The keys to lifting productivity in Activity Based Workplaces

Transcription

1 Edition: January 2015 The keys to lifting productivity in Activity Based Workplaces A switch to an Activity Based Workplaces is designed to lift productivity and lower costs, but careful planning is required to ensure they live up to expectations, writes Dermot Crowley. One of the big trends that I have noticed with my client companies over the past 12 months is the move to Activity Based Workplaces. A number of the large Australian banks, consulting firms and insurance companies have made the shift, or are planning to over the coming year. With a number of law firms overseas leading the way in this area, we are beginning to see this new style of workplace challenge the traditions and standards of Australian law firms. In this article I would like to explore some of the productivity-related issues that should be examined if people are working in this sort of environment (or even an open-plan workplace). Now, if you are already working in an ABW, or if you are in a firm that is planning this move soon, you will know what I am talking about. If not, you may be scratching your head and asking What on earth is an Activity Based Workplace? Flexibility the goal ABWs, a concept first championed in The Netherlands, work on the principle of creating highly flexible and collaborative workspaces that increase productivity and lower costs. The floorplan is designed with multiple types of workspaces ideal for different types of working, from large team project tables to small group workspaces to private, individual desks. Workers no longer have set desks or offices. Instead, they would book the appropriate space for the type of work they are doing that day or week. Individual workspaces are complemented by a range of meeting environments, from traditional meeting rooms to casual meetings spaces to private winged chairs for phone calls or one-on-one conversations.

2 ABWs versus traditional workplaces The traditional individual office probably affords workers the most flexibility when working, as they can provide multiple working spaces for the individual within the one office (work on the computer, spread papers out on the desk, meet with a colleague), but they come at a high cost. Many law firms still use this model for lawyers, senior associates and partners, but over the next few years this tradition will be challenged. Old-style enclosed cubicles offered workers privacy and the ability to concentrate, but tended to be one size fits all, and offered little flexibility. They also provided little opportunity for collaboration. This was not a problem in the old command and control workplace, where a manager would give you a piece of work to do and you would work on it and report back when finished. It is not so useful today when we are required to work together on complex problems, projects or matters. Open-plan offices have become the standard over the past decade or two, as they reduced overheads and allowed for better collaboration. Unfortunately, they usually only offered a standard desk and workspace that was not flexible enough to maximise productivity by

3 offering the right workspace for different tasks. Even with the introduction of hot-desking, we just ended up with the same configuration in a different place. ABWs aim to introduce an exciting mix of flexibility, collaboration and productivity, while at the same time reducing overheads substantially for the organisation. Workers should be able to find the right space for the task. Cross-functional teams can work together on a project for short periods, and collaboration is fostered by working in close proximity to other teams in the organisation, or even by bumping into people on one of the specially designed stairways or group dining areas. Do ABWs really increase productivity? In theory, ABWs should lead to a rise in productivity. But do they really work? My experience of ABWs so far is that most people who work in them love the concept, and productivity can certainly increase as long as the organisation and the individual ensure certain principles are in place. The challenges, however, with successfully implanting an ABW are many. It is a massive change project, and has implications across the board in an organisation, from culture to performance to storage. From a productivity point of view, the following challenges arise. A loss of control for managers, who no longer have the team in their line of sight. They worry about how to manage the team when they do not know where they are. Keeping everybody focused and motivated when the team is fragmented. The logistical drama of having to book the workspace you need every day or week. An increase in the volume of as the main form of communication. Three hundred s a day can be standard in an ABW. For senior managers or partners, the loss of the traditional corner office can be a massive challenge, both from a status point of view and from a concentration standpoint. The need to reduce baggage paper piles, folders and the stuff that used to be kept on our desk no longer has a place in an ABW. Three strategies for ensuring productivity in an ABW To ensure that the productivity gains available through activity-based working are achieved, productivity needs to be examined at three different levels. If an organisation can get it right at each level, the productive behaviours of the individuals will match the productive qualities of the environment, and productive magic will happen!

4 1. At the leadership level Leaders should have an active focus on creating a culture of productivity within their organisation. Productivity needs to become an organisational priority, and leaders need to empower and enable their teams to work productively and effectively. The potential of an ABW can only be realised if leadership allows productive behaviours to flourish. Leaders can amplify productivity by: leading by example and actively using the ABW spaces, philosophies and tools reducing unnecessary urgency and rewarding a focus on importance championing productive meeting, and interruption protocols ensuring available technology supports the needs of the ABW environment. 2. At the team level Productivity in an ABW at a team level relies on effective protocols. Be clear about how people are going to work together, and agree on some simple protocols to keep everyone focused on appropriate guidelines when working together. A workplace without productivity protocols, especially an ABW, will end up diluting productivity, rather than amplifiying it. Each team should: develop guidelines to reduce the volume of and ensure productive communications

5 agree on meeting protocols to ensure that meetings are timely, focused and effective discuss the issue of interruptions, and work out strategies to foster collaboration without constantly distracting people from important work be creative about how and when the team meets. Stand-up meetings, huddles and online hangouts now compete with the traditional meeting. 3. At the individual level Personal productivity in an ABW relies on our own productivity behaviours and systems. Activity-based working relies on workers being highly organised, wherever they are. This relies heavily on technology, and the individual s ability to leverage the power of technology to stay organised. ABW workers need to: centralise all of their work electronically so they are highly mobile and have access to their schedules, action lists and s in any location reduce their reliance on paper tools to stay organised, as they just cannot carry or store everything anymore Synchronise their mobile tools such as smartphones and tablets with their laptop. They should be able to enter it once and see it on any device Stay on top of their inbox, and use productively. The positive impact of an ABW is quickly lost when workers are drowning in 300 s per day! So, if you are already working in an ABW, have a think about what you can do to ensure you and your team maximise the benefits of your workplace. If your organisation is heading that way soon, have a think about what you need to do to be ready for the change. Having the right productivity systems and protocols in place now will make the transition far easier. Even if your organisation has no plans to make the shift, you can still apply some of the principles of ABWs in your current work. Book a meeting room or go offsite or to the library when you need to concentrate. Go for a coffee with a colleague rather than book a formal meeting. Walk around the floor and bump into people more. The conversations you will have may be more productive than you think! Dermot Crowley is the founder of Adapt Training Solutions, a Sydney-based personal productivity training and coaching organisation which specialises in the smarter use of technologies. For more details, visit or