The decision to change, relocate, reposition, or consolidate workspace usually begins in the C-suite. The motivation could be organizational changes, lease expiration, overhead cost containment, shifting corporate initiative, employee engagement concerns, corporate ownership changes…the list goes on. Whatever the reason, the resulting decision triggers a series of events and activities that have a considerable impact on the entire company. How the CEO manages this varies and may have a significant effect on the success of the project as a whole.
Many articles on stress in the workplace cite that the impact of change on employee engagement and happiness starts from the top. CEO presence can make or break the eventual success of any workplace design project. One of the top ten stressors in life is moving. Although most commonly thought to be changed in residence, changes in workplace location can also be incredibly anxiety-producing, especially if the reasons for change and how the changes will be implemented are not well communicated across the entire organization.
“Change is inevitable in organizations, and when it happens, leadership often underestimates the impact those changes have on employees,” said David W. Ballard, PsyD, MBA, head of APA’s Center for Organizational Excellence. “If they damage their relationship with employees, ratchet up stress levels and create a climate of negativity and cynicism in the process, managers can wind up undermining the very change efforts they are trying to promote.”
WorkDesign Magazine's continuing CEOs Talk Workplace series has given us the unique insight on the importance of CEO presence in instigating workplace change.