TRENDS AND TENSIONS

IN THE WORKPLACESeptember 17, 2015University of Cincinnati Cincinnati, Ohio

EXECUTIVE ROUNDTABLE

On Sept. 17, 2015, BHDP facilitated an Executive Roundtable titled “Trends and Tensions in the Workplace.”

Leaders from across the corporate real estate industry met at Tangeman University Center in the heart of University of Cincinnati’s Clifton campus in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Through ideation, data analysis and story-telling, the group unpacked workplace trends and tensions that impact business performance. By sharing perspectives across different businesses, the group collectively arrived at actionable solutions for immediate implementation in their respective organizations.

The following pages provide a summary from the day’s discussions, outlined in three parts corresponding with the event’s agenda:

Part 1: Roundtable I: General and Workplace Trends Part 2: Roundtable II: Focus Topics Part 3: Group Exercise: Sixty Minute Solution

TRENDS AND TENSIONS IN THE WORKPLACE

Executive Roundtable Summary

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Joe BaughmanNationwide Insurance

Nicole BellmanMercy Health

Kevin BrandenburgINC Research

John BrownriggMercy Health

Cory ChristopherUniversity of Cincinnati

Michelle ClareUniversity of Cincinnati

Chris EaryFidelity Investments

Gigi EscoeUniversity of Cincinnati

Samantha FisherCapital One

Cynthia HayesHuntington Bank

Jennifer HershnerHuntington Bank

Jason LuthyCincinnati Children’s

Kieran SherryNationwide Insurance

Christina SmithCapital One

Jennie StrodeJLL

Bill VonderhaarProcter & Gamble

Special thank you to University of Cincinnati for hosting the Executive Roundtable.

Dominic Iacobucci, AIA, LEED AP

Dominic is a client leader at BHDP with over 15 years of experience. A citizen leader and adjunct professor at University of Cincinnati, he engages with students to discover what’s next in the world of work.

Brady Mick, RA, MCR.w

Brady is a client leader and senior design strategist at BHDP where he provides design expertise creating work environments that align company culture with physical space. He is a multi-time recipient of CoreNet's Top Faculty award.

T. Patrick Donnelly, AIA, LEED AP, MCR.h

Patrick is a client leader and shareholder at BHDP. A prolific author and speaker, Patrick is a 2015 recipient of the CoreNet Luminary Award and multi-time winner of the CoreNet Top Faculty honor.

Thank you to all the individuals who participated in the 2015 Fall Executive Roundtable.

PARTICIPANTS

FACILITATORS

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ROUNDTABLE I:

General and Workplace Trends

Participants reviewed over 50 general and workplace trends "statements"— factual news bites pulled from a variety of resources, including news channels, trend reports and white papers. Participants then voted on the relevance of each topic to their everyday work and life, identifying those statements that "rung particularly true" to their actual experience.

Top-voted items provided starting points for the first discussion of the day.

What follows is a summary of this voting session.

ROUNDTABLE I:

General and Workplace Trends

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• Leading workplaces allow for variety and choice in space, time and technology.

Number of Votes: 7 Source: http://for.tn/1Mf9U6k

• Small meeting spaces have higher utilization rates for collaboration. Number of Votes: 7 Source: http://bit.ly/1Nv7Zz4

• Millennials are willing to take pay cuts in order to work for companies that align with their personal values, proving the importance of company culture.

Number of Votes: 6 Source: Inquiry to Innovation: The Future of Work

• 74% of Millennials want flexible work schedules from their companies. Number of Votes: 4 Source: http://onforb.es/1MfaeCn

• New technology enables virtual collaboration to feel like face-to-face. Number of Votes: 4 Source: http://bit.ly/1XTd7QH

• On average, workstations are only occupied 47% of the time. Number of Votes: 4 Source: http://bit.ly/1MlNl3C

TRENDS WITH THE MOST VOTES

WORKPLACE TRENDS

Topics highlighting the dynamic nature of work were the focus of the workplace trends presented during the Executive Roundtable.

A critical source of trends was Inquiry to Innovation: The Future of Work, a document produced by University of Cincinnati students published by BHDP as a result of a semester-long course led by Dominic Iacobucci that studied the millennial generation's existing view of and expectations for the future of work.

Of the 47 statements listed, these facts received the most votes from participants, demonstrating a general consensus on the topics that are "top of mind" for those in attendance.

TRENDS WITH THE MOST VOTES

GENERAL TRENDS

Curated from a collection of resources, including Forbes, Fast Company and Inc., the general trends cover a range of topics facing society today.

Of the 49 statements listed, these facts received the most votes from participants, demonstrating a general consensus on the topics that are "top of mind" for those in attendance.

• Smartphones are no longer simply modern conveniences. Today, scientists are looking at ways to use smartphone microscopes to help eradicate a devastating disease in Africa called river blindness.

Number of Votes: 6 Source: http://n.pr/1RYTeUa

• Today, we consume 26 times more than we did 150 years ago, yet only 28% of people know what terms like: ‘sustainable’, ‘responsible’, ‘eco-friendly’ and ‘green’ really mean; just 44% of consumers trust green claims from big brands.

Number of Votes: 5 Source: http://bit.ly/1GND53E

• It is expected the US economy will no longer be the largest economy by 2030, with China taking the lead.

Number of Votes: 4 Source: http://bit.ly/1MCaL0e

• Increasing severe weather occurrences brings climate change to the forefront. Number of Votes: 4 Source: http://bit.ly/1HuwSVc

• Fast food restaurants are taking out artificial ingredients from food. Number of Votes: 4 Source: http://entm.ag/1MCaUAQ

• The Internet of Things (IoT) is big and it will continue to grow along with user-oriented computing; expect technology to be embedded everywhere.

Number of Votes: 4 Source: http://gtnr.it/1XTbhix

• Wearable technology changing how consumers track fitness and well-being. Number of Votes: 4 Source: http://bit.ly/1OrudDt

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ROUNDTABLE II:

Focus Topics

During the second portion of the day, attendees were asked to select topics of particular interest to them and their organizations. As experts in the field of workplace design and strategy, facilitators from BHDP provided an opening point of view on selected topics:

Standardization Culture Collaboration and. Innovation Fear of Change

More than a lecture, this portion of the day invited attendees to provide insight and commentary into their own perspectives as they related to the topics-at-hand.

The following pages document four points of view shared by BHDP facilitators, the salient points communicated during the ensuing conversation, and additional resources related to each topic.

ROUNDTABLE II:

Focus Topics

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES

Standardization

Companies are as unique as their people…no two are the same.

Within a given company or given space, no single solution satisfies the needs of every individual. Hierarchy, work process, generational preference, mobility, team and organizationas structure, individual responsibility, confidentiality, recognition and flexibility are just some of the factors that can impact the ideal configuration of any given work environment.

While a one size fits “most” model is functionally achievable, standardization limits the unique expression of an organization's culture. As such, every effort should be made to design space to match the unique culture, work processes and desired future of any given company.

• Activity Based Work: One Size Does Not Fit All

Author: Stephen Minnett Link: http://bit.ly/1XTqKz5

• Standardized Work: The First Step Toward Real Transformation

Authors: Kaj Grichnick, Hans Bohnen, Michael Turner Link: http://pwc.to/1PqBdz9

Participants stand outside the Tangeman University Center awaiting a campus tour led by Dominic Iacobucci, client leader at BHDP.

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What role do “design standards” play in workplace design? Do standards help or hinder innovation? How does an organization communicate one voice across multiple offices in several regions?

PERSPECTIVES

Terminology Matters For some companies, the term “standards” carries a negative connotation; it implies force and rigidity. Using the term “guidelines” allows organizations to empower individual teams across regions and job functions to design for specifics. While standards give concrete specifics, guidelines provide boundaries.

Guidelines for Change How does one set of guidelines satisfy everyone within an organization? By clearly identifying areas where agility, i.e. change, can occur. By defining the boundaries of what can change versus what absolutely cannot change, individuals have the freedom to exercise choice.

Branding Creates Buy-In Companies with offices across several regions take special care to provide brand guidelines for workspaces; this creates continuity across the organization, as workers can clearly identify the organization’s vision and purpose no matter their location. For optimal buy-in, the brand must extend through all touch points, with continuity in furniture selection, paint colors and even environmental graphics.

Frequent Refreshes Developing a set of “standards” implies a permanent solution, whereas “guidelines” allows for ongoing refreshes. An ongoing approach enables flexibility and growth and encourages constant innovation to meet the current set of workers’ needs. Recommended refresh frequency? Every three years.

“We avoid the word ‘standardization because we want innovation.”

Chris Eary, Fidelity Investments

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RECOMMENDED RESOURCES

Culture

Culture is the undercurrent which courses beneath the surface of every organization; it sticks around even when the lights are off.

In order to effect change or implement a strategic shift in any organization, step one is to “know thyself.” At BHDP, we make use of a tested methodology for “Diagnosing and Changing Organizational Culture,” using tools developed by Kim Cameron and Robert Quinn from a book of the same name. By evaluating an organization’s prevailing cultural attributes and comparing them to its preferred state, we can begin structuring a cultural shift where it’s most meaningful: at the foundation.

• How Culture Shapes the Office, Harvard Business Review, May 2013

Author: Christine Congdon and Catherin Gall Link: http://bit.ly/20zUWl8

• Culture Code: Leveraging the Workplace to Meet Today’s Global Challenge

Author: Steelcase in 360° Link: http://bit.ly/20zV6sX

Clockwise from left: Keiran Sherry, Nationwide, sharing a point of view; Roundtable agenda; Brady Mick, BHDP, leading a discussion.

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What or who defines a company’s culture? Can a culture change, and if so, how? Does space play a role in culture-making?

PERSPECTIVES

“Find someone who embodies your culture; put them in charge of hiring.”

Nicole Bellman, Mercy Health

Culture-Making Now, more than ever, organizations are embracing the importance of workplace culture to the success of their companies. In fact, “culture” was the top-searched term on Webster.com in 2014. More than a popular buzzword, executives increasingly recognize their role in forming the culture and taking on the task of leading through change.

Maintain vs. Change As companies grow in size, how do they maintain consistent values while allowing culture to flex with current needs? Critical success criteria relies on leadership's ability to transmit culture from one season to the next.

Space Defining Culture How does space play a role in defining culture? For most organizations, it is one tool in the toolbox for maintaining and changing culture. Ultimately, what’s most important is that the space supports the vision, values and culture of an organization.

Looking north toward Langsam Library with Rhodes Hall (left) and Engineering Research Center (right).

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RECOMMENDED RESOURCES

Collaboration and Innovation

While collaboration asks how business can fill a need today, innovation asks how business will solve a future desire.

In recent years, business have supported the development of collaborative teams through workplace design that encourages teamwork: ‘war rooms’, break areas with amenities that promote play, low or no-panel open office concepts are all trends that embrace and encourage a collaborative culture.

However, collaborative spaces don’t always lead to innovative solutions. Some of the most successful innovations occur during quiet, isolated work.

Because of the different types of work involved in collaboration versus innovation, different spaces best support each type of behavior. The challenge for any organization is to find the best workplace design that encourages both team and individual work without diminishing the value of either.

• How the Workplace Can Improve Collaboration

Author: Steelcase Link: http://bit.ly/1MoyvJF

Schneider Quad looking south toward Swift Hall.

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How do companies foster a culture of collaboration and innovation? Does space influence either?

PERSPECTIVES

“Innovation and collaboration are not mutually exclusive; they build upon each other.”

Kate Vitasek, Forbes Magazine

Always Available The prevalence of technology enables constant connection and can lead to better collaboration amongst employees. However, being always available also affords more constant interruption. Employees are increasingly demanding the ability to choose between “think space” and “team space”, thereby highlighting the need for different spaces for different tasks.

Hiring for Collaboration and Innovation Attracting and retaining employees that embrace a company’s vision for collaboration can dramatically improve a company’s ability to innovate. Using hiring tools such as pre-work assessments to screen for those “softer skills” that indicate the ability to collaborate and innovate can be equally—if not more—important than an applicant’s expertise in hard skills. Once hired, it is important for managers to recognize and manage an employees soft skills in order to cultivate the talent toward moments of innovation.

Left: Patrick Donnelly, BHDP, greeting Kevin Brandenburg, INC Research. Right: UC historical motif.

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RECOMMENDED RESOURCES

Fear of Change

Change is certain and ongoing and yet our attitudes toward change fluctuate considerably: some people love and embrace change while others fear and avoid change at all costs.

It’s all about perspective. Consider two people on a roller coaster ride for the first time: for one rider, the twists and turns are exhilarating; for the other, the ups and downs are nauseating. Similarly, change in the workplace can be thrilling for one employee while exasperating for another.

And yet, change is necessary for any organization to move forward. It’s therefore important for companies to embrace transparency communication and clear processes in order to quell fear. Strong change management is critical for organizations looking to reach their desired future state.

• Choosing Strategies for Change, Harvard Business Review, August 2008

Author: John P. Kotter and Leonard A. Schlesinger Link: http://bit.ly/1kyIv8l

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Clockwise from left: John Brownrigg, Mercy Health, takes part in the discussion; Jennie Strode, JLL voting in the first exercise; BHDP voting tool.

How do individuals handle organizational change? What does it look like for organizations to embrace a culture of frequent change?

PERSPECTIVES

“Build up your ‘change muscle’ to increase your ability to handle change.”

Kieran Sherry, Nationwide Insurance

The Prevalence of Change The truism “the only thing constant is change itself” has never been more true than it is today. Individuals experience change at multiple levels simultaneously. Organizational change requires leadership’s understanding of and accommodation for an employee’s total change environment— what’s happening at home and at work, personally and professionally. Awareness of change occurring across an individual's life can help leaders better prepare for and execute change in the workplace.

Change Muscle Learning how to adapt—to change—well is a skill. Healthy change skills are acquired through frequent practice, not unlike working a muscle a the gym. The more the “change muscle” is exercised, the more weight it can hold.

The Power of Transparency Communication and transparency are key for any organization undergoing change; it is critical for leaders to be forthright about the purpose and vision for change to ease fears and facilitate early adoption of the “new normal.”

Passing Rhodes Hall toward Langsam Library.

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GROUP EXERCISE:

Sixty Minute Solution

The third and final portion of the Executive Roundtable invites attendees to work toward actionable solutions for a handful of challenges facing today’s businesses.

Using a tool developed by BHDP titled “The Sixty Minute Solution,” participants are divided into groups of five. Each group is presented with a topic, a.k.a. challenge. Following the format prescribed by the Sixty Minute Solution, group members must:

1. Define/refine the problem2. Discuss actions and concepts3. Identify the big ideas4. Provide a summary of solutions5. Define success criteria

At the conclusion of this exercise, participants are able to take ideas back to their respective organizations and implement them into their everyday work.

GROUP EXERCISE:

Sixty Minute Solution

Care: allow others to be aware of larger context of change environment (purpose and vision.); decide on incremental steps for implementing change; provide choices on change to drive satisfication

Voice: encourage productive, counter-culture thinking; manage fears and expectations through transparency; get buy-in far in advance of any change; provide an opportunity for voices to be heard; allow for individuals to personalize the change; look for ways to manage the negative attitudes.

Resistance: So, why is change so difficult to accept in the workplace?

What is the best method for encouraging employees to embrace change?

What main ideas from the actions and concepts provide stepping stones toward solutions?

1. Leaders should change first to model change for others; change leadership requires clear “rules of engagement” or protocols to be successful.

2. Balance “sale” of change with leading by example.

3. Listen to what needs to be said.

4. Tell the truth to gain understanding across organization and demonstrate empathy.

Sixty Minute Solution: CHANGE

It’s a well-known truism that the only constant is change itself. It’s therefore imperative for organizations to not only align with today’s realities but also adjust for tomorrow’s needs.

REFINE THE QUESTION

DISCUSS ACTIONS AND CONCEPTS

IDENTIFY THE BIG IDEAS

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DEFINE A SUCCESS CRITERIA?

How can organizations improve through the change management process?

1. Look for alignments in employee interests and organization’s mission.

2. Provide change management training, i.e. ADKAR.

3. Help employees become and stay healthy, both physically and mentally.

4. Provide employees with opportunities to improve leadership skills through change.

How can companies define successful change management?

Develop feedback loop for measuring success of change; implement ADKAR.

DEFINE SUCCESS CRITERIA

PROVIDE A SUMMARY OF SOLUTIONS

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Sixty Minute Solution: COLLABORATION

Increasing collaboration and its effectiveness is a consistent theme as we strive to enable work and measurable results. Many workplaces today provide for individual work in a common setting but not in settings designed for collaboration. It happens in hallways, in team spaces, at the coffee shop, on smart phones and via the internet. We are trying to evolve new ways of working in space and with technologies not designed for dynamic high performance teams.

Nature of work changes as needs change…collaborate accordingly.

Create the space means understanding the work. Provide different spaces to achieve different outcomes; outfit these spaces to encourage different behaviors.

New tools, technologies, and work settings are needed to enable new ways of working collectively, especially with more distributed work and mobile people.

Teach and learn new methods and technologies that make collaboration happen.

Planned face-time builds relationships, especially when distance is created by distributed work.

Create partnerships with HR and IT to streamline processes and impart the way we collaborate with new employees.

Organizational effectiveness is based on people; create consistent associate experience across all team, levels and locations to connect collaboration with culture.

What’s next in the world of collaboration?

REFINE THE QUESTION

DISCUSS ACTIONS AND CONCEPTS

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How can organizations plan for and implement practices of collaboration?

1. Provide more variety in space choice to increase satisfaction.

2. Small group settings of three to four people with video conference and collaboration tools.

3. Create virtual places to work to increase “different time/different place” collaboration.

4. Provide focused space to accommodate introverts and need for concentration and reflection.

5. Focus on effective meetings, intuitive technology and training to enable better outcomes.

What main ideas from the actions and concepts provide stepping stones toward solutions?

1. Human Aspect: it's ok to work in different ways.

2. Technology: Intuitive technology enhances collaboration and engagement.

3. “Glocalization": worldwide there are few to no barriers except time; real time means "all the time."

4. Space: changing paradigm of how associates view their workspaces.

How can companies exhibit success in collaboration?

Measure to what extent time is spent effectively; provide clear identification of barriers to good work and eliminate.

IDENTIFY THE BIG IDEAS

DEFINE SUCCESS CRITERIA

PROVIDE A SUMMARY OF SOLUTIONS

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Sixty Minute Solution: TECHNOLOGY AND THE VIRTUAL WORKPLACE

The world of virtual work is here, but what does that look like? Is it conference calls using screens, collaboration on calendars in the cloud, or working at home in your pajamas? The answers to these questions, and numerous others, are shaping the new world of work today.

The group believed that there is no demographical or cultural bias in this question or solution; just a list of traits and skills required. Key traits identified included:

Tech Savvy – Being comfortable with and having an understanding of technology and how it works; individuals should be self-confident and reliant, disciplined, trusting, and patient.

Self-Motivated – Driven to achieve results and take on multiple tasks at any given time; individuals that are honest and accountable.

Communicator – Being able to communicate well and express tone through various mediums, including written form; individuals that know when and how to balance speaking with writing, possessing the ability to tell a story, paint a picture and express ideas in many ways.

What are the traits and skills that matter in a virtual world?

REFINE THE QUESTION

DISCUSS ACTIONS AND CONCEPTS

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How can organizations best identify and leverage the skills necessary for successful virtual work?

1. Validate categories of traits and skills that are important to your company.

2. Create a type of personal assessment to evaluate individual team members on their ability to work virtually and be successful based on the traits and skills identified.

3. Develop and execute a system of training on the key skills required.

4. Create a system of ongoing evaluation and assessment on traits and skills, and execute.

5. Create a measurement system that is transparent, objective, and tested that is connected directly to business success

Organizations that successfully identify and leverage the skills necessary for virtual work within individual employees should notice an increase in the recruitment and retention of such employees alongside an increase in cost-savings and individual worker fulfillment and engagement.

IDENTIFY THE BIG IDEAS

DEFINE SUCCESS CRITERIA

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