Matthias Pietzcker Amid debates about returning to the office and the rise of artificial intelligence, companies are facing the question of how work should be organised in the future more than ever before. Matthias Pietzcker, Managing Director of the management consultancy combine Consulting, believes that rigid rules are the wrong approach. In five theses, he explains why compulsory attendance and a focus on floor space are not helpful, and what companies need to do instead
Hybrid working, work-from-home quotas, reductions in office space and artificial intelligence. Rarely has work been both so flexible and so contested at the same time. Many organisations are responding with rules: fixed office days, attendance requirements or one-size-fits-all space concepts.
But this is precisely where the problem lies. The future of work cannot be managed through rigid models, square metres or days of attendance. We need to move away from old ways of thinking and fundamentally rethink our understanding of work. This means consistently considering activities, places, spaces, technology and human collaboration as interconnected.
So what does this mean for the future of work? At combine Consulting, we have identified five key insights through our work advising organisations across a wide range of sectors on workplaces and office real estate.
Thesis 1: New Work is no longer enough as a concept.
For a long time, New Work served as a kind of guiding principle for bringing modern workplaces and ways of working together under one term. With this concept and the question of what we really, really want to do, Frithjof Bergmann shaped the debate for decades. But as the world changes at an ever-increasing pace, this question alone no longer provides the answer to how the world of work needs to evolve.
Instead, we propose shifting the focus back from “I” to “we”. Rather than placing only individual needs at the centre – “I’m working from home today because it’s most convenient for me” – we need to find a balance between the individual and the organisation that benefits everyone: “I’m going into the office today because there is real value in working directly with my colleagues.” This is not about rejecting individual interests. It is an invitation to reconnect and work together rather than simply alongside one another. The organisation’s purpose can provide a guiding principle throughout this negotiation process. It can provide a shared point of reference.
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Thesis 2: Hybrid working is here to stay. Rigid attendance rules are not.
Let’s be realistic: working from home – or from anywhere – is not going to disappear. And that is a good thing. It gives us flexibility in a world that constantly demands a great deal from us. The office nevertheless continues to have an important role as a place of work. We simply need to think carefully and honestly about the added value of meeting there. Companies are increasingly turning to mandatory office attendance. But attendance alone does not automatically make an organisation more productive, more motivated or more collaborative.
What we need instead is a meaningful reason to be present. Organisations need to ask themselves what value being in the office actually offers their employees. People enjoy coming together when something can happen there that cannot be achieved elsewhere. It is the organisation’s responsibility to create that reason for people to meet. We are convinced that it is not the office itself, but the organisation that needs to be the magnet. A corporate culture that encourages collaboration and creates the right incentives for collaborative work in the office can generate value that goes beyond individual performance. The office environment must enable and support this collaboration and culture.
Thesis 3: Work also involves private and public spaces.
When we talk about work, we cannot talk about work alone. It has long since ceased to take place only in the office or at home and is increasingly happening in so-called third places. At the same time, work affects both the public and private spheres. When we shape work, we are therefore always shaping society as well – and, through hybrid working, private spaces too. When designing future-proof working environments, it is worth looking beyond the boundaries of our own premises. Doing so allows us to take a holistic view of the office’s strengths in relation to all the other places where work takes place. Nor should we forget the neighbourhood in which an office building is located. Organisations are increasingly being drawn back to lively, established urban neighbourhoods. With this comes a responsibility to play an active role in shaping the surrounding environment.
Thesis 4: Leadership, participation and responsibility are essential.
How we want to work – and work together – is something that needs to be negotiated between organisations and individuals. Employees need sufficient scope to experience self-efficacy and take personal responsibility. Leaders act as role models and provide direction, particularly in highly agile environments. The organisation’s purpose can serve as a beacon throughout this process.
Participation plays an important role here. When members of an organisation are involved in decisions and processes of change, this can increase satisfaction and strengthen their identification with the organisation. It is therefore worth engaging in dialogue, even if doing so can be time-consuming. But there are clear boundaries. Strategy and organisational purpose are not matters for negotiation. How work is carried out, however – how people interact and which formats they use – should be shaped together.
What is changing significantly is the way good leadership works. It is becoming less about authority or a knowledge advantage and more about a clear stance and taking responsibility.
Thesis 5: AI is changing office work in ways that make human strengths more important.
Exactly how artificial intelligence will transform our world of work remains to be seen. One thing, however, is clear to us: while job profiles and the focus of individual roles will change, there are human strengths that AI cannot replace.
Simply knowing more is no longer a competitive advantage. Being able to critically assess knowledge, develop a clear position and translate it into responsible action, however, is. This is particularly true in consulting. AI helps us complete time-consuming routine tasks more quickly, gather knowledge faster and gain an overview more efficiently. But at its core, consulting depends on other capabilities: empathy, understanding the needs of the person we are working with and developing solutions tailored to their individual situation. In future, we will be able to focus on these capabilities even more than we do today. Accordingly, we – and companies in every sector – need to adapt our skills and processes to ensure we are well positioned for the future.
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Matthias Pietzcker is Managing Partner at combine Consulting GmbH and has been advising companies and the public sector on the development of contemporary office concepts and holistic working environments for more than 25 years. His areas of expertise include strategic and organisational planning of buildings and workplaces, work process analysis, the implementation of new working environments and change management. Further information: combine-consulting.com.
Cover photo: © Laura Thiesbrummel
