Activity-Based Workplace

The world has changed, and many office environments need to adapt. We now live in an on-demand society with Netflix, Uber, Airbnb, Spotify, GrubHub and other “share economy” inventions. Over the past year knowledge workers experienced unlimited choice in where and how they work. The genie is not going back in the bottle.

Freedom to Choose

The traditional office model is based on an office environment that is fixed, static and inflexible. This was rooted in a cultural perception that if you are not at your desk or office, you weren’t working. While this was not necessarily true, Covid has accelerated the acceptance of the “Work-from-Anywhere” model.

The workplace of the future must meet the changing world, culture and an individual’s need for autonomy and choice. The activity-based workplace gives individuals the freedom to choose the type of space that allows them to be most effective for the task at hand. You “build your day” rather than anchor activities to a fixed location. The activity-based workplace should be agile, fluid, and adaptable over time. For this to be effective the organizational culture must align!

Building an Ideal Day

What is your ideal day at work? My creative energies are propelled by a mix of venues and interactions with people. Teamwork is done in person and virtually. Focused work can be at a free-address workstation or library. The creative flow ebbs and flows with hospitality and wellness amenities like coffee bars and walking trails. Throughout the day, I’m going from space to space and working in the right setting helps to support how dynamic my day can be.

I start my day with coffee in the breakroom where I connect with colleagues who I haven’t seen in a while. Over a cup of coffee, serendipitous opportunities for connections and team building arise. It’s a positive way to begin the day with great company and great conversation.

Walking through the corridor, it’s robust and full of activity – a place to see and be seen. Here, I meet with the project team in-person.

When our team meeting wraps up, it’s time to move away from the group environment and start working the action item list. The focus room is the perfect spot to work out details and move the work forward with another team member.

I also use the focus room for confidential conversations, interviews and/or coaching sessions. Depending on the day, those meetings can be in-person or virtual.

My to-do list is growing by the minute, so I head to the library where there are minimal distractions and interruptions. This is where I problem solve and get the head space needed to be creative during a busy day.

The energy and vibe in the breakroom allows me to make multi-tasking happen. As I grab a quick bite in the breakroom for a working lunch, I get connected to technology and reply to emails that came in earlier in the day. It’s easy for the lunch hour to get away and I make sure to save time to go for a walk!

Getting outside to take in the fresh air and warm sun helps to clear my mind. I slow down to reset both mentally and physically. Sometimes, I’ll listen to a podcast or just take in the surrounding sounds while I go on a brisk walk. I’m reenergized and ready to for the afternoon.

Back at the office means a few more meetings with different team members and clients. Virtual conferences allows me hold several meetings back-to-back and be efficient. Clients appreciate the flexibility to stay in their office when they’re unable to get away.

Ready for the meeting after the meeting? Grab team members to continue the conversation and figure out next steps.

It’s fun to end the day in the game room where I unwind with colleagues. As we relax and reflect on the day, the camaraderie grows and we build a sense of community in our organization.