We should all count ourselves privileged to witness first-hand the most dramatic changes in working practices in over two hundred years. This workplace revolution been brought about mainly by technology which has allowed freedom of movement through Wi-Fi and cloud technology. This freedom has been embraced by the smart companies, allowing their people to thrive by creating workspaces that take advantage of this opportunity to unshackle themselves from fixed desk positions. They have given them great spaces in which to work, to go out and enjoy their environment and to have the ideal place in which to perform each task they are working on throughout their day.
This recent and dramatic change in working environments and working practices which has led to a positive effect on anyone fortunate to work in a company which has taken these improvements on board and implemented them in their workplace.
There is now a new revolution happening right now and while I would say that most companies still cannot see its full extent yet, those that do and those that understand and embrace this change will be the ones best placed to harness its potential. They will be able to hire the best people, they will be able to retain the best members of staff and ultimately, they will be more successful. The revolution is not about technology and it’s not about the workplace. These two areas will of course play an important role because you need to have those in place, but this is far more important and it actually goes against current ideas about future technology and the upcoming and inevitable rise of AI. The new revolution is about people, your people. How you look after them will ultimately affect the success of your organisation.
Before I can explain in more detail I want to take you back to where we have come from – in terms of the changing workplace environment, what is happening now – the revolution has already been happening slowly and some huge organisations are aware and making changes but most companies are not.This is another pivotal moment in time for businesses and those who are ahead will benefit. This change is so important that it covers all industries and all work environments, not just offices.
How the workplace changed
I have seen a huge amount of changes in the workplace, most of it being led by technology. This has been great for both employers and employees and indeed the modern workplace has changed more over the last 20 years than it has the previous two hundred and the rate of change has been incredible. To put this speed of change into perspective, when I started in the industry in 1987, every company still used typewriters and fax machines were in their infancy, with a huge amount of telex machines still in play and I was cool because I had a pager. Mobile phones were just starting out but were very expensive indeed, so were not commonplace.
The changes in the workplace over the last 20 years have been influenced by technology more than anything else with the main driver being versatility. In particular Wi-Fi which has provided convenience and freedom of movement to it’s users. Wi-Fi is no longer new or optional, it’s a necessary staple of any workplace and is here to stay until something better comes along. It is also the main driver that has allowed our industry to design some great new products and create some fantastic workplaces making full use of the freedom it provides, however, technology alone will no longer be sufficient or indeed be the main ingredient in a successful workplace.
With flexibility comes opportunity
By providing freedom of movement and different environments where people can work, for most companies who incorporate agile working you will find that many of your traditional desk spaces become redundant.