In the previous article, "Voices from the field practicing ABW, vol. 3: What are the concerns faced by corporate planning managers who manage employees working in dispersed locations?", we introduced the importance of team building in implementing ABW. There are eases and difficulties in changing the way a team works all at once, but what happens if the leader ends up changing the way they work later than the team members?
This time, we spoke to Junpei Oka (hereinafter referred to as Oka), team leader of the 2nd Design Center of the Work Style Design Division, about ABW from the perspective of both a team leader and as workers who transferred from an Osaka office that used hot desking system to XORK which practices ABW.
Mr.Junpei Oka, Work Style Design Division, Second Design Center
── What do you think has changed the most since you started working at XORK?
Oka: I came to XORK as part of a personnel transfer two years ago. Compared to before the transfer, I have noticed two changes:
The first change is the environment. The situation has changed to one where the "noise" that interferes with work, especially in terms of noise from the surroundings and line of sight, is less noticeable.
The office before the transfer was hot desking, but for example, when I wanted to concentrate alone, I would work in a conference room or a semi-closed meeting booth, and there were no solo spaces at the time, so I had to search for an environment where I could concentrate. However, at XORK I can use high-concentration spaces, so there is an environment that takes into consideration line of sight and sound, and there are operational rules that prohibit private conversations and phone calls, so my concentration is less likely to be disturbed.
In this way, XORK is an office where spaces are clearly defined according to "activities." The layout takes into consideration line of sight and sound environment, which I feel leads to improved productivity.
At ITOKI, we break down and reinterpret our daily work into "10 activities."
The second is the way of communication. Before the transfer, my team members were within my line of sight, and I could naturally sense what the situation was like each day from their expressions and behavior. Basically, if I went to the office, I felt like I could meet people even if I hadn't planned to, and of course there were Advantage to that, but in terms of "gathering together," I may have relied too much on coincidence.
Since I came to XORK, some of my team members were already accustomed to the ABW working style, so I first had to fill the gap between me, a beginner. For example, while my team members each worked autonomously, I was not used to not being around them, and I often felt anxious about not being able to sense the situation. Once I started to be conscious of giving my team members autonomy, trusting them and leaving things to them, and creating activities to communicate with them myself, I felt that I came to understand the benefits of ABW and was able to work autonomously myself.
── When you first moved, how did you get used to the ABW working style?
Oka: I feel like I got used to it by asking the people around me, such as team members and other employees I knew. I had watched internal videos and materials introducing ABW, but I learned more by seeing and hearing about it in person. XORK also has a cross-departmental organization called the "XORK Neighborhood Association" that handles operations and improvements, and it formulates and disseminates office rules and operating methods, thoroughly implements these, and carries out improvement activities, as well as making recommendations to management and key departments based on these activities. At an information session for transferred employees hosted by the Neighborhood Association, I was able to understand the official outline, including the meaning of each location, operating rules, etiquette, and dress code. (For a column on internal promotion such as the XORK Neighborhood Association, please see here: "The real test of ABW begins after it starts! The internal promotion system and how to pick up employee voices"
It may have taken some time due to the impact of COVID-19, but I felt like I had become accustomed to ABW, including my mindset, after about six months to a year.
── How do you communicate with each other when you're not around?
Oka: Currently, my team consists of six people, and we have a briefing every morning at 9:30. We try to finish it within 15 minutes, but we change the time depending on how busy the work is and how much we need to share. In ABW, we think it is important to consciously create a sense of team unity, so we create opportunities for conversation even for a short time. By participating in this, each member can share their plans and contact information for the day, and consult with each other, which makes it easier for me to grasp the progress and situation. Of course, if there is another plan, I give priority to that plan, and I am conscious of creating an atmosphere that is as unburdening as possible. In addition, we share the screen every time with news and topics related to design and working style, and try to communicate in a two-way manner that will give participants some insight.
Daily online morning briefing
── How do you split the time between working in the office and working from home?
Oka: I decide whether to work from home or in the office depending on the day's activities. For example, I choose to go to the office on days when my schedule is packed and I need to work at full throttle, or on days when I want to gather with members to discuss designs and create proposals for competition projects. On the other hand, I choose to work from home on days when I have a lot of online meetings or when I want to concentrate on the proposal content by myself. On average, I go to the office 2-3 days a week, and adjust the number of days depending on the project and the spread of COVID-19. As more people work from home than before, I try to make the environment as close to the office as possible by buying a monitor and my own company chair and laying tile carpet at home. My home environment is also well-organized, and I can use both my home and the office separately, so it's easy to work at both depending on my purpose.
―― Honestly, are there any issues you feel you have with the way you work now?
Oka: We are advocating the idea of "ITOKI Smart Office*1" as a way of working environment after COVID-19, and in order to further embody it in our company, it is important to carry out organizational reforms in a balanced way in the three areas of "Office," "IT," and "Action," which are essential for the success of ABW. In particular, "how to utilize data collected from office spaces and furniture" is an area in which ITOKI excels, as we design WORK-Style of tomorrow. We would like to put into practice and brush up on new ways of working that connect space and IT, and connect them to proposals for our customers.
*1 A working environment created through Tech x Design that allows people to work creatively, healthily, and collaboratively anywhere, anytime.
"To put ABW into practice, it is important for the leader to have a strong will and trust their subordinates," Oka-san said, based on his own experience. I was very impressed by the story of how the team proactively meets together and creates a place to share information in order to build trust. (Related article: "What is 'communication management' that builds trust?")
Our ABW consulting services will not only help you review your office and IT, but will also focus on changing the behavior of workers and consider new ways of working together.
