Hello, and welcome to another episode of the Working Conversations podcast, where we talk all things leadership, business, communication, and trends in the future of work. I'm your host, Dr. Janel Anderson. 

When was the last time that you were truly excited to go to the office? For many of us, the pandemic reset our expectations about workspaces and about working in general. But what if I told you that some companies are rethinking the office entirely, creating spaces that you might actually want to go to, not because you have to, but because you want to? Well, today we're diving into the post pandemic office revolution. Companies aren't just dusting off their pre 2020 cubicles when they call people back to work. They're creating dynamic, inspiring, and human centric workspaces that make employees rethink what going to work really means. So let's set the stage here for a minute.

What is this great office reset that I speak of? Well, the COVID 19 pandemic, of course, completely changed the way we think about work and the spaces where it happens. It wasn't just having your butt in a seat in a cubicle from nine to five anymore. And we proved that productivity doesn't depend on being tethered to a desk in an office. So this has left many companies asking themselves, why? What is even the point of the office now? For some, the answer, of course, has been to downsize. According to CBRE, a commercial real estate company, in the first half of 2024, the average lease size for new office deals decreased by almost a third, 32%. And for those that were renewing about a fifth, 21% smaller footprint for those renewals compared to those pre pandemic averages. Now, Gensler, a company that designs office spaces, found in a survey that they did that 44% of those surveyed indicated that they plan to reduce their office footprints the next time they renegotiate a lease. But downsizing isn't really the story here.

Really, the story is what happens to that space when it gets remodeled. Because for many organizations, it's really not about less space. It's about better designed space. So companies are investing in renovations and redesigns to create these workplaces that truly meet the needs of today's workforce. Or at least that's the intention. Now, take Citigroup, for example. They recently announced that their London office is going under a massive 1 billion pound renovation in its City tower in London. Now, this isn't just a facelift.

It is a deliberate effort to really make the office a desirable destination, a place where employees, both veteran employees and new employees, actually want to go. All right, so when we think about these new offices, what is actually changing? So let's take a look at what makes these redesigned spaces so different. First of all, most of them have flexible layouts. So goodbye cubicles, hello modular furniture and open spaces. But for those of you who need a quiet space to focus, well, you've got that covered too. There are plenty of different spaces and places inside these redesigned offices. Now, if you want to brainstorm with your team, roll some whiteboards together and create a temporary war room and have that collaboration space just modularly, magically appear. Now these organizations also have amenities.

Now, I did an office, I did an episode on office peacocking a while back ago when where organizations are really, really pulling out the red carpet to make spaces super cool. So this is kind of the idea here with all of these different AM coffee bars, wellness rooms, gaming areas, even outdoor terraces. And these aren't just perks, they're a way to create a sense of community and comfort and to really draw people into the office. Now, designs are getting inspired by co working spaces. The Weworks of the world are the design impetus for how organizations are remodeling and reconstructing and reimagining their spaces. So many companies are really borrowing heavily from WeWork's playbook. And not just WeWork, but the other co office spaces as well. With vibrant modern designs, community spaces and focus on creating more of an environment that feels less like a traditional office and more like a place you'd actually want to hang out.

Organizations are also making their spaces very much more tech forward. With hybrid work in mind. These offices are designed to seamlessly integrate virtual collaboration. So this means high quality video conferencing setups, smart boards and even podcast studios or the likes of are becoming the norm in the newly designed office space. And then there's also purpose driven spaces. So again, this post pandemic space isn't about butts in seats. It's about creating spaces where interpersonal interaction can naturally happen. Places that enhance creativity, build trust, and really foster the kind of culture that the organization is, is wanting to develop.

Now, many organizations have been putting together grand opening celebrations where they are sharing this return to office space and creating a new narrative around what it means to come to the office. And this is where things get really interesting. So for me personally, over the past year I've been invited to speak at about, I don't know, half a dozen or so of these grand opening events for these redesigned spaces. And these aren't just ribbon cutting ceremonies. They're part of a much larger strategy to make employees feel excited about returning to the office and seeing what happens. So here's typically what happens at these events. And again, like I said, I've been part of about, I don't know, about a half dozen of them over the past year alone. So first of all, tours are given, employees get walked through the new spaces with an emphasis on how the design sport supports their different work and well being.

So small groups will be taken through by whether it's their HR team or different folks who've been involved in the design so they can really showcase and show off the different spaces. And really the idea here is that there is something for everyone. So tours are absolutely part of these events. And then of course there's food and entertainment. So from catered meals to live music, these events have been designed to feel very celebratory. And you know what doesn't draw people in, like free food, of course. And then of course there's educational and inspirational sessions. And this is where I come in.

So companies often bring in speakers like me to talk about the future of work resilience and reconnecting in a hybrid world. In fact, my keynote, reconnecting in a disconnected World is the number one request that I get for these events. They want to know how to reconnect, they want me to talk about reconnecting in a hybrid world. And of course not just in the office space. I also give plenty of strategies about how to stay reconnected in this disconnected world on the days when they are working from home. Now, these grand openings are more than just marketing. They're about reclaiming the narrative about return to office and what it means to work in this post pandemic world in a co located space. Because it feels very, very different than the cubicle farms that these same folks left in March of 2020.

They're coming back to a totally, totally different space. So instead of focusing on mandates, they're focusing on motivation. Hey, here's what we built for you. Here's how it can help you thrive. Come in and see it and then think about how you're going to make good use of it. All right, so now let's talk a little bit about why would employees actually want to come back anyway?

So the question here really is the big question, do these redesigned spaces even work? Are they actually bringing employees back into the office? So based on what I've seen at grand opening ceremonies and the excitement that gets generated and how people talk to me about how they're going to talk to this, about how they're going to use the spaces, and conversations with leaders as well about what they're seeing. The answer seems to be yes, but for specific reasons. It's not just a blanket one size fits all. I'm coming in all the time. Okay?

The first reason people want to come back is for connection. At its core, people like to collaborate with other people at work. Now, of course, there are people who really do like to be those individual contributors with their heads down. But most people do find some sense of meaning and purpose in that connection. So while remote work has been great for flexibility, it can't fully replicate some of that spontaneous human interaction that happen when people, you know, share a physical space together. Employees returning to these newly designed office spaces are finding opportunities to rebuild the connections that they've missed.

And of course, the new employees are finding an opportunity to create connection in the first place, because it's not like they had their work BFF that they stayed connected with through the pandemic. Those who were hired since the pandemic began are oftentimes the ones who want to come into the office most because they want to create some of those connections.

So here's a few ways that this sometimes plays out. The first is, of course, those water cooler connections. Now, it's not just how was your weekend? I mean, those chats happen in passing and they might seem trivial, but those kinds of how was your weekend conversations really lay the foundation for trust and camaraderie and they start to knit the fabric together that builds a relationship that people can really lean on when times get tough, or they're feeling stressed or burnt out, or even they need some help meeting a project deadline. So these in person interactions foster that sense of belonging and connection with other people that it really is hard to replicate virtually if the people don't already know each other. The other thing that I often hear about those water cooler kind of conversations when people are working from home is that they feel like a waste of time. Like, you wouldn't just hop on a teams call and talk about your weekend with somebody, whereas if you're waiting for the elevator or even just walking by somebody's desk, you might stop and for 10 or 20 minutes shoot the breeze about what happened over the weekend.

So we don't think of it as a waste of time when we're face to face. So those water cooler conversations do have a purpose larger than just how was your weekend? Again, they create the fabric of the relationship that people can lean into when they really need help or support. It also creates cross department collaboration. So these new spaces are often designed to encourage informal connections across teams. For instance, a company might place the marketing team's desk near the design team's collaboration area, sparking those creative exchanges that might not happen over Slack. Now, a tech firm that I worked with recently did this by creating a central cafe area rather than the small kitchenettes that were around various parts of the building pre pandemic. So now employees from different departments gather in that cafe space for coffee and other refreshments, and this simple change has led to a measurable increase in cross departmental collaboration in just a few short months.

Now, a second big reason for remodeling the space is for energy. There is something intangible about the buzz of being in a room with other people who are working hard and solving problems, and this collective energy can reignite creativity and motivation for employees who have been working at home in isolation. So you've heard me talk about this before. The hive mentality Picture yourself walking into a bustling workspace where small groups of people are huddling around brainstorm sessions and other areas are deeply in soundproof pods working on focus work. So this environment creates this infectious sense of purpose and activity. And again, I talked about this hive mentality back in episode 190 titled the Subtle Benefits of the Hive Mentality at Work. We'll link that up in the show notes. But the basic idea here is that in being in a shared space, we overhear snippets of conversation that not only help us learn by osmosis about what's going on in other departments around the organization and even in our own departments, but just that energy helps feed into our own sense of motivation and drive and excitement about being in the office. Another piece of energy is just really personal impact.

One employee at a newly remodeled biotech company shared with me that they have missed feeling part of something bigger. The new space, which was designed with vibrant colors and energizing layouts, brought that sense of purpose back for him. He said it was far more inspiring than the cubicle space that he sat in pre pandemic, and that it was a much better vibe than the guest room turned office that he works in from his at home work days when he's working from home. So these spaces are being designed for energy. Also, so many companies now include features like glass walls to create transparency, especially if transparency is one of their core values. This allows employees to see others at work, and it gives off a Vibe of feeling momentum in the office. Open lounge areas also encourage those impromptu conversations that can spark new ideas. And again, these spaces are being designed more like co working spaces than traditional office layouts.

Another thing and another reason for doing this is culture. So a strong workplace culture is a company's lifeblood, is a company's lifeblood. And it's hard to sustain culture through video calls alone. So returning to the office, especially in these new office spaces and layouts, helps employees feel a sense of renewed connection to their organization's identity and culture and shared goals. So one of the ways this can manifest is through rituals and traditions. So offices often host events like team lunches, recognition ceremonies, and morning coffee chats. I was in an organization the other day when it was National Bagel Day. This was a couple of weeks ago and they had free bagels for so these small rituals help reinforce a sense of belonging and a shared purpose.

It just gets people like having a reason to come, to connect, to come together and connect about something. There are also visual cues, so the physical design of a workspace can communicate its company values. For example, a company that values collaboration and openness might create that space that feels more like a cozy living room than a formal office. Or a company that prioritizes transparency has those glass walls I was mentioning earlier. Now, one company I visited took this concept to heart by redesigning a living room type area in the center of their office. And this space had comfortable sofas, low tables, warm lighting, lamps perfect for casual conversations and impromptu collaborations. Employees told me that they naturally gravitated there when they needed a break or when they wanted to bounce ideas around. They described it as the heart of the office, where connections and creativity just happened organically.

So when we're thinking about rebuilding culture, post pandemic spaces like these, which invite employees to connect and collaborate, really do play a central role in rebuilding a company's culture. They create a sense of community and they reflect a commitment to fostering human interaction, even in the hybrid work world. Because when people come in on those in office days, they have a place to feel that sense of culture exhibited not just on posters on the walls, but through the couches and the glass walls and those sorts of things. Now, one final reason that this is working for organizations and that is in support. So employees are noticing that these reimagined offices are built for them, not just for as workers there, but as people with diverse needs. So these spaces are designed to support, well-being, productivity and collaboration in a way that feels genuinely thoughtful. So here are a Handful of examples. First of all, wellness rooms and quiet spaces.

Many offices now include dedicated areas for mental health breaks, meditation, prayer and the like. These spaces signal to employees that their well being matters and that there is a space in the office campus for them to take care of their mental health. Of course. Tools for hybrid work so tech integration is seamless in these offices. For example, there are open meeting rooms that are equipped with state of the art video conferencing tools that make remote employees feel part of the room and part of the meeting when they're remoting into those meetings Again, mic drops from the ceilings and cameras on all different walls so that whoever is speaking is being displayed on screen for those folks who are not in the office during that meeting. And then of course, they're catering to different work styles again. Some people thrive in focused, quiet environments, while others need the energy of a collaborative space. So these new designs offer both and everything in between, with zones for deep work and zones for social interaction.

Now, quick real life example. I was recently delivering a program in an organization and I remarked on one of the breaks about the cool space that they had. Now, this prompted one of their corporate communication staff members, who was sitting near the front of the room, to offer me a tour of their area because she loved it so much. And honestly, it looked more like a design studio than a corporate communication office. The team could brainstorm with access to physical tools like whiteboards and prototyping tools and open space for working collaboratively. And at the same time, they added small soundproof booths for employees who needed that complete silence to focus. And the result? It was a noticeable increase in employee satisfaction and output, as evidenced by this woman who was just like jumping out of her seat to give me a tour of their space. All right, so let's close the loop on all this.

The reason that employees want to come back to these new office spaces boil down to one thing. These spaces are no longer just places to work. They are places to connect. They are places to recharge. They are places to take care of their mental health, and they are places to thrive. The post pandemic office is less about rows of desks in cubicles and more about fostering experiences that make work life better. And from what I'm seeing, employees are responding. So let's take a moment here to just close out by thinking about the future of workspaces, because we are not done yet.

The reimagining of office spaces isn't just a reaction to the pandemic, it's a preview of where work life itself is going. As companies continue to innovate, several key trends are shaping the offices of tomorrow. So let's talk about those key trends as we close the first one. Hyper customization. So employees are moving away from a one size fits all approach in office design, and instead they are creating all these different types, types of office spaces and workspaces tailored to the specific needs of their workforce and even individual teams. So team specific design, like that communications team I was just telling you about. A creative team might have a dedicated space with modular furniture, writable walls, and abundant natural light to fuel their brainstorming. While a finance team might have much more need for quiet places and soundproof rooms for deep focus work.

And of course, if they're discussing the company finances, they might need the privacy of a sound proof room. Another thing that we're seeing is in employee input. Some leading edge organizations are involving employees in the design process, conducting surveys and focus groups to learn what features would really enhance the work experience of their employees and get them to come and use those physical spaces. So a global tech firm that I visited recently introduced customizable work pods that allow employees to adjust the lighting, adjust the temperature and the noise levels based on their personal preferences. And this level of customization empowers workers to do their best work in an environment that they can largely control. All right. Another concept that we're seeing is third spaces. So as hybrid work continues to dominate, this concept of third space is gaining popularity.

Now, third space originally comes to us from Starbucks, who claimed that your home life was your first space, your office space was your second space, the workplace, and the third space was the place you went to hang out, like Starbucks. Well now organizations, organizations are taking on this concept of third space and they don't want to be the second space anymore. They want to be the third space. Really combining that idea of your workspace with that third space, like a Starbucks, a place that you want to actually be. So these are alternative locations outside the home or the main office where employees can meet and exact and collaborate. So some examples, satellite offices closer to where employees live, partnership with co working spaces, and even designated areas in community centers or libraries that are for employees to work. Now it might be be just employees from one company. It might be a co working space inside a community center or I've even seen it in some of the newer large apartment buildings are designing amazing co working spaces and community spaces where people can just go plop down for a few hours of their workday.

For those who are working from home some of the days or all of the days. So third, spaces are especially popular in urban areas where commuting to a central office can be very time consuming. So these spaces bring people closer to their work because their work is like just down the street or again in the cases of those apartment buildings, just like literally on the first floor of their apartment buildings. Now we're also seeing sustainability as an emerging trend here too. Sustainability, of course, is no longer a nice to have feature. It is becoming a baseline expectation, especially for younger workers. And companies are embedding environmentally friendly practices into the design and the operation of their workspaces. So one big trend we're seeing in this space is green design.

So this includes energy efficient aggregation H vac systems, solar panels, water saving fixtures. And offices are even incorporating reclaimed or recycled materials such as desks made from repurposed wood or flooring made from recycled plastics into the design. And they advertise this so that people understand and know that these are green spaces and environmentally friendly spaces. The inclusion of plants, green walls and natural materials is another growing trend. And these elements not only produce improve air quality in the organization, but they also enhance employee well being. Because when we see plants, not not fake plants, but when we see real plants growing in our area, it helps increase our productivity and reduce our stress. One financial services company that I recently read about installed a green roof and solar panels as part of their redesign. And this green roof area doubled as an outdoor collaboration space during the warmer months, providing employees with fresh air and a stunning city view. And a place for them to go either hang out, rest, have that mental health space, or to go there with their team, sit around an outdoor table and brainstorm.

All right. And of course, tech enhanced workspaces. I alluded to this already, but as hybrid work continues to evolve, technology is at the heart of workspace innovation. And the offices of the future are seamlessly integrating tools that support collaboration between those in office days when you're at the office, and remote days when you are working from home, and making sure that those hybrid meetings which are so challenging to have, are better supported by the technology in the organization. So advanced meeting room technology is starting to use more smart meeting rooms that are equipped with 360 degree cameras or cameras on all four walls, or more than four walls depending on how many walls are there. Voice tracking microphones and virtual reality capabilities being worked into the norm in those rooms. Companies like Cisco are coming out with great technology that can allow even those back of the room side conversations to be picked up by the microphones and the cameras in the room.

So there is the quiet side conversation that's happening during the hybrid meeting. Those side conversations are now part of the meeting experience, even for the people who are working from home. Now these setups are ensuring then that the remote participants feel just as present as those in the room. And it's pretty fascinating what is starting to emerge there. Of course, AI powered efficiency is happening as well. So offices are adopting the AI tools to manage space usage, not just in meetings, but for instance, sensors can track how often certain areas are used, and that allows companies to optimize layouts and reduce energy waste. And also, if there are certain types of areas that are really popular and getting used a lot and other spaces that aren't getting used, then companies can do some remodeling projects or reconfiguration to make more of the types of spaces that are getting used more often. All right.

And of course, wellness centric design is going to be part of the leading edge going forward as well. So workspaces are increasingly being designed with that employee well being in mind, acknowledging the link between mental health and productivity and mental health and retention, because then we're not burning out. So mindfulness areas might include quiet zones for meditation, yoga, or even short naps. Imagine that, napping at work, but intentionally. Okay. These spaces help employees recharge during the workday on site. Wellness services as well would include things like gyms, massage therapy, fitness classes, mental health counseling, all of that being right available on site.

Now, when we really, really look ahead, it is the future of work and the future of work spaces that need to be dynamic and employee centric in order to make any of this work. So whether it is through hyper customization, those flexible third spaces, sustainability, new tech, or getting that wellness focus right into the design of the physical space, companies are recognizing that the workplace must do more than just simply house employees while they're working. It must inspire and support and energize them. As these trends continue to unfold, the office of the future is shaping up to be an environment that employees don't just tolerate, but that they genuinely look forward to being in. So the post pandemic office is a fascinating example about how companies are responding to a rapidly changing world. They're no longer just thinking about how to make employees show up, they're thinking about how to make them want to show up and how to enjoy themselves. Both in the work and in the community that they're building in that space when they are there. All right, my friends, thank you for joining me on this episode of the Working Conversations podcast.

If you've experienced one of these new workspaces or you have thoughts on what would get you excited to return to the office, I would love to hear from you. Drop me a message to share your story. You can find me on email, you can find me on social media. You can find me all the places. All right, as always, stay curious, stay informed and stay ahead of the curve. Tune in next week for another insightful exploration of the trends shaping our professional world. And of course, if you learned something or you simply enjoy this content, make sure to subscribe to my channel on YouTube, subscribe to the podcast on your platform of choice, and follow me on social media. These are all excellent no cost ways for you to support me and my work here on the show.

You'll find links to my social media over on the show notes page janelanderson.com/202 for episode 202 which is what this is. All right, until next time my friends, keep thriving and keep working toward the future of work that we all want. Be well.