Have you just moved into your new office or are you about to move? In a cliché-bashing session, Mona Jung, Diana Winzer, Deborah Reicherts and Samir Ayoub dispelled common misconceptions about corporate relocations, desk sharing and new space concepts.
Cliché #1: 50% desk sharing = 50% space reductionThe panellists quickly agreed on this. The formula is not realistic. Desk sharing may reduce the number of workstations, but new functional areas have to be created. Whether there is a reduction in space and, if so, by how much, depends largely on the status quo before the move.
CLICHÉ #2: The better the survey, the better the office concept, the better the collaboration. Agreement on the basics, but a need to discuss the details, characterised the discussion on this cliché: Participation is important, right from the start. The challenge is not to turn surveys into a ‘wish list’ exercise. At the same time, planners and change managers should ensure that individual solutions are possible for teams and, if necessary, for individuals.
CLICHE #3: It is hard to get old people to change (or to be re-educated)... The spontaneous reaction of the panelists: It is not age, but experience with and openness to new things that determines how easily or how difficult it is for people to accept change. The question of how to avoid or at least minimise resistance was fascinating. The panellists agreed that trust is another important factor. They also said that it helps to put together diverse teams for participation processes. And they agreed on one other point: the challenges of cultural change are almost always underestimated when it comes to relocations.
Photo: © Horváth & Partners
