Collaboration Hybrid solution


Current thinking by architects, management consultants and system integrators is to take advantage of the benefits of open plan tempered with pro- vision for quiet, privacy and access to specific hybrid office that combines elements of a closed office with elements of an open office. A mix of small sound proofed booths used to isolate the open plane from noisy or personal phone calls and quiet spaces to avoid con- stant interruptions. It has been proved that some tasks, like writing, advertising, financial planning and comput- er programming, are done best when given a full measure of focus.


Some companies are now experimenting with enclosed spaces for smaller teams – typically, between three and 16 people. Workers can still collaborate, but also have the option to block out noise from other teams of unrelated col- leagues. Rooms are a mix of quiet rooms and huddle spac- es, all of which can be reserved from the corporate room book- ing system. So the next-gen office will have the flexibility to mix private offices, cubicle banks and genuine open office spaces and other mutual areas, with soundproof rooms where workers can go to concentrate on solo work. Various vendors are now mak- ing these cubicle or pod solu- tions available, for example, Framery Acoustics: “manufac- turers pods, phone booths and soundproof private spaces for solving noise and privacy is- sues in open offices: Our prod- ucts make employees happier and more productive in offices of dozens of the world’s leading companies, including Micro- soft, Puma and Tesla”. “Office Reality was formed in 2003 with a vision to supply busi- nesses, organisations and indi- viduals with competitively and realistically priced office furni- ture and interior solutions.”


Technology solutions


For those with limited space or committed to open plan, noise cancelling headsets can alle- viate the noise problem. Last month, AV News reviewed two recent releases in this product category, Logitech announced the launch of the Logitech Zone Wireless and Logitech Zone Wireless Plus Headsets. The Zone series of headsets delivers superior sound quality so users can take conference calls, listen to music, or block out


distractions with active


noise cancellation (ANC). Sennheiser’s new MB 360 UC Bluetooth headset, also with Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), arrived within 24 hours of the Logitech product, en- abling us to run a side-by-side comparison. Like the Logitech Zone Wireless, the MB 360 UC is designed for office workers who need to work from every- where using one single head-


set, for both calls and music. A 2008 study, conducted in Finnish offices, found that 48% of employees reported that speech was the most dis- turbing noise source for them in an open office. We found that the Active Noise Cancel- ling headsets were effective at creating better conditions for taking calls, but obviously had no effect on the visual distrac- tions disturbing worker’s con- centration.


The next-gen workplace


With an increasingly diverse employee roster, the task of de- signing a workplace that suits everybody is little short of im- possible. Nonetheless, change in the design and nature of the workplace is essential. Accord- ing to the workplace specialists Condeco: “The workplace has undoubtedly changed more in the last two decades than in the half century before that. A new wave of technology has been introduced into the of- fice, while mobile technology has extended this reach beyond this reach beyond the physical office. Alongside this a new generation of employees is at work, bringing new expecta- tions. Millennials, those born between the early 1980s and the early 1990s, are seen as more demanding workers, who expect


more flexibility from


their employers, more engage- ment in the workplace, and a greater sense of purpose in their work.” We all recognise the sig- nificance of millennials in the workplace, but they are a fraction of the total work- force. So what impact does the multi-generational workforce have on workplace design and adoption of new facilities?


Condeco Chart with Why is it important?


Organisations benefit from a mix of demographics – many now strive to embrace diversi- ty in terms of race, gender and socio-economic


background,


but diversity in terms of age can be overlooked.


A rich mix of age ensures an organisation benefits from dif- fering perspectives, insights and skills.


Different generations?


You’ll find various versions of generational categories, but here is one that works for me: Traditionalists, Maturists (also known as the silent genera- tion)


These are people who con- tinue in work despite being approaching or over retire- ment age. They’re often in senior positions and valued for their knowledge and ex- perience. They may also have enviable reputations and ex- tensive connection networks. They have experienced the in- troduction of wave after wave of new technologies and may


Boomers may well have had (or an- ticipated) secretaries to do their ad- min and insulate them from office technologies they probably don’t now. They are usually regarded as being motivated by personal gain. They are also able to share and pass on their knowledge and as there are more of them in the workplace,


able to provide the


mentoring role often looked for in a manager by Millennials. They’ve seen workplace technology that was expensive, complex and often unreliable so may well not regard it as essential to the organisation’s success. Their level of competency with tech may not be high. They prefer communicating in person or on the phone. They also prefer to learn in person in more formal and traditional learning style. They are not naturally collab- orative.


Gen X


Born after 1965 but before the 1980s, Gen X is seen as open, hon- est and innovative and very adapt- able. They have seen huge change in technology while at school and in the workplace and have learned to keep up to date. This also means they tend to be sceptical about the


Pip Thomas, Founder and Di- rector of Instrui: looks at the issues raised by generational diversity in workplace design. Today’s workplaces typically have four generations working together with differing values, perspectives, skills and experi- ences. With people continuing to work longer, that is only set to increase to five generations or even seven generations likely to be working togeth- er in future (Forbes (https:// www.forbes.com/sites/sou- laimagourani/2019/04/25/ leading-multiple-gener- ations-in-todays-work- force/#19ef349e4636))


Generational diversity and the modern workplace latest tech trends.


be sceptical of latest new trends. They will typically have their own office. They may have a preference for communicating by letter/email or face-to-face meetings. Like Baby Boomers (below), they prefer learn- ing in-person, possibly one-to-one coaching.


Baby Boomers


Usually these terms are applied to people born post war - between 1946 and 1964. Like traditional- ists, they’ve experienced hierar- chical office environments where having your own office, its size and location was indicative of your seniority and value to the or- ganisation. The older of the Baby


They are good problem solvers. They are independent and dislike bureaucracy. They value freedom. They are flexible and open to being collaborative but may also need some of the more traditional office spaces that provide quiet spaces for focus and privacy. They prefer to communicate by email and phone. They like to learn in a directly relevant, hands- on informal coaching style – and dislike the touchy-feely teaching methods. They may prefer to have the freedom to choose how and when they learn.


Gen Y or Millennials


Born in the 1980s and early 1990s, they’ve grown up with the Internet and laptops, and have welcomed the smartphone and tablet. They’re often talked on as the ‘entitled’ generation or ‘gen- eration me’ and are seen as being optimistic and more accepting of authority than Gen X. They expect a technology experi- ence at work at least as good as that of their home (or their fam- ily home as this generation often stays at home or returns home into early adulthood). They look for choice as to where and when they work. They don’t like to communicate by talking on the phone or even face-to-face.


They have like short nstant


written messaging – email, SMS, social media messaging etc. They


attention


spans, expect instant feedback and are not welcoming of nega- tive feedback. They look to their boss for mentoring rather than supervision. They are very visual learners and prefer


self-paced,


online, gamified learning. They’re teamwork focused and collaborative but may need en- couragement to build personal relationships and have face to face communication within their teams.


Gen Z


Born 1995 to 2015 they are just beginning to enter the workplace. They are true digital natives hav- ing been brought up with smart- phones, apps, fast Wi-Fi. More than that they are the multi-screen generation. Most universities report students hav- ing typically three personal devic- es all of which they expect to login and use in lectures and seminars. They are used to instant every- thing – instant communication and access to information in par- ticular. Being bombarded with information however, they value effective personalisation that cuts through the noise of information and gives them what’s relevant and valued by them.


Their attention spans are get- ting shorter and they prefer vid- eo. They value authenticity and the opinions of their peers. They have a digital life but do value the personal touch – face-to-face is important for recruitment for example.


Caveats


There is one significant cave- at to be noted here. While it is


convenient to talk broadly of generations using these widely recognised classifications, we should always bear in mind that these are highly generalised ste- reotypes and ensure we do not pigeonhole or assume when it comes to individuals.


When planning user adoption strategies as part of new work- place design and workplace technology, it is essential to un- derstand the real people in your organisation, how they work now, how changes will impact them in terms of work life and personally and to manage that change.


The ‘arc of distortion’ comes into play. This is the difference between what is said/meant and how it is received and in- terpreted by an individual, who will filter the communications through their own experience, worries and expectations.


Impact on the workplace


The trend is for organisations to eschew traditional hierarchi- cal seating with assigned desks towards non-assigned seating. Office walls have been coming down for some time in favour of open environments with hot desking. With desk occupancy rates


often just 40%, organisations see real cost savings if they can reduce the amount of space required for office space and achieve better space utilisation. The result, particularly for large enterprises, is they are able to bring several office buildings into one – the campus format is very popular, one sire with lots of facilities for staff to use when they need to be in the office. Combined with to


the trend technology


parallel enabled


collaborative team-based work- ing, this is often described as agile working. An effective ag- ile working space will combine a range of different types and styles working spaces – open plan, small pods/rooms/spaces for privacy and to enable work- ing without distraction, to sup- port individuals and small group working, as well as more formal meeting spaces for different siz- es of group and different types of team working.


This will provide the range of workspaces required by the peo- ple in your organisation to fulfil their


responsibilities and an- swer their varying needs. If you get the balance right, you will build a more engaged, fulfilled and ultimately more productive workforce.


An agile workspace is like- ly also to incorporate shared spaces, where people from all departments cross paths and interact – cafes and restaurants, open spaces, lounges for exam- ple. This has been dubbed ser- endipitous engineering by the tech world and helps to break down the departmental silos that all too often exist and thrive in large enterprises.


P10 AV News August 2019


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