The
Great Work Blog

Technology has become an integral part of our lives. We have smart phones, smart cars, and smart homes. Everywhere you look, technology is making our lives a little more convenient. The office is the one place that is currently lagging behind in the “smart” trend. While we have cars that can give us directions to wherever we want to go, and smart phones that allow us to work, communicate and check our schedules on the move, most offices are still missing out on the same kind of technology that would make them more efficient and automated.

In a recent episode of Steelcase’s podcast 360 Real Time, Scott Sadler, Manager of Integrated Technologies at Steelcase, discussed some of the possibilities for smart offices, how in the future they will be able to unify and improve your office, and some of the products that Steelcase is introducing to help make that vision a reality.

The modern office is shrinking. According to a report by Property Portfolio Research, over the last decade, the size of the average office has decreased by 21 percent. When it’s time to sign a lease for your business—whether you’re considering making better use of existing space, expanding, or just starting up—consider the many advantages that come from maximizing your use of space in an office. Optimizing your workspace, instead of just increasing the amount of space you lease, can produce savings in your business’ operating costs, improve workplace productivity, and increase employee satisfaction if you do it right.

Workplace issue #5: Personal Wellbeing

Help Improve Personal Wellbeing

According to a study conducted by Ohio State University and the National Institute of Mental Health in the U.S., the physical work environment dramatically influences emotional and physical wellbeing. They found that workers in unappealing office environments (low ceilings, limited natural light, unattractive views) had significantly higher levels of stress hormones and heart-rate variability than workers in more open, spacious, well-lit offices. Researchers concluded a bad work environment may actually be a risk factor for heart disease. Companies can improve employee wellbeing in four areas: 

Workplace issue #4: Building the Company Brand

Build the Company Brand and Culture

Workplace issue #3: Engaging Talent

Attract, Develop, and Engage Great Talent

Successful businesses today need a place where people really want to work. Without that, they will struggle to draw and keep their top talent. So, what makes an office engaging? Skype surveyed users and decision makers in the U.S. to measure how companies are using workspace and technology to engage with highly sought-after tech pros:

• 62% of firms say about a third of their employees spend 40% of their time working remotely
• Decision makers say flexible and remote work options help them attract the best talent and keep them on staff
• The top three factors determining job satisfaction are salary (identified by 55% of respondents), the quality of the work environment (37%), and flexibility to work outside the office or at home (33%)

Workplace ISSUE #1: Real Estate Optimization

With the rising cost of real estate and volatility of today's economy, offices need to be flexible to grow and shrink accordingly. At the same time, workers need their workplace to help them remain productive. In order to accomplish this, many are reducing individual workstation space, but are also reconfiguring to include more team spaces, work cafés, meeting spaces and other alternative work-settings. The results can be more functional space that help people work most effectively.

Last week, three separate projects by McCoy-Rockford teams won Best Practice Awards during the 4th Annual Awards of Excellence held by the Houston Chapter of the International Facility Management Association (IFMA).  We were honored to be selected and are ecstatic for our clients who can say they have award-winning facilities! Accolades are great, but what is even better is knowing we helped create remarkable places where our clients can do truly great work.

The award-winning projects were for the following clients:

• NDT Global
• Jetco Delivery
• Global Shop Solutions

As the modern workforce has tranformed from being physical laborers to knowledge workers, our minds are asked to be very active while our bodies sit in one place. In order to perform well, workers need a variety physical activity and stimulation. How do you create an environment that encourages activity and improves workers' vitality? As part of our series on office wellbeing, the article below from Steelcase addresses the sixth - and final - dimension of wellbeing, meaning. You'll learn how organizations can communicate a sense of meaning to employees. This culture inspires workers to be passionate about what they do and can improve performance and results.  We'll also share some tips and design considerations that helps cultivate a sense of meaning in the workplace.

Brands have been an emphasis for much of the past century.  One of the reasons is brands communicate meaning to consumers, creating a sense of loyalty and trust. These values are just as important - maybe even more important - to cultivate with employees. As part of our series on office wellbeing, the article below from Steelcase addresses the fifth dimension of wellbeing, meaning. You'll learn how organizations can communicate a sense of meaning to employees. This culture inspires workers to be passionate about what they do and can improve performance and results.  We'll also share some tips and design considerations that helps cultivate a sense of meaning in the workplace.

Last year, the U.S. workforce turnover rate was nearly 15.7%, up from 14.4% in 2011. Workforce turnover can carry a hefty cost. A report from CBS News calculated the additional cost of of replacing a mid-level employee at 20% of the worker's annual salary (and replacing executives could cost up to 213% of their salary). So how do you retain the talent you worked so hard to attract? As part of our series on office wellbeing, the article below from Steelcase addresses the fourth dimension of wellbeing, belonging. You'll learn how creating a sense of belonging for employees helps anchor them and makes them feel valued by their organization. We'll also share some tips and design considerations that helps cultivate a sense of belonging in the workplace.

What happens when workers feel like they can’t be themselves at the workplace? What can we do to help workers feel comfortable and connected, so they bring their best selves to the work they do? As part of our series on office wellbeing, the article below from Steelcase addresses the third dimension of wellbeing, authenticity. You'll learn how connections and customizable environments help cultivate authenticity in the workplace. We'll also share some tips and design considerations that help workers feel more comfortable and connected.

Continuing our series on office wellbeing, this article from Steelcase focuses on the second dimension of wellbeing, mindfulness. You'll learn about the challenges to mindfulness in today's workplace and why it's important to create an environment that encourages employees to be fully engaged with their work and more easily enter a state of flow. We'll also share some tips and design considerations to cultivate mindfulness in your workplace.