As we enter 2021, we have been receiving a great deal of enquiries from companies reconsidering their work styles and workplaces in the post-COVID era. Of course, the spread of COVID-19 is still increasing rather than slowing down, making it difficult to predict what the future holds, but there is a growing movement to start preparing now for the next few years.
Today, we would like to introduce a useful article for those who are just starting to consider such a change. Veldhoen + Company, which has been working on work style transformation for over 30 years, lists the following points to consider when considering the workplace in their website article "Workplace Strategy: moving from a 'building first' towards a 'behaviours first' approach" (no longer available):
(The English translations in the articles below are provided by the author of this column.)
- A comprehensive workplace strategy consists of highly interdependent components: the built environment (the "bricks"), the digital platform (the "bytes"), and culture change (the "behaviors").
- Workplace transformation has tended to focus on creating a built environment within a deadline, while underestimating the need to focus on change management. = A "building first" approach
- Hybrid workplace transformation requires an "action-first" approach to be successful, as the built environment is no longer the primary driver of employee meaning and belonging.
This means that when considering a post-COVID workplace strategy, a fundamental change in approach is needed.
What is the "Action First" approach?
The article explains what an "action first" approach is as follows:
"It starts with asking: 'Where do we want to go as an organisation, and how can our ways of working help us get there?' Once we have the answer to that question, we can then move on to questions relating to the built environment and digital platforms."
In other words, a company or organization should determine its vision and ideal state, think about how to achieve that vision by breaking it down into people's "actions" and "behavior," and then design the space and IT environment accordingly.
As an aside, the origin of the word "company," which represents a company or enterprise, is said to come from the Latin word for "companies who eat bread together." As we say "going to the office" or "going to work" when going to the building where we work, the image of a building tends to come to mind when we hear the word "company." However, if a "company" is essentially a group of people who come together for a common purpose, then the approach of firmly linking the vision and the way of working, and the way of working and the environment, makes sense.
Of course, working styles do not change overnight. Even if you communicate your intentions to change working styles and how you want employees to behave before the office and IT environments change, there are individual differences in the speed at which employees accept the changes. In fact, in our case, the productivity of workers has increased year by year since the head office relocation in 2018, but on the other hand, not all workers were able to adapt to the change in working style right away. In the process of adapting, it may be necessary for such people to clarify their "vision" and "desired state."
An "action first" approach is now more important than ever
Looking at the current situation, I think there are many people who have been forced to change the way they work due to the spread of the new coronavirus. Currently, there is a globally shared vision of "reducing the risk of infection," and the logic behind this is that the way of working to achieve this is, for example, "telework" and "working from home." But what would happen if this "vision" were to disappear? It is likely that many companies would revert to their previous ways of working.
If, as a company or organization, for whatever reason, you think, "We want to continue to incorporate working from home and teleworking in our work style," or "We don't want to go back to the old way of working," then it is necessary for you to reexamine the relationship between the company's vision and desired state and working styles, and to make sure that employees are aware of what kind of behavior is expected of them.
If we take a "building first" approach here, what will happen? For example, even if the office space is reduced first because telecommuting reduces office attendance, if the behavior of workers does not change, they will return to the office. This could lead to increased dissatisfaction with the lack of available seating in the office, or a situation in which the employees are forced to telecommute but are unable to ensure productivity, resulting in a decline in workers engagement. Whatever the company's intentions, they will not be conveyed, and from workers 's point of view, it will be perceived as a cost-cutting measure that neglects them.
What is an "action first" approach? Where do I start?
In their article, Veldhoen + Company recommends that organizations first ask themselves the following fundamental questions and then take a strategic approach to achieving them:
- What are our strategic goals?
- Are your current ways of working helping you achieve that goal or hindering it?
- How can new ways of working (and new leadership styles) support us?
- And what kind of office design can support this new way of working?
If you are in a position to reconsider your work style or workplace, please ask yourself these questions, and if possible, ask your management and employees as well. Doing so will surely provide a solid basis for decision-making even when discussions go astray or conflicts arise during the review process.
The "action first" approach is also adopted in the ABW consulting services offered by the company and ITOKI. If you are interested, please take a look at this document.
