Over the last 10 years, we have witnessed a dramatic transformation of the workplace. This transformation continues, as cubes with high walls and private offices with minimal glass are often being replaced with an open environment and a variety of work settings that supports collaboration. Thanks to the untethering of the desktop, workers can now move around the office or work virtually. As the workplace evolves, studies show that open (or “hybrid”) offices typically promote creativity and productivity, improve the bottom-line, enhance the organization’s culture and brand, and facilitate top talent recruitment and retention.
While the move to open offices is inexorable (over 70 percent of offices today are open environments), it is fraught with challenges. Today’s workplace often contains five generations working together, including Baby Boomers, Millennials, and Gen Z—all of whom have different mindsets and skillsets. Baby Boomers and senior managers in particular often find it hard to adjust to new technology and environments that don’t cater to entitlement and privacy issues.
A New Paradigm
This shift has caused project managers (PMs), facility managers, brokers, and architects to think differently about their roles.
For many years, project managers have fulfilled a critical role. In addition to overseeing the work of vendors (e.g., architects, contractors, engineers) and integrating services with commercial real estate brokers, they served as mechanics… responsible for staffing, budgeting, scheduling, and implementation, including IT, AV, security, furniture, and relocation management. They needed to get the job done on time and on budget. While these are mission-critical activities, PMs seldom were involved in the big picture, including visioning, strategic planning, and product delivery.