A WORD FROM THE PUBLISHER
ADAPTING THE BEST APPROACH OVER THE LONG TERM To paraphrase the great Charles Aznavour, "Let me tell you of a time that the young cannot possibly know". In the business world not so long ago a private office represented much more than a workspace, it was a sign of appreciation. The higher you climbed the ladder, the bigger and more impressive it was, the better the view. Idem for a parking space close to the entrance to the building; it was a sign of esteem. But beyond raising an individual’s status, the intent was also to provide a space conducive to improving productivity and concentration, and to allow for confidential conversations or telephone calls. And back then the seasonal flu affected far fewer people! Because each recession generates a lot of good ideas for cutting down on expenses and because square footage is costly, a new trend appeared – the open concept office. The challenge was selling that idea to employees, and thus its presentation as a collaborative workspace. It became cool, trendy, the latest thing. But let’s be honest, the major motivation behind that "great" transformation was to reduce costs by reducing the space occupied per employee. And now the pandemic has imposed another change – teleworking. And of course, many find it cool, trendy, the latest thing. Just as we cannot go back and revive the 1980s, we will no longer be able to function just as we did before COVID-19, once it is behind us. I am one of those who believe that over the next few years we will see an intelligent fusion of these three ways of working in an office. Offering the best of these three concepts will guarantee quality of life and quality of work as long as the approach is well balanced and is adapted to the people and the positions they occupy. Comfortable private spaces, bigger open areas shared with others and teleworking – that is what the workplace and its organization may look like in the near future. In the meantime, I hope that all of you manage to get through this second wave of the crisis by remaining confident, like most of your peers in the real estate sector. Happy reading!
Jacques Boisvert Publisher
ISTOCK PAR NICOLASMCCOMBER
6
IMMOBILIER COMMERCIAL : : OCTOBRE – NOVEMBRE 2020
