January 3, 2024

One wish for 2024. A more sophisticated approach to the workplace and hybrid working

by Mark Eltringham • Comment, Flexible working, Workplace design

We know, and have for a long time, that the workplace is in a state of near constant flux. The meteor strike of lockdown was an accelerant, not a deviation. It also laid bare -yet again – the faulty assumption that there is some sort of general evolution towards an idealised version of the office or conversely the universal adoption of remote or hybrid working, whatever it is. That is why we see so many people routinely willing to suspend their critical facilities to make extravagant and even absurd predictions about the office of the future or even the death of the office.

January 2, 2024

We are not blank slates and we don’t adapt to change in predictable ways

by Mark Eltringham • Features, Flexible working, Wellbeing

An idea that has never really gone away, but which seems to be enjoying a new lease of life is the tabula rasa. The conception of people as a blank slate is something that has crept back into mainstream political and social thought for a variety of reasons. Arguably, it is also behind many of the most misleading notions about work and workplace design, perhaps most importantly that a change to some single element or characteristic of a working environment will lead to a specific outcome in the behaviour of people. More →

December 20, 2023

It’s a wrap for WORKS magazine for 2023

by Mick Jordan • Premium Content, Workplace design, Works Magazine

It’s a wrap for our magazines for 2023, and we’ve covered all the bases in the latest issue of WORKS magazine, looking back at some of the best bits from the past 12 months and also looking forward to what we can expect from early 2024. Variety really is the spice of life – and we’ve scoured the country in search of a selection of diverse, forward-thinking and eye-catching new project stories, stopping in Manchester, Lincoln and London. These brilliant schemes include elegant headquarters buildings, innovation-filled tech coworking hubs and even a dramatic racing car. More →

December 12, 2023

Government brings forward plans to relocate 22,000 jobs away from London

by Neil Franklin • News, Property, Public Sector

The UK Government is bringing forward its target to relocate 22,000 civil service roles out of London. It comes as new figures today show that 16,061 roles have already been moved out of London, exceeding the commitment to relocate 15,000 roles by 2025 as part of the Places for Growth programme. Under the newly announced plans, Aberdeen, Darlington and Greater Manchester are to host second headquarters for major departments. Darlington is already the Treasury’s second headquarters.

December 8, 2023

Ten years of Insight and a few things I think I know (one of our most read pieces this year)

by Mark Eltringham • Comment, Flexible working, Technology, Workplace, Workplace design

This website started in late 2012 as a way for me to explore both a new media format and a new way of thinking about work and workplaces. I’d already been active in various roles in the workplace, design and facilities sector for twenty odd years, but needed a new challenge. And this was it. I was going for a ride with an idea to see where it went. More →

December 7, 2023

Workspace Design Show Amsterdam proves a great success

by Freddie Steele • Company news

The inaugural Workspace Design Show in Amsterdam brought together Benelux’s leading designers, architects, end-user occupiers to discuss the dynamic landscape of workspace interiors, revealing key opportunities and gauging the pulse of current workplace trends. The two day event in October was a huge success, both in numbers and in terms of exhibitor and visitor sentiment. Building on the success of the Workspace Design Show in London, the new event highlighted how much appetite there is across Europe for people to come together to share ideas about the new and emerging workplace. More →

December 6, 2023

There will be a near universal adoption of generative AI in businesses, say bosses

by Neil Franklin • AI, News, Technology

An overwhelming majority (91 percent) of executives say that their companies are now using generative AI or are planning to do so within the next 18 months, according to a new poll from Thomson Reuters. The Thomson Reuters Future of Professionals C-Suite Survey reported on responses from 148 C-Suite leaders (CFOs, CEOs etc) from the United States, United Kingdom and Canada. The survey suggests that use of AI across businesses is becoming ubiquitous as leaders start to recognize the true potential of the technology, such as in developing new products and driving operational efficiency. More →

December 3, 2023

Tailored workplace management for modern organisations

by Paul Phillips • Comment, Technology, Workplace design

Workplace management used to be a secondary concern for organisations in the past, but it has now become a top priority. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the process of digital transformation, leading to the implementation of new processes and technologies that focus on facilitating remote and at-home work. As a result of these changes, organisations have recognized the importance of finding a balance in their work environments. More →

November 29, 2023

Threat of recession means half of firms say they have stopped innovating

by Neil Franklin • Business, News

Half of UK C-suites (50 percent) say that the threat of recession has meant innovation has ceased in their business, according to brand new research from consultancy Magnetic. Just 22 percent disagree, with 28 percent undecided. This corroborates the 56 percent who say they’re prioritising the survival of their business above all else; an especially concerning figure when two-thirds of the sample are large businesses with more than 250 employees. More →

November 28, 2023

Massive investment programme needed to facilitate carbon neutral future, WEF report claims

by Neil Franklin • Environment, News

To facilitate the transition to a more sustainable and carbon-neutral future, $13.5 trillion in investments will be needed by 2050, particularly in the production, energy and transport sectors, according to a new World Economic Forum report. The Net-Zero Industry Tracker 2023, published in collaboration with Accenture, takes stock of progress towards net-zero emissions for eight industries – steel, cement, aluminium, ammonia, excluding other chemicals, oil and gas, aviation, shipping and trucking – which depend on fossil fuels for 90 percent of their energy demand and pose some of the most technological and capital-intensive decarbonization challenges. More →

November 27, 2023

From the archive: The role of workplace design in employee engagement ⁰

by Serena Borghero • Features, Wellbeing, Work&Place, Workplace design

Originally published six years ago, this feature is currently the most read story ever on the website with around 50,000 readers. A global study by my own firm Steelcase has found that one-third of workers across 17 of the world’s most important economies are actually disengaged. The findings make worrying reading for employers around the world, as engagement is so demonstrably linked to business critical outcomes such as employee retention, productivity and even profits. It certainly raises the question of what more can be done, including in terms of workplace design, to boost engagement levels amongst these employees. More →

November 27, 2023

To agility and beyond: what NASA can teach us about strategic change

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News

A new research project from ESMT Berlin and Warwick Business School sets out to find what the history of NASA history can teach organisations about strategic agility, and how organisations can adapt their business models effectively to cater to external challenges. To shed light on how strategic agility is achieved, the study follows NASA’s successful shifts to three different strategic alignments over the past 60 years. More →