Tuesday, January 4, 2022

To reinvent the office go retro.

 

Luring workers back to the office has proved to be a difficult task.  I'm not surprised.  They ruined the office years ago.

 

Recently PwC announced that one of the changes they had implemented to entice people to return was letting people end work at noon on Fridays. (Gelles, 2021)

 

It made me smile. 

I eloped on a half-day Friday.

 

But it also made me think that maybe the key to getting people to go back to the office is to actually bring back offices.

 

In the 80's, when I began working at Grey, we were placed with a peer in a two person office with a door.  This not only let us to have the quiet and privacy that an actual office allows, it facilitated peer-to-peer training.

 

Never underestimate the importance of being comfortable enough to ask a silly question.

 

But perhaps more important is the fact that people who have friends at work enjoy work more.  So facilitating friendships is an important part of luring workers back to the office.

 

This year many companies planned snazzy Holiday parties that sadly had to be canceled due to Omicron.

 

Perhaps now is a good time for them to consider bringing back the office. 

 

 

Gelles, D. (2021, November 12)  What Bosses Really Think About The Future Of The Office.  nytimes.com.  Retrieved January 4, 2022, from https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/12/business/corner-office-return.html

1 comment:

Tim Baynes Art said...

Here here, to the whole idea of bringing back the office. Somewhere where one can close the door. Over the last 15 to 20 years this whole idea of Open Plan has become totally silly and.

Hot desk-ing . In my opinion this is another silly idea. Nobody has a sense of place anymore. With all the access office space here in the city of London well there's plenty of opportunity to build its offices again that offer privacy and a clear sense of community.

Which is another thing that we need to rebuild. After the pandemic. Has left us drifting. Warmest wishes and thank you for your wonderful thoughts Best wishes Tim Baynes in West Wales