Why Activity based working doesn’t work and don’t listen to anything otherwise

Well in a weird twist, (that surely everyone saw coming), activity based working has not worked. hot desking has not worked. Why are organisations so focussed on been driven by realestate constraints than actually designing around your people. Now i’m not saying that its been a complete bust, elements DO work. But you can’t expect to design levels upon levels with a cookie cutter utilitarian perspective that people come to work, and go home from work. They actually care. They care that their task chair isn’t altered every time they sit at a desk. They care that they can listen to their thoughts instead of their colleague talking way too loud thats called for.

I get it - space equals money. And don’t I know that more than any designer in Auckland. I’ve founded a design company on maximising space. But can we give up the charade of new buzz words coming in every five years and up ending the current state of play. You know when I first started designing 15 years ago cubicles were getting phased out. For that I do agree - however did ALL cubicles need to go - probably not. As we are now putting them back in for certain teams (albeit a lot better looking)!. At the end of the day - you can still inject activity based working zones in the office. People will use them - more so when they are anchored in a space for a little bit of privacy. People don’t like feeling exposed. Its part of human nature and mental wellbeing. I literally just saw a long line of hot desks. There was one person sitting at them, at the end. Why? Because she was sheltered by one wall of privacy and comfort. Phone booths - absolutely yes. But they are a re-active strategy measure not a pro-active planning incentive. The about of time I see them plonked in a floorplan like they’ve fallen from the sky is astonishing.

So where to from here - Look. Interior or Architectural design firms will tell you you have to totally redesign your workspace to fit in with the newest buzz word. At the moment we are at People Centred Design, Experience Driven Workplace Strategy or Hybrid Workplace Strategy. In a sense its all right. But we must throw in the learnings of individualism. Focus Zones. Privatisation. Wellbeing. Open plan working. Agile Working. Flexible Working. Gosh the list goes on doesn’t it!? So do you need to redesign the whole thing? Maybe not. Seems like a waste of money, materials and not sustainably responsible. Im sure you will find perhaps 40% works, 60% doesn’t. But what we have to do. - is drill into your percentages celebrate the success, and optimise the things that aren’t working. I believe in a gradual transformative workplace strategy. Why? Because companies evolve. Leadership changes. Markets flex. Employee culture fluctuates with your mix. So yes. We could rip your entire floor plate out if it hasn’t been looked at for ten years not structured logically with your strategy, otherwise keep adapting as the organisation needs grows. The CFO can plan for it yearly. Thats agility in a workplace, top to bottom line.