attributes of virtual culture. These leaders will drive a sense of belonging, manage by results, communicate abundantly, and empower people to a new level.
A New Generation of Space Emerges
Our collective work-from-home experience has shown that we are social beings and that the office remains relevant. The new generation of space will be the hub for a dynamic new blended work model, balancing remote work with the need for cultural connectivity and creative brainstorming, with an emphasis on health, wellness, and organizational resiliency.
This time
is an opportunity for businesses to pause – reexamine your priorities and reset your corporate vision. Focus on building a better office with the adaptability needed to evolve, and consider how your employees and space can best support your long-term objectives.
The New Generation Space
Adapting to all this change understandably may feel overwhelming. Hendy’s new service offering The New Generation Space is focused on guiding businesses of all sizes to adapt to today’s new normal, creating environments for a dynamic blended workforce.