An outstanding story from Marketplace economics reporter Sabri Ben-Achour, “Two Years into the Pandemic, What is Work?” I joined Brian Kropp, head of Gartner’s HR practice, and Paul Statham, CEO of Condeco, to provide perspective.
“But when companies bring workers back to the office, be it for one day or all days, they have to answer a question: Why? To do what work?
“‘The challenge going forward is I don’t think we know how the work is going to be done when people are onsite,’ said Cali Williams Yost, founder of Flex+Strategy Group. ‘The type of work that’s going to happen on onsite locations is going to be much more collaborative. The pace and cycle at which the work will happen onsite may not be consistent,’ she said.
“Basically, there has to be a reason or a vision to get people in the office, get them there together and not waste everyone’s time.
“‘There are so many great tools that are being developed that will enable the flexible, dynamic way an organization chooses to work,’ Yost said. ‘That’s really important because the technology or the workspace really does only optimize what you’re doing if it enables a vision that you have created. You can’t lead with the technology, the workspace — you have to lead with the work. What are we doing? How, when and where do we do that best?’”
With so many return to office dates postponed, now is the time to re-think onsite work. Because if we’re looking to foster culture, collaboration and innovation, going back to offices and cubes doing things the same way we did before pandemic won’t be enough.
#returntooffice #hybridwork #flexiblework #officespace #realestate #facilities #technology #omicron