Manchester United and the World of Work?

Design4Life©

PURPOSE | PEOPLE | PLACE | POSSIBILITIES Transforming Spaces & Human Experiences

November 2022

BEYOND OLD TRAFFORD PG. 6

CONNECTIONS & COMMUNITY PG. 16

What’s Manchester United got to do with the Future of Work?

Well. Quite a bit actually.

Inspiring a brighter future, Together.

CONTENTS

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M.U. and the Future of Work

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Beyond Old Trafford

08

Global Talent

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CONNECTIONS & COMMUNITY Imagine if your employees have the ability to know where to be with the right people, at the right time

PG. 16

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Smaller Real Estate Footprints

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Summary

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About the Author

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What’s Manchester United got to do with the Future of Work?

Well. Quite a bit actually.

As a lifelong fan of the mighty reds, I have watched their (mainly) good fortune over the years and at the same time witnessed how they have grown into a truly global brand. For the past couple of decades, I have also been engaged in the world of workplace and work experience.

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It wasn’t until this week in a conversation with Mike Feeman of global integrated facilities services firm, ISS that I reconnected the two.

So, what has Manchester United got to do with the future or work? Well maybe quite a bit actually, but where to start?

Sense of Tribe

If you’ve ever been to any serious football (soccer)

match you’ll know when I say the atmosphere is electric, makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up on end, and when you have two vehemently opposing teams, the raucous singing of anthems from often times long gone, the shirts, the scarves, the colors, it’s no different than I imagine an ancient battlefield of two opposing armies.

This sense of tribe lives on beyond the stadium but also creates a common culture that spans continents and becomes the common denominator that binds.

Traveling around literally hundreds of organizations across the world during my career, I believe the same is true in different environments, schools, universities, colleges, and also in businesses.

In these tribes that exist, no matter the context, different traits and behaviors are evident, diverse cultures and backgrounds, even different styles of dress. You only have to walk into an investment bank in the City of London, compare that to a progressive retail bank in Manhattan, and then a tech company in Austin, San Francisco, Paris, or Tokyo – each tribe has its own individual and discernable personality, dress code, traditions, and rituals.

Every business has its own distinct culture, way of doing things, but also, its own people beyond the geographic boundaries. Back in the UK, of course Mancunians (at least some) support The Reds but then a substantial out of town following that if you ever get chance to observe is distinctly different to the traveling fans, like me - Chelsea fans, contrasted with the Leeds following, or more distinctly the contrast between Rangers and Celtic in Glasgow.

Some of the more obvious tribal contrasts in business include Google and Microsoft, Goldman Sachs and Capital One, Nissan and BMW, NASA and NATO - same or similar businesses, vastly contrasting cultures.

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Beyond Old Trafford 112 years ago, when Old Trafford (aka the Theatre of Dreams) was built, then every home game, the mainly local crowds would gather religiously to watch their team. On a smaller basis, but nevertheless equally if not more passionate, the local lads and lasses would crowd on busses to away games across the nation, in Newcastle, Birmingham, London and elsewhere.

In contrast, today, you go to almost any premier league game, and you’ll get traveling fans from near and far, from the UK, and around the world coming to support their team - no longer restricted by the geographic boundaries, or the physical place of their home ground.

Exactly the same has happened in the world of work.

No longer are the days that employees are restricted to working at the major employees in their hometown.

Especially knowledge workers that can work from anywhere and often do, and then the globalization of the workforce where companies have the opportunity to recruit the best and brightest from all around the world.

The reality is that the world has changed, the world of work has changed, and despite the disruptor that the global pandemic proved to be, what is true is that things will never return to what they were.

OLD TRAFFORD The home to Manchester United Football Club, with a capacity of 74,310 is the largest club football stadium (and second-largest football stadium overall after the National Wembley Stadium in the United Kingdom, and eleventh largest in Europe.

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Support from Anywhere With the advent of television, of the internet, ondemand viewing and other advances in technology and innovation, since Manchester United’s founding in 1878, things have changed as has the relationship between the team and the fans and how they connect and consume.

Almost anywhere you go today, almost anywhere in the world, it’s hard to come across anyone that doesn’t know who Manchester United is. Some of the older crowd will remember Sir. Bobby Charlton, or Denis Law, George Best but what about Bryan Robson, Roy Keane, Eric Cantona, or David Beckham, Wayne Rooney, and more recently, the likes of the returning legend, Cristiano Ronaldo.

In a bus station at night in Perth, Australia, the leader of a gang approached me wearing a United shirt the situation was quickly diffused with dancing and cries of Manchester United.

The sense of tribe is everywhere today, and as importantly it is binding.

Today, Manchester United supporters can immerse themselves in their fandom wherever they are, whenever they want - no longer preserved to the flat caps and hobnails of Trafford Park.

This is also true today in business. People don’t need to be in a physical office to be able to be a part of their tribe or do their work. The democratization of information (brought to you by the internet), not only allows for enhanced connectivity but awareness of what is going on in workplaces across the globe, much as far flung fans of Manchester United can track their favorite team from anywhere.

Over the past decades we have evolved to this state, and the past 3 years accelerated this to the future state.

In fact, just like Manchester United fans, employees may also choose not to take the commute or the expense to go the physical place. Football fans worldwide use of technology, on-demand television the luxury of replays, rewinds, have an equal, and as some may argue a better experience from home.

Question remains, what does that mean, what, when, how much, how little? Questions that everyone in the world of work and experience is asking themselves today.

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Global Talent As you look at the team sheets over the past century, Manchester United’s search for talent has spread well beyond the bounds of Manchester and the Northwest of England, even the UK as it once was.

Today, you will find players from around the world looking to play at arguably one of the biggest clubs in the world. This talent has also become more transient.

Like in the workplace, players don’t tend to stay at the same club from youth to retirement anymore. The war for talent is as hot if not hotter than any industry in the world.

Players are attracted to big teams, winning teams, for not only the accolades and the trophies but their chances of playing for their national teams, but then the opportunity of playing on the greatest stage of all, the FIFA World Cup every 4 years.

Playing on these grand stages boosts not only earning capability and transfer fees, but for example, when Ronaldo rejoined United, they sold a whopping £32.5 million in shirt sales in the first twelve hours of him signing.

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Grass Roots

Building this following spans generations and investing in the youth development is a big thing. United have a strong history of producing academy players for not only their first team, but the English football system.

The club has a strong tradition of developing homegrown stalwarts, boasting a proud record of having an academy-produced player involved in a matchday squad for over nine straight decades.

In the world of work, this is no different to the university recruitment drives conducted by many major organizations. In some instances, this transcends to supporting local schools at all levels and builds longterm loyalty and fandom.

Manchester United Youth Academy The Reds boast a remarkable record of having an academy player start a competitive senior fixture for the club for over 1,100 consecutive games – and counting. They place great emphasis on local talent, like the class of ’92 and the likes of Marcus Rashford but supplement them with high-level prospects brought in from other areas of England, Europe, and the world.

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The Manchester United academy players permeate every level of football – they’re present in every division, from League Two to the Premier League in England and include many superstars including the likes of David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Danny Welbeck, and the Neville brothers.

A friend of mine just returned from the UK from a summer youth tournament. Her son, 12 years old, not only played Manchester United, against Ronaldo Junior, but scored both goals in their 2-1 win. He is now being courted by United to move to Manchester and join their youth team, for a handsome amount.

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This grass roots investment is a foundational investment far into the future, and raises the question, to what extent are you and your organization investing in the future superstars in your business, and industry?

Micro Communities, Everywhere Many Manchester United supporters have never even been to Old Trafford, and maybe this is also true of companies - that not everyone in the organization has had the chance to pay homage to the global headquarters - no different in football. But the fan base has adapted, improvised, and overcome.

Whether meeting a group of mates and watching the game down the local pub - from Mumbai to Melbourne, from Manhattan to Montevideo, being a part of the estimated 1 billion fans globally, meeting as part of the network of MUFC supporters’ clubs from Santiago to San Francisco, from Sunderland to Shanghai.

These micro groups, self-organized but with influence from the mothership create localized groups of supporters, events, meet ups, promotions, and a hierarchy that encourages the growth and support through this network of dispersed supporters - whilst at the same time garnering new shirt sales, fanzines, and today, mobile app membership - all generating revenues, but further cementing this sense of tribe.

As we think about this parallel in the world of work, then how do organizations nurture this sense of hyperlocal community and enable workers in a zip code to meet, collaborate, and build their own micro-communities no matter where they are?

How do organizations today accommodate this need for local? As Mike Feeman pointed out in our recent conversation, if organizations are to embrace this, then maybe forget about the real estate itself and understand where your people exist, and how to program resources, amenities, working communities hyper-locally, even by zip code.

HYPER LOCAL PROGRAMMING & ENGAGEMENT

Even in some of the most far-flung locations, Man Utd Supporters Clubs around the world rally together to create a sense of belonging. Knowing that a trip to the Theater of Dreams is out of reach, they organize the Reds community with match day viewing gatherings and parties, share news and stories, organize adult and youth training programs and tournaments, and when possible, homages to Old Trafford for big game days. It is this hyper local programming and engagement that enables a billion supporters globally to feel connected and engaged.

Isn’t this parallel appropriate as we contemplate the conundrum of the future of work? The reality is that the future of work has changed, and probably forever. The issue becomes what is that future and the alternatives are many, however, this comparison to arguably the greatest football brand in the world is relevant.

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Smaller Real Estate Footprints A controversial subject is the specter of shrinking real estate footprints, and the impact upon real estate organizations balance sheets is a real and present danger. Beyond the fiscal impact that this may create, the societal issue of having empty buildings, creating a vacuum for the more unpleasant side of society to fill is a big risk.

Retail real estate has a more immediate danger to these factors, but corporate real estate isn’t far behind and tackling this potential catastrophic problem now is an imperative across all industries, countries, and continents.

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Looking back at Manchester United, the realization that the organization is far beyond the physical space, the attendance to live matches is somewhat a drop in the ocean compared with the other initiatives that are in play - how hotels, residences, retail in proximity to the stadium, but the bigger question of how a greater engagement strategy regardless of physical boundaries becomes a sum of the parts which is greater that than whole.

With Old Trafford itself plus the Carrington training ground, Manchester United manages to engage with an estimated 1 billion fans globally. How can that be that an organization the size of this requires so little real estate?

Nomad Real Estate Then, on another level, think about an organization limitless to the boundaries of real estate. As Mike Feeman pointed out, as he watched the New York Giants play Green Bay Packers, nothing unusual in that, apart from they were playing in London, at the home of Premier League team, Tottenham Hotspur.

It’s like the major automotive manufacturers like Ford raising the question of a future without vehicle production itself but managing the driving experience.

It’s like Nike as a marketing and retail organization as opposed to a manufacturer. It’s related to the instance in Louisville, Humana donating and office building to the town’s university.he future of the world of work may no longer need to be so focused on place but wherever your people may be at any single moment in time.

Imagine the concept of a nomadic headquarters that moves from one place to the next on a rotation.

This reminded me of seeing Denver Broncos playing a A Place of Homage competitive match at Stadium In this context, the physical space becomes a different priority and purpose. It transforms into not just a space Australia just outside of but a place where people choose to be.

Sydney. Is it possible to have Beyond the game itself, Old Trafford has become a Mecca to visit on game days and all days. an entity that has no real Visit the trophy room and museum, the changing estate at all? rooms, walk the pitch, attend an event, visit the retail stores to get your latest kit - or do all of the above virtually from wherever you are in the world.

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Connections & Community Through connection and collaboration, and leveraging technology, United fans across the world have used the club as an opportunity to meet up annually or some other frequency as an excuse to get together for the Big Game.

In the workplace and work experience, this is no different - wherever your new property portfolio may be.

This makes the case that while a substantial amount of work can be done virtually, there are opportunities to magnetize the workplace and create events and traditions that bring people together in a physical space. Much like watching a live sporting event is a different (and often more engaging) experience than viewing on television, the right workplace culture makes people want to brave the commute to gather in person. But also like a live event, you won’t do that every day or every time, but often enough to find value from the experience.

Imagine if your employees have the ability to know where to be with the right people, at the right time - collaboration technology has the power to make this dream into reality in the future of work.

THOUGHTS FROM OUR CHI

People want to be where they feel they belong – where they feel included and can see themselves in the experience. This type of inclusivity is a cornerstone of customer experience, but when turned within organizationally it creates a powerful reason for people to want to come to the workplace.

It isn’t about being forced to show up to sit isolated in a cubicle, but for opportunities to truly connect and feel a part of the organization. It isn’t about being monitored by managers who don’t trust their teams to be productive, but rather connecting with those who relish the chance to build relationships and develop their teams in person.

To keep the theme of sports going, leaders must think of their teams as potential free agents in the workplace. We all know the days of the 20 year employee are over, as are the days of sports legends like Michael Jordan, Larry Byrd, and Ryne

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IEF EXPERIENCE OFFICER, TONY JOHNSON

n

Sandberg playing for a single team most or all of a career. So, to attract the best talent and entice them to stay as long as possible, you need every competitive advantage in the marketplace. When you can offer a sense of flexibility, connectivity, culture, and development (along with a dash of common purpose and vision), that creates a very special place to work and is a competitive advantage when it comes to recruitment and retention.

It’s time to stop lamenting about the future of the workplace and take action to fix it. There are millions of square feet of corporate real estate out there and they will never be the same. It is time to think of them as more coworking spaces than office buildings – and most organizations aren’t going back to 9-5, Monday to Friday workdays. It’s the scary reality, so we need to put it on the table and deal with it. Here’s a good first step – talk to your teams about what they want

and the value they could find in a physical workspace.

Don’t let them say virtual, work from home only, but rather push them past that to talk about what they might miss about coming into the workplace each day so you can learn more about their preferences.

This kind of listening will help you avoid costly mistakes as you reimagine how your team will work together in the future and make them feel included in the process. Had many organizations asked this question a decade ago, we would have avoided the debacle of open office spaces that so many thought was the future of work, but that everyone ended up hating.

Imagine if your employees have the ability to know where to be with the right people, at the right time collaboration technology has the power to make this dream into reality in the future of work.

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Summary As the world of work and workplace has changed, likely forever, what lessons can we learn from other industries and examples of models of the relationship between the physical, the people, and the experience? Manchester United’s example may hold some important clues as we collectively scratch our heads to determine what the future should and might be.

The strategies are wide and varied – easier for production businesses, but less so for organizations where the emphasis is with knowledge working – mandate a full time back to work, to work from wherever you want forever, and everything in between.

As we know that each company is different with its own personality and culture, in addition to the tasks in hand, there is no one-hat-fits-all. In this example of Manchester United, they have successfully built a number of ways in which they successfully bind together their global fan base, engage with them no matter where they are, and continue to drive loyalty, yet with little real estate in play.

The reality is that the world of work has changed, and likely changed forever, but what are the key takeaways and learnings from Manchester United?

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Engaging your tribe is a strategic priority

What is your culture, how do your people behave, what do they want, seek, aspire to are all important in understanding how best to design your work experience. This is more than an annual survey but really getting to know your people, what they want, and how this plays a part in attracting talent for the future – and that happens every day, with every conversation.

Think about your work experience outside of real estate

The concept of engaging your workforce wherever they may be starts with understanding where they are. Many a year and dollars can be invested in creating an amazing office experience, but could this effort be turned into programming your work experience down to the zip code of where your people actually are, what they want, and what they need?

How did Manchester United achieve fandom and how can you?

There are a myriad of tools and technology available to us today to engage with fans no matter where they are. What are the platforms that you can leverage to equal the fan experience of a Manchester United fan? Supporters’ clubs, fan forums, engagement apps, swag, encouraging organic traditions, the feeling of team, wherever they may be.

Embrace and celebrate diversity and inclusivity

In every corner of the world, you will find Manchester United fans – from the wealthy to the poor, from Manchester to Manilla, from all ethnicities, religions, and backgrounds. One big global family where everyone is welcome, the common thing that binds them is the love of football, the team legends, the losses, the wins, and the sense of history, connection, and community. It’s this magic ingredient that contrasts the very best from the rest.

It’s not about the real estate itself but what you do with it

Bricks and mortar are far more difficult to reinvent than the programming you provide within. Understand what your people want, and what attracts them to the physical place, turning spaces into places where people choose to be, should be the priority for the future.

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About the Authors: Simon Elliot

Managing Partner & Co-Founder

Simon Elliot is Managing Partner and co-founder of boutique consulting and advisory firm, 4xi Global Consulting. He is the Chair of WORKTECH Academy for North America, a Fellow of the Institute of Directors (London) and considered a global thought leader in the future of work and how we’ll work tomorrow.

Now based in the San Francisco Bay Area, Simon has lived, worked, and traveled globally having visited 6 or the 7 continents and led business and projects in the UK, Northern Europe, Australasia, Asia, South, and North America.

Tony Johnson

Leadership Advisory Council Chief Experience Officer (CXO) Tony Johnson is 4xi’s Chief Experience Officer and leads the Evolving Experiences© practice. He is a globally recognized thought leader, keynote speaker, author, and strategist when it comes to Employee (EX) and Customer Experience (CX).

Tony lives in Orlando, where he hosts his awardwinning podcast, and prior to 4xi, he was Customer Experience Officer at global food and facilities giant Aramark.

4xi Global Consulting & Solutions 4xi is a boutique advisory and consulting firm focused on the Human Experience (HX) in the Away from Home markets – people at work, in education, at rest, and at leisure. 4xi is a unique collective of senior industry leaders from both the client-side and operator-side of the business supporting Client Organizations, Service Providers, Innovators, and Accelerators transforming their experience offering and making a greater impact through a people-first approach to service and business.

PUBLISHER Simon Elliot EXECUTIVE TEAM Simon Elliot Managing Partner & Co-Founder Barbara Boden Managing Partner & Co-Founder Tony Johnson Leadership Advisory Council Chief Experience Officer (CXO) MARKETING Dina O’Reilly Strategic Partnerships & Project Management Office Hannah Spearman Graphic Design & Creative Services This publication was published by 4xi Consulting. For more information about 4xi Consulting, please visit us at www.4xiconsulting.com, email us at hello@4xiconsulting.com.

All rights reserved 2022©.

NO PART OF THIS PUBLICATION MAY BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT THE EXPRESS WRITTEN CONSENT OF THE PUBLISHER.

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