Change and the concept of workspace

Whenever there is a change in management at the top the first thing that happens in most places is renovation of physical spaces. Traditionally reshaping the physical space is the easiest way to show the world that change has happened. The interior of the Writers Building is being revamped with lot of gusto from the day the new government came to office. In fact the Chief Minister has donated money from her personal account for renovating her office. We were wondering if the exterior of the famous red building would change too with the fall of the leftists.


In many organisations offices have been refurbished every time newly appointed local chiefs or their chiefs had any bright idea to implement on arrival and announce their presence to the immediate world .So in one office we had four major and minor interiors cum rebranding exercises in eight years. Every time there was a strong justification for implementing such changes. Offices are however no longer confined to physical spaces alone.

The current buzz in many places is about future of workspaces. An interesting article in a recent issue of Management Today highlights a recent debate on the topic ,follow the link below for details
http://www.managementtoday.co.uk/go/futureoftheworkplace


Several people now only have a laptop and internet connection provided by the office but no seating space which they can use on a daily basis. From personal spaces organisations are moving to the concept of team spaces. Clear Desk policy is another interesting concept where employees are required to clear all important official documents from the desk when they leave at the end of the day. There are no dedicated terminals or desks for anyone and every morning you have to find a desk which is free to use. The employees are given a box/ space to keep their personal belongings which they can use while in office. At the end of the day in some places a person goes around the office and collects everything lying on individual desks for clearance. Clear Desk policy is part of a wider concept of Smart working which is becoming increasingly necessary to manage global work places and work forces. For me the immediate benefit of clear desk policy is freedom from clutter. For many individuals ideas like flexible working hours and work from home hold immense appeal .Specially in large cities with difficult transport arrangements travelling long distances to work can be a nightmarish experience for many.