Search Results for: interaction

When you empower your colleagues, you’re delivering excellence for them and your clients

When you empower your colleagues, you’re delivering excellence for them and your clients

The level of engagement within a company’s workforce significantly impacts clients satisfaction and its bottom line. Recent research by Gallup shows that teams with high levels of engagement enjoy a 10 percent uplift in client loyalty and a 23 percent increase in profitability compared to low-engagement teams. Empowering colleagues with learning and development programmes can dramatically improve their engagement with a business. Supporting them in this way is crucial if you want them to deliver excellence. When people are encouraged to own their careers, they care more about the outcomes of their work, which translates into exceptional productivity and happy clients. More →

Reinforcing concrete with textiles instead of steel could be game changer for built environment

Reinforcing concrete with textiles instead of steel could be game changer for built environment

Researchers from Chalmers University of Technology, in Sweden, have now developed a method that makes it easier to scale up and facilitate the construction of more environmentally friendly built environmentBy reinforcing concrete with textiles instead of steel, it is possible to use less material and create slender, lightweight structures with a significantly lower environmental impact. The technology to utilise carbon fibre textiles already exists, but it has been challenging to produce a basis for reliable calculations for complex and vaulted structures. Researchers from Chalmers University of Technology, in Sweden, have now developed a method that makes it easier to scale up and facilitate the construction of more environmentally friendly bridges, tunnels and buildings. They say the technology has the potential to transform the built environment. More →

People want to work in an office some of the time, but don’t like mandates and lack of flexibility

People want to work in an office some of the time, but don’t like mandates and lack of flexibility

More than half (51 percent) of UK workers in favour of some form of so-called return to office (RTO) policy, but flexibility is key to any office mandated approachMore than half (51 percent) of UK workers are in favour of some form of so-called return to office (RTO) policy, but flexibility is key to any office mandated approach, according to a new poll from Owl Labs. The survey suggest that while UK workers recognise some benefits when it comes to mandates – where employees are required to be in the office for a set number of days – they want the flexibility to choose when they work from the office. While the majority of UK managers champion RTO mandates in some capacity, they don’t necessarily expect their teams to be in the office full-time. Flexible RTO mandates driven by task-based working are, therefore, key to maintaining an engaged and motivated team, according to the report. More →

Remote work leads to more people suffering from ‘phone anxiety’

Remote work leads to more people suffering from ‘phone anxiety’

A new poll suggests that four in 10 employees have experienced an increase in feelings of 'phone anxiety' as a result of remote workA new poll conducted by telephone answering provider, Face For Business, suggests that four in 10 employees have experienced an increase in feelings of ‘phone anxiety’ as a result of remote work. The survey also claims that those aged 18-34 bear the brunt of this heightened anxiety. The report claims that the driver of this surge in anxiety is alack of immediate support available to remote workers, which 12 percent of respondents cited as their primary concern when fielding calls from home. The authors suggest that the absence of colleagues just a desk away exacerbates feelings of isolation and uncertainty, leaving employees feeling adrift in the sea of incoming calls. More →

Siemens, Enlighted, and Zumtobel Group partner to advance smart building solutions

Siemens, Enlighted, and Zumtobel Group partner to advance smart building solutions

Siemens and Enlighted, a  property technology company owned by Siemens, announce a strategic partnership with Zumtobel Group, the lighting provider, to advance the adoption of smart building technologies

Siemens and Enlighted, a  property technology company owned by Siemens, announce a strategic partnership with Zumtobel Group, the lighting provider, to advance the adoption of smart building technologies including intelligent IoT lighting, setting new standards for efficiency and sustainability in building operations worldwide. At the core of the partnership lies the technical integration of Enlighted’s industry-leading smart sensors into Zumtobel Group’s lighting portfolio, both under Zumtobel and Thorn brands. More →

CIFM/interzum guangzhou, the leading trade fair for machinery, materials, and components for the furniture industry returns

CIFM/interzum guangzhou, the leading trade fair for machinery, materials, and components for the furniture industry returns

CIFM/interzum guangzhou 2024 aims to create a high-level event focusing on the supply chain, showcasing cutting-edge solutions in the production of machinery, materials, and components for the furniture industry, and making a valuable contribution to the development of industry trends.The largest exhibition platform dedicated to the furniture manufacturing industry will return to the stage revamped and further expanded during the second phase of the 53rd CIFF Guangzhou, from 28 to 31 March 2024, in conjunction with Office Furniture and Commercial Spaces. CIFM/interzum guangzhou 2024 aims to create a high-level event focusing on the supply chain, showcasing cutting-edge solutions in the production of machinery, materials, and components for the furniture industry, and making a valuable contribution to the development of industry trends. More →

We need to talk about loneliness

We need to talk about loneliness

From a business perspective, loneliness can be something that is often overlooked, particularly with the growing trend of hybrid workingLast year the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that loneliness is a pressing global health threat. Research has shown that it poses the same health risk as 15 cigarettes a day. According to the ONS, between January and February 2024, one in four adults in the UK reported feeling lonely. The government estimates the cost of severe loneliness per person is roughly £10,000 per year as a result of its impact on wellbeing, health and productivity. From a business perspective, this issue can be something that is often overlooked, particularly with the growing trend of hybrid working. In a connected workplace, employees feel valued, supported, and motivated to contribute their best. More →

Cities worldwide are grappling with the delicate balance between nighttime charm and sustainability

Cities worldwide are grappling with the delicate balance between nighttime charm and sustainability

Cities worldwide, from London to Sydney, are grappling with the delicate balance between nighttime charm and prioritising sustainability. As well as the delights of daytime, cities around the world have long been defined by how their iconic landmarks come to life at night. Think of London’s illuminated riverside or Amsterdam’s canals lit up after dark. These vistas almost come to be synonymous with these places’ very identities. Aston Woodward, co-founder of asset management firm Oxygen also brings one of Australia’s best-known destinations into the mix. “Well-lit buildings at night in any city are attractive. Sydney is a good example and at night is dramatic. Many tourists as well as residents sit and admire a variety of size and colour and interactions generated from the buildings’ lighting.” More →

Workspace Design Show reveals a raft of thought-provoking features for 2024

Workspace Design Show reveals a raft of thought-provoking features for 2024

This year's edition of the Workspace Design Show (27-28 February 2024, Business Design Centre, London) will once again present an impressive array of featuresThis year’s edition of the Workspace Design Show (27-28 February 2024, Business Design Centre, London) will once again present an impressive array of features, ranging from an immersive forest stage to an interactive lighting installation, which bring together some of the industry’s leading designers, architects and built environment partners. We’ve been given an exclusive early look at what we can expect to see at this year’s design extravaganza.   More →

Workplace design and the corrective force of rediscovery

Workplace design and the corrective force of rediscovery

rediscovering workplace designIt has become something of a preoccupation of mine to consider why so many of the conversations we hold about workplace design are largely about the rediscovery of old ideas. It may be because there are constants about how people interact with their surroundings and each other and the truisms underlying those interactions. Although these are often reframed by the amount of data we now have to support them, some things never change. More →

The final word on … responsibility

The final word on … responsibility

There have been many experiments  over the years that expose the darker aspects of human nature. One of the most telling of these was carried out by two American researchers called John Darley and Bibb Latane in 1968. The two men’s work was partly inspired by a notorious 1964 murder in which a woman called Kitty Genovese was stabbed to death in public. The murder took place over a period of around half an hour, during which a number of witnesses who watched the crime from their windows failed to help the victim.

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London’s office market is reshaping the city and the way people experience the workplace

London’s office market is reshaping the city and the way people experience the workplace

2024: The year of connectivity, collaboration, and culture for workplace trends and changes in London's office marketLondon’s office market continues to adapt to evolving workforce demands. The normalisation of hybrid and flexible working since the pandemic remains the biggest cultural shift that the office sector has witnessed in decades. In addition to the rise in demand for quality-as-a-must in 2023, collaboration, culture, and connectivity will lead the charge for office space trends in the year ahead. More →