Content area
Full Text
ABSTRACT
Innovative workplace solutions have been known as "workplace of the future" or "alternative officing." Today these concepts are being adopted by a cadre of forward-thinking companies of all sizes, across industries. These companies have begun to tailor their workplace to meet their particular needs. They are seeking ways to use their investments in space and technology to enable rather than inhibit progress toward their objectives. While still far from being universally embraced, these changes in workplace conceptualization and implementation are worth a closer look. This paper identifies key trends, discusses the forces driving them, debunks some myths that have arisen, outlines the potential benefits of these approaches, and discusses the need for an integrated approach to achieve successful implementation. Several examples are provided to demonstrate the appeal of workplace strategy across industries and suggest lessons that can be applied by the reader to their own unique situations. Primary workplace research conducted by the author as well as her corporate and consulting experience informs the points made throughout this article.
Keywords: workplace, strategy, innovation, change, integration, competitive advantage
WORKPLACE STRATEGY: WHAT IT IS AND WHY YOU SHOULD CARE
Rapid innovation can be essential to an organization's survival in today's hypercompetitive business environment. A new breed of worker is emerging to provide the required creativity. These highly sophisticated workers will demand an environment that attracts them, satisfies their needs, and provides an incentive to stay. With the projected shortfall of skilled workers in the United States and Europe reaching critical proportions by the year 2010, employers need to pay attention.
Research on the impact of technology on work patterns and the work environment that I conducted "with a major corporate research laboratory led to some relevant insights. Leading-edge firms around the globe -were identified, their senior management teams interviewed and work patterns observed. This data was analyzed systemically to understand the dynamics in play. These companies were found to be creating competitive advantage by aligning their strategic intent with their policies and the tools, resources and environments they were providing their employees.
The work environments that companies have provided for the past half-century are increasingly unsuited to emerging patterns of work and are inhibiting workers from performing to their full potential. An efFective workplace...