The right office space = return on time, return on space, return on experience - WTTL Article

The right office space = return on time, return on space, return on experience

MIKE CHRIST

Work provides opportunities to be social, to develop a sense of belonging and purpose, and if the space is appropriate, to be comfortable, and meet health-related needs.

Great business leaders work to maximize return on investment (ROI), but far too many of them continue to ignore a key component of that effort: their office space. The place where you house your business — the space that tells your prospects, clients, vendors, and most importantly, your employees how much you value them and the culture they contribute to — is the most powerful way to maximize ROI.

Return on time

How can I be so sure of this? Because your office is the most direct, physical representation of what your company stands for. It is also the one tool in your toolbox that, if you use it correctly, will help maximize your employees’ return on time, your return on space, and everyone’s return on experience. Taken together, this is the ultimate ROI.

Some employers have reacted to this trend by allowing and/or expecting their people to work during evening and weekend hours in exchange for greater flexibility to attend to personal matters during the day. 43% of employed Americans perform at least some of their work from a place other than the office. Further, 79% of them viewed the idea of being able to work remotely after business hours in a positive light.

When was the last time you worked an actual 9-to-5 day?

Don’t worry; I can’t remember either. Every day used to be split evenly between eight hours of work, eight hours of leisure, and eight hours of sleep. Now, as I often like to say, we’re all connected to work and life simultaneously, 24/7.

The trouble with those statistics is that most people hold this positive view because it allows them to engage with more of their personal-life distractions than they might otherwise be comfortable with at work. There are reasons that companies who promote telecommuting are starting to change course and bring people back into the office: people are more dedicated to a company’s culture and purpose, better connected to each other, and as a result, more productive when they are in the office instead of at home.

The major caveat to the above is that people have to actually enjoy their office space. If the workplace feels inviting, appealing, and even more luxurious than home, then more of your people will look forward to coming into work each day. The more excited they are about the space, the greater return you can expect for the time they give you (both in and out of the office). If they’re comfortable, happy, and have all their needs met, you will enjoy a greater return on time, as they will spend more of it on productive tasks.

Return on space In a world of self-interest, the best strategy is to find ways to ensure that your people’s interests align with the company’s interest. With better, more efficient, and more engaging workplaces where people can have more of their needs met, those interests align, and everyone wins.

The highest return on space doesn’t come from cramming as many people into the space as possible; rather, it comes from creating spaces that can be utilized in a variety of ways. Not everyone likes private offices and not everyone likes open offices. Movable partitions, glass walls, alternative seating like sofas or café tables, huddle rooms and phone rooms, and nonwork spaces like cafés, fitness centers, or game rooms make for more agile, adaptable settings that can meet a variety of employee needs.

The more comfortable your people are at their desks, the better their work product. The easier it is for them to collaborate effectively, the better your teams perform. And the more opportunities you provide for the people from HR to share ideas with the people from marketing, or the people from sales to share ideas with the people from R&D, the more spontaneous innovation will arise. If we focus on ensuring comfort and wellness across all these varied settings, then we enjoy a happier, healthier staff that becomes more productive as a result.

Return on experience An employee’s experience extends well beyond the job to which he or she is assigned. Work provides opportunities to be social, to develop a sense of belonging and purpose, and if the space is appropriate, to be comfortable, meet healthrelated needs, and enjoy other people’s company in nonwork activities.

Providing luxurious amenities at work allows your employees to focus more on their work-related tasks while in the office.

Opportunities to exercise, eat right, and yes, even play games makes a person feel more fulfilled, which further boosts productivity. Giving people chances to engage with each other in both work and nonwork activities heightens their shared experience and sense of belonging with the company.

Plus,there’s nothing quite like the positive vibes that come from working in a space that actually makes you proud.

However you utilize your next office space, always remember that isn’t just a rent bill. If you maximize the potential for that space, you can expect a considerable return on investment.

Your space is the most direct way to demonstrate to your people how much you care about them. Show that you are buying into them, and they will buy in to you.

This article is an excerpt from Work Them to Life: Upgrade Your Office Space to Win the Talent War authored by Jim Scalo and currently available for purchase on Amazon.