IN THE WORKPLACE

EXECUTIVE ROUNDTABLE
TRENDS AND TENSIONS
IN THE WORKPLACE
September 17, 2015
University of Cincinnati
Cincinnati, Ohio
TRENDS AND TENSIONS IN THE WORKPLACE
Executive Roundtable Summary
On Sept. 17, 2015, BHDP facilitated an Executive Roundtable titled “Trends and
Tensions in the Workplace.”
Leaders from across the corporate real estate industry met at Tangeman University
Center in the heart of University of Cincinnati’s Clifton campus in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Through ideation, data analysis and story-telling, the group unpacked workplace
trends and tensions that impact business performance. By sharing perspectives
across different businesses, the group collectively arrived at actionable solutions for
immediate implementation in their respective organizations.
The following pages provide a summary from the day’s discussions, outlined in three
parts corresponding with the event’s agenda:
Part 1: Roundtable I: General and Workplace Trends
Part 2: Roundtable II: Focus Topics
Part 3: Group Exercise: Sixty Minute Solution
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FACILITATORS
T. Patrick Donnelly, AIA, LEED AP, MCR.h
Patrick is a client leader and shareholder at BHDP. A prolific author and speaker,
Patrick is a 2015 recipient of the CoreNet Luminary Award and multi-time winner
of the CoreNet Top Faculty honor.
Dominic Iacobucci, AIA, LEED AP
Dominic is a client leader at BHDP with over 15 years of experience. A citizen
leader and adjunct professor at University of Cincinnati, he engages with students
to discover what’s next in the world of work.
Brady Mick, RA, MCR.w
Brady is a client leader and senior design strategist at BHDP where he provides
design expertise creating work environments that align company culture with
physical space. He is a multi-time recipient of CoreNet's Top Faculty award.
PARTICIPANTS
Thank you to all the individuals who participated in the 2015 Fall Executive Roundtable.
Joe Baughman
Chris Eary
Kieran Sherry
Nationwide Insurance
Fidelity Investments
Nationwide Insurance
Nicole Bellman
Gigi Escoe
Christina Smith
Mercy Health
University of Cincinnati
Capital One
Kevin Brandenburg
Samantha Fisher
Jennie Strode
INC Research
Capital One
JLL
John Brownrigg
Cynthia Hayes
Bill Vonderhaar
Mercy Health
Huntington Bank
Procter & Gamble
Cory Christopher
Jennifer Hershner
University of Cincinnati
Huntington Bank
Michelle Clare
Jason Luthy
University of Cincinnati
Cincinnati Children’s
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Special thank you to University of
Cincinnati for hosting the Executive
Roundtable.
ROUNDTABLE I:
General and Workplace Trends
Participants reviewed over 50 general and workplace
trends "statements"— factual news bites pulled from
a variety of resources, including news channels, trend
reports and white papers. Participants then voted on the
relevance of each topic to their everyday work and life,
identifying those statements that "rung particularly true"
to their actual experience.
Top-voted items provided starting points for the first
discussion of the day.
What follows is a summary of this voting session.
WORKPLACE TRENDS
Topics highlighting the dynamic nature of work were the focus of the workplace
trends presented during the Executive Roundtable.
A critical source of trends was Inquiry to Innovation: The Future of Work, a document
produced by University of Cincinnati students published by BHDP as a result of
a semester-long course led by Dominic Iacobucci that studied the millennial
generation's existing view of and expectations for the future of work.
TRENDS WITH THE MOST VOTES
Of the 47 statements listed, these facts received the most votes from participants,
demonstrating a general consensus on the topics that are "top of mind" for those in
attendance.
• Leading workplaces allow for variety and choice in space, time and technology.
Number of Votes: 7
Source: http://for.tn/1Mf9U6k
• Small meeting spaces have higher utilization rates for collaboration.
Number of Votes: 7
Source: http://bit.ly/1Nv7Zz4
• Millennials are willing to take pay cuts in order to work for companies that
align with their personal values, proving the importance of company culture.
Number of Votes: 6
Source: Inquiry to Innovation: The Future of Work
• 74% of Millennials want flexible work schedules from their companies.
Number of Votes: 4
Source: http://onforb.es/1MfaeCn
• New technology enables virtual collaboration to feel like face-to-face.
Number of Votes: 4
Source: http://bit.ly/1XTd7QH
• On average, workstations are only occupied 47% of the time.
Number of Votes: 4
Source: http://bit.ly/1MlNl3C
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GENERAL TRENDS
Curated from a collection of resources, including Forbes, Fast Company and Inc., the
general trends cover a range of topics facing society today.
TRENDS WITH THE MOST VOTES
Of the 49 statements listed, these facts received the most votes from participants,
demonstrating a general consensus on the topics that are "top of mind" for those in
attendance.
• Smartphones are no longer simply modern conveniences. Today, scientists
are looking at ways to use smartphone microscopes to help eradicate a
devastating disease in Africa called river blindness.
Number of Votes: 6
Source: http://n.pr/1RYTeUa
• Today, we consume 26 times more than we did 150 years ago, yet only 28% of
people know what terms like: ‘sustainable’, ‘responsible’, ‘eco-friendly’ and
‘green’ really mean; just 44% of consumers trust green claims from big brands.
Number of Votes: 5
Source: http://bit.ly/1GND53E
• It is expected the US economy will no longer be the largest economy by 2030,
with China taking the lead.
Number of Votes: 4
Source: http://bit.ly/1MCaL0e
• Increasing severe weather occurrences brings climate change to the forefront.
Number of Votes: 4
Source: http://bit.ly/1HuwSVc
• Fast food restaurants are taking out artificial ingredients from food.
Number of Votes: 4
Source: http://entm.ag/1MCaUAQ
• The Internet of Things (IoT) is big and it will continue to grow along with useroriented computing; expect technology to be embedded everywhere.
Number of Votes: 4
Source: http://gtnr.it/1XTbhix
• Wearable technology changing how consumers track fitness and well-being.
Number of Votes: 4
Source: http://bit.ly/1OrudDt
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ROUNDTABLE II:
Focus Topics
During the second portion of the day, attendees were
asked to select topics of particular interest to them and
their organizations. As experts in the field of workplace
design and strategy, facilitators from BHDP provided an
opening point of view on selected topics:
Standardization
Culture
Collaboration and. Innovation
Fear of Change
More than a lecture, this portion of the day invited
attendees to provide insight and commentary into their
own perspectives as they related to the topics-at-hand.
The following pages document four points of view shared
by BHDP facilitators, the salient points communicated
during the ensuing conversation, and additional
resources related to each topic.
Standardization
Companies are as unique as their people…no two are the same.
Within a given company or given space, no single solution satisfies the needs of
every individual. Hierarchy, work process, generational preference, mobility, team
and organizationas structure, individual responsibility, confidentiality, recognition
and flexibility are just some of the factors that can impact the ideal configuration of
any given work environment.
While a one size fits “most” model is functionally achievable, standardization limits
the unique expression of an organization's culture. As such, every effort should be
made to design space to match the unique culture, work processes and desired
future of any given company.
RECOMMENDED RESOURCES
• Activity Based Work: One Size Does Not Fit All
Author: Stephen Minnett
Link: http://bit.ly/1XTqKz5
• Standardized Work: The First Step Toward Real Transformation
Authors: Kaj Grichnick, Hans Bohnen, Michael Turner
Link: http://pwc.to/1PqBdz9
Participants stand outside the Tangeman University Center awaiting a campus tour led by
Dominic Iacobucci, client leader at BHDP.
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“We avoid the word
‘standardization because
we want innovation.”
PERSPECTIVES
What role do “design standards” play
in workplace design? Do standards
help or hinder innovation? How does
an organization communicate one voice
across multiple offices in several regions?
Chris Eary, Fidelity Investments
Terminology Matters
For some companies, the term “standards” carries a negative connotation; it implies
force and rigidity. Using the term “guidelines” allows organizations to empower
individual teams across regions and job functions to design for specifics. While
standards give concrete specifics, guidelines provide boundaries.
Guidelines for Change
How does one set of guidelines satisfy everyone within an organization? By clearly
identifying areas where agility, i.e. change, can occur. By defining the boundaries
of what can change versus what absolutely cannot change, individuals have the
freedom to exercise choice.
Branding Creates Buy-In
Companies with offices across several regions take special care to provide brand
guidelines for workspaces; this creates continuity across the organization, as
workers can clearly identify the organization’s vision and purpose no matter their
location. For optimal buy-in, the brand must extend through all touch points, with
continuity in furniture selection, paint colors and even environmental graphics.
Frequent Refreshes
Developing a set of “standards” implies a permanent solution, whereas “guidelines”
allows for ongoing refreshes. An ongoing approach enables flexibility and growth
and encourages constant innovation to meet the current set of workers’ needs.
Recommended refresh frequency? Every three years.
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Culture
Culture is the undercurrent which courses beneath the surface of every
organization; it sticks around even when the lights are off.
In order to effect change or implement a strategic shift in any organization, step one
is to “know thyself.” At BHDP, we make use of a tested methodology for “Diagnosing
and Changing Organizational Culture,” using tools developed by Kim Cameron
and Robert Quinn from a book of the same name. By evaluating an organization’s
prevailing cultural attributes and comparing them to its preferred state, we can
begin structuring a cultural shift where it’s most meaningful: at the foundation.
Clockwise from left:
Keiran Sherry, Nationwide,
sharing a point of view;
Roundtable agenda; Brady
Mick, BHDP, leading a
discussion.
RECOMMENDED RESOURCES
• How Culture Shapes the Office, Harvard Business Review, May 2013
Author: Christine Congdon and Catherin Gall
Link: http://bit.ly/20zUWl8
• Culture Code: Leveraging the Workplace to Meet Today’s Global Challenge
Author: Steelcase in 360°
Link: http://bit.ly/20zV6sX
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“Find someone who
embodies your culture; put
them in charge of hiring.”
PERSPECTIVES
What or who defines a company’s culture?
Can a culture change, and if so, how?
Does space play a role in culture-making?
Nicole Bellman, Mercy Health
Culture-Making
Now, more than ever, organizations are embracing the importance of workplace
culture to the success of their companies. In fact, “culture” was the top-searched
term on Webster.com in 2014. More than a popular buzzword, executives
increasingly recognize their role in forming the culture and taking on the task of
leading through change.
Maintain vs. Change
As companies grow in size, how do they maintain consistent values while allowing
culture to flex with current needs? Critical success criteria relies on leadership's
ability to transmit culture from one season to the next.
Space Defining Culture
How does space play a role in defining culture? For most organizations, it is
one tool in the toolbox for maintaining and changing culture. Ultimately, what’s
most important is that the space supports the vision, values and culture of an
organization.
Looking north toward Langsam Library with Rhodes Hall (left) and Engineering Research Center (right).
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Collaboration and Innovation
While collaboration asks how business can fill a need today, innovation asks how
business will solve a future desire.
In recent years, business have supported the development of collaborative teams
through workplace design that encourages teamwork: ‘war rooms’, break areas with
amenities that promote play, low or no-panel open office concepts are all trends that
embrace and encourage a collaborative culture.
However, collaborative spaces don’t always lead to innovative solutions. Some of the
most successful innovations occur during quiet, isolated work.
Because of the different types of work involved in collaboration versus innovation,
different spaces best support each type of behavior. The challenge for any
organization is to find the best workplace design that encourages both team and
individual work without diminishing the value of either.
RECOMMENDED RESOURCES
• How the Workplace Can Improve Collaboration
Author: Steelcase
Link: http://bit.ly/1MoyvJF
Schneider Quad looking south toward Swift Hall.
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PERSPECTIVES
“Innovation and collaboration
are not mutually exclusive;
they build upon each other.”
How do companies foster a culture of
collaboration and innovation? Does space
influence either?
Kate Vitasek, Forbes Magazine
Always Available
The prevalence of technology enables constant connection and can lead to better
collaboration amongst employees. However, being always available also affords
more constant interruption. Employees are increasingly demanding the ability to
choose between “think space” and “team space”, thereby highlighting the need for
different spaces for different tasks.
Hiring for Collaboration and Innovation
Attracting and retaining employees that embrace a company’s vision for
collaboration can dramatically improve a company’s ability to innovate. Using hiring
tools such as pre-work assessments to screen for those “softer skills” that indicate
the ability to collaborate and innovate can be equally—if not more—important than
an applicant’s expertise in hard skills. Once hired, it is important for managers
to recognize and manage an employees soft skills in order to cultivate the talent
toward moments of innovation.
Left: Patrick Donnelly, BHDP, greeting Kevin Brandenburg, INC Research. Right: UC historical motif.
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Fear of Change
Change is certain and ongoing and yet our attitudes toward change fluctuate
considerably: some people love and embrace change while others fear and avoid
change at all costs.
It’s all about perspective. Consider two people on a roller coaster ride for the first
time: for one rider, the twists and turns are exhilarating; for the other, the ups and
downs are nauseating. Similarly, change in the workplace can be thrilling for one
employee while exasperating for another.
And yet, change is necessary for any organization to move forward. It’s therefore
important for companies to embrace transparency communication and clear
processes in order to quell fear. Strong change management is critical for
organizations looking to reach their desired future state.
RECOMMENDED RESOURCES
• Choosing Strategies for Change, Harvard Business Review, August 2008
Author: John P. Kotter and Leonard A. Schlesinger Link: http://bit.ly/1kyIv8l
Clockwise from left:
John Brownrigg, Mercy
Health, takes part in the
discussion; Jennie Strode,
JLL voting in the first
exercise; BHDP voting tool.
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“Build up your ‘change
muscle’ to increase your
ability to handle change.”
PERSPECTIVES
How do individuals handle organizational
change? What does it look like for
organizations to embrace a culture of
frequent change?
Kieran Sherry, Nationwide Insurance
The Prevalence of Change
The truism “the only thing constant is change itself” has never been more true
than it is today. Individuals experience change at multiple levels simultaneously.
Organizational change requires leadership’s understanding of and accommodation
for an employee’s total change environment— what’s happening at home and at
work, personally and professionally. Awareness of change occurring across an
individual's life can help leaders better prepare for and execute change in the
workplace.
Change Muscle
Learning how to adapt—to change—well is a skill. Healthy change skills are
acquired through frequent practice, not unlike working a muscle a the gym. The
more the “change muscle” is exercised, the more weight it can hold.
The Power of Transparency
Communication and transparency are key for any organization undergoing change;
it is critical for leaders to be forthright about the purpose and vision for change to
ease fears and facilitate early adoption of the “new normal.”
Passing Rhodes Hall toward Langsam Library.
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GROUP EXERCISE:
Sixty Minute Solution
The third and final portion of the Executive Roundtable
invites attendees to work toward actionable solutions for
a handful of challenges facing today’s businesses.
Using a tool developed by BHDP titled “The Sixty Minute
Solution,” participants are divided into groups of five.
Each group is presented with a topic, a.k.a. challenge.
Following the format prescribed by the Sixty Minute
Solution, group members must:
1. Define/refine the problem
2. Discuss actions and concepts
3.Identify the big ideas
4.Provide a summary of solutions
5.Define success criteria
At the conclusion of this exercise, participants are able
to take ideas back to their respective organizations and
implement them into their everyday work.
Sixty Minute Solution:
CHANGE
It’s a well-known truism that the only constant is change itself. It’s therefore
imperative for organizations to not only align with today’s realities but also adjust for
tomorrow’s needs.
REFINE THE QUESTION
What is the best method for encouraging employees to embrace change?
DISCUSS ACTIONS AND CONCEPTS
Care: allow others to be aware of larger context of change environment (purpose and
vision.); decide on incremental steps for implementing change; provide choices on
change to drive satisfication
Voice: encourage productive, counter-culture thinking; manage fears and
expectations through transparency; get buy-in far in advance of any change; provide
an opportunity for voices to be heard; allow for individuals to personalize the change;
look for ways to manage the negative attitudes.
Resistance: So, why is change so difficult to accept in the workplace?
IDENTIFY THE BIG IDEAS
What main ideas from the actions and concepts provide stepping stones
toward solutions?
1. Leaders should change first to model change for others; change leadership
requires clear “rules of engagement” or protocols to be successful.
2. Balance “sale” of change with leading by example.
3. Listen to what needs to be said.
4. Tell the truth to gain understanding across organization and demonstrate
empathy.
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PROVIDE A SUMMARY OF SOLUTIONS
How can organizations improve through the change management process?
1. Look for alignments in employee interests and organization’s mission.
2. Provide change management training, i.e. ADKAR.
3. Help employees become and stay healthy, both physically and mentally.
4. Provide employees with opportunities to improve leadership skills through
change.
DEFINE SUCCESS CRITERIA
How can companies define successful change management?
Develop feedback loop for measuring success of change; implement ADKAR.
DEFINE A SUCCESS CRITERIA?
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Sixty Minute Solution:
COLLABORATION
Increasing collaboration and its effectiveness is a consistent theme as we strive to
enable work and measurable results. Many workplaces today provide for individual
work in a common setting but not in settings designed for collaboration. It happens
in hallways, in team spaces, at the coffee shop, on smart phones and via the
internet. We are trying to evolve new ways of working in space and with technologies
not designed for dynamic high performance teams.
REFINE THE QUESTION
What’s next in the world of collaboration?
DISCUSS ACTIONS AND CONCEPTS
Nature of work changes as needs change…collaborate accordingly.
Create the space means understanding the work. Provide different spaces to achieve
different outcomes; outfit these spaces to encourage different behaviors.
New tools, technologies, and work settings are needed to enable new ways of
working collectively, especially with more distributed work and mobile people.
Teach and learn new methods and technologies that make collaboration happen.
Planned face-time builds relationships, especially when distance is created by
distributed work.
Create partnerships with HR and IT to streamline processes and impart the way we
collaborate with new employees.
Organizational effectiveness is based on people; create consistent associate
experience across all team, levels and locations to connect collaboration with
culture.
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IDENTIFY THE BIG IDEAS
What main ideas from the actions and concepts provide stepping stones
toward solutions?
1. Human Aspect: it's ok to work in different ways.
2. Technology: Intuitive technology enhances collaboration and engagement.
3.“Glocalization": worldwide there are few to no barriers except time; real time
means "all the time."
4. Space: changing paradigm of how associates view their workspaces.
PROVIDE A SUMMARY OF SOLUTIONS
How can organizations plan for and implement practices of collaboration?
1. Provide more variety in space choice to increase satisfaction.
2. Small group settings of three to four people with video conference and
collaboration tools.
3. Create virtual places to work to increase “different time/different place”
collaboration.
4. Provide focused space to accommodate introverts and need for concentration and
reflection.
5. Focus on effective meetings, intuitive technology and training to enable better
outcomes.
DEFINE SUCCESS CRITERIA
How can companies exhibit success in collaboration?
Measure to what extent time is spent effectively; provide clear identification of
barriers to good work and eliminate.
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Sixty Minute Solution:
TECHNOLOGY AND THE VIRTUAL WORKPLACE
The world of virtual work is here, but what does that look like? Is it conference calls
using screens, collaboration on calendars in the cloud, or working at home in your
pajamas? The answers to these questions, and numerous others, are shaping the
new world of work today.
REFINE THE QUESTION
What are the traits and skills that matter in a virtual world?
DISCUSS ACTIONS AND CONCEPTS
The group believed that there is no demographical or cultural bias in this question or
solution; just a list of traits and skills required. Key traits identified included:
Tech Savvy – Being comfortable with and having an understanding of technology and
how it works; individuals should be self-confident and reliant, disciplined, trusting,
and patient.
Self-Motivated – Driven to achieve results and take on multiple tasks at any given
time; individuals that are honest and accountable.
Communicator – Being able to communicate well and express tone through various
mediums, including written form; individuals that know when and how to balance
speaking with writing, possessing the ability to tell a story, paint a picture and
express ideas in many ways.
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IDENTIFY THE BIG IDEAS
How can organizations best identify and leverage the skills necessary for
successful virtual work?
1. Validate categories of traits and skills that are important to your company.
2. Create a type of personal assessment to evaluate individual team members on
their ability to work virtually and be successful based on the traits and skills
identified.
3. Develop and execute a system of training on the key skills required.
4. Create a system of ongoing evaluation and assessment on traits and skills, and
execute.
5. Create a measurement system that is transparent, objective, and tested that is
connected directly to business success
DEFINE SUCCESS CRITERIA
Organizations that successfully identify and leverage the skills necessary for virtual
work within individual employees should notice an increase in the recruitment and
retention of such employees alongside an increase in cost-savings and individual
worker fulfillment and engagement.
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This publication was produced by BHDP
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Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
www.bhdp.com