November 15, 2018
Some organisations believe they have ‘done’ Agile Working. They have increased the ratio of people to desks and achieved a saving in accommodation costs. They have provided flexible working arrangements across the organisation and have enabled their people to work at home for part of their working week. Staff surveys show employees are pleased with […]
November 13, 2018
In organisations around the world, hierarchical structures are breaking down, replaced by deeply interconnected, constantly shifting networks, linked by innovative technology. Meanwhile, huge leaps forward in artificial intelligence promise to fundamentally change the nature of work, either by enhancing or replacing human-beings. Research by McKinsey suggests that half of today’s work activities could be automated […]
November 12, 2018
The nascent years of new ways of working in the late 80s and early 90s coincided with a widely held but soon to be discarded belief that the Japanese had cracked management practices. So it was perhaps inevitable that the principles of a process called just in time manufacturing – most famously applied in the […]
November 10, 2018
The ethical, practical and philosophical implications of how we live alongside robots is something we will have to address very soon. It is a point well made in this conversation between Kate Darling of MIT and the neuroscientist Sam Harris. But we’ve had parts of this conversation before. For example, while most people will not […]
November 8, 2018
Everybody knows how horrible it is to be stressed out at work. Sadly, across the world, employees are being subjected to increasing work demands and, as a result, work stress is on the rise. As we try to understand the root of the problem, we often end up blaming our boss. But is that really fair? […]
November 7, 2018
In the past decade, the business landscape has fundamentally shifted with the emergence of companies like Uber and Netflix, in addition to the rapid growth of large technology companies such as Apple and Amazon. Underlying this shift is the constant evolution and implementation of technology into the workplace. In a recent report, the World Economic […]
November 5, 2018
There are perhaps three characteristics that ensure the European office furniture and workplace design fair Orgatec continues to attract so many exhibitors and visitors to Cologne. Firstly, it takes place every two years, so offers a snapshot of a sector, framing the most important workplace developments in a particular time and place. For those of […]
November 5, 2018
The enduring struggle to improve the working conditions and performance of people through the design and management of their workplaces has more than a whiff of the Enlightenment of the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries about it. The Enlightenment marked a new era in which the old superstitions and dogmas were to be overthrown by pure reason. This […]
November 2, 2018
Thanks to technology and mobility, our work has come home with us. So it’s only fair that home should come to work, right? It would seem logical that if people sit in front of a TV on the sofa at home while they work remotely, employees would be thrilled to have a similar set up […]
October 31, 2018
Westminster. Home to fiery debate, unwavering scrutiny, calls for change, and cries of “Order! Order!”. Once again, RICS’s HQ, on Parliament Square, was jam-packed with a passionate and feisty crowd, panellists and audience alike, all set on pushing the industry conversation forward. While some were keen to maintain order during FMJ’s most recent RICS-IFMA debate […]
October 30, 2018
Winter is coming. The clocks in the UK have just changed, and the long, dark nights are starting. There are still only a few weekends to Christmas, and some employees may be thinking, “How am I supposed to get through the winter? How am I going to stay productive and positive?”. Is it possible that […]
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An intersectional approach to trends in workplace design at Orgatec 2018
Smart spaces and the other top technology trends for 2019
Regus to sue WeWork; blinkers for office workers; and some other stuff you should know about
Stressed UK bosses admit they put wellbeing behind demands of the job
The death of desks, the truth about smart cities and a long list of things architects should know
What is in a name for the UK facilities management sector?
Flexible working to contribute £148 billion to UK economy by 2030
Coworking and a new golden era for the workplace and the people who inhabit it
The jobs of the future that will survive the AI revolution
Companies increasingly worried that Internet of Things could become a major burden
November 16, 2018
Curiosity killed the stat: why we should avoid becoming slaves to data
by Anthony Tasgal • Comment, Technology, Workplace design
Hands up. How many of you spend much/most of your time peddling data, charts and other fact-based information? And how much time do you spend challenging yourself, learning new ideas, indulging your curiosity and feeling a sense of surprise and fulfilment? And finally how much of the inquisitive, itchy child do you feel your job […]