The hybrid workplace sagas, part two. Valhalla

“Wow, Dougie, they’ve remodelled our office while we were away!”

“Fantastic. Did you know about it?”

“No, they said the surprise was a key part of the change programme.”

“So what’s different?”

“Well, there are hardly any desks and instead there are lots and lots of whiteboards, wheelie chairs and stools. You do have to get in early if you want a desk. Which is okay as I’m an early riser.”

“What time did you used to get up?”

“6.30.”

“What time do you get up now?”

“4.”

“What do you do when you’re there?”

“Collaborate!”

‘What does that involve?”

“We gather around and solve problems together.”

“What sort of problems?”

“The ones we created when we thought we were being really productive during lockdown.”

“What does everyone else do when they arrive, if you’ve got the desk?”

“They mill around awkwardly on their phones, waiting.”

“What for?”

“Someone to start some collaboration.”

“Is that one of the managers?”

“No. They’re usually out.”

“What if no-one starts the collaboration?”

“We go home to get some work done.”

“What about all those new spaces?”

“They may get used tomorrow, when we start again. They do look fab, though.”

Neil Usher

Neil Usher is Chief Workplace and Change Strategist at GoSpace AI, an internationally renowned workplace strategist and former Workplace Director at Sky. His books Unf*cking Work, The Elemental Workplace and Elemental Change and blog are a must read for anybody with an interest in work and workplaces. 

Image: From Walhalla (1896) by Max Brückner. A backdrop for the scenic design of The Ring of the Nibelungs by Richard Wagner (1813-1883) for a performance at Bayreuth.