Page 102 - WHERE WE WORK - Schlegelmilch

Reconfiguring workplaces
Table 3.4 Illustrative evidence: Office transformation
Topic
Office transformation
Illustrative evidence
“I've always felt connected to [TechCorp] and to my work. When I came to this building this morning and saw [TechCorp] in big letters outside, it really moved me. I felt like coming home to a place where I belong. I've learned that having a connection with people isn't just a matter of how you find each other, it's also about coming together in a common place. And it's at least in part the office that gives you and identity.” (D17)
“This transformation had such an impact that it was just a level up. It just touched everyone in their core: I’ve lost my spot, I’ve lost my office, I don’t see my colleagues anymore.” (P12, middle manager, high tenure)
“It was really important for us, our office was always a cornerstone, a showcase of who we are as a company.” (P11, middle manager, medium tenure)
decided to renew the lease for the current building and renovate it. Around July 2016, a transformation team (group of internal, dedicated change agents), assessed what the employee's needs and preferences around their workplaces were. The results indicated a reduced need for physical place and a necessary shift towards department-independent working. TechSub’s management and change agents had substantial changes in mind: a radical change of the concept so that the building could better facilitate TechSub's strategy of openness towards the customer. The closing period was necessary for the major construction work and a symbolic break with the old ways of working, as a change leader explained,
"When you decide that you will do that ... we quickly said, 'Let's use the momentum, right? People have clients in other places, a network idea'. [...] We can use [the office transformation] in favor of the goal that we want to achieve." (P18, manager, high tenure)
Also, they decided to partner with a co-working space that would provide offices to startups within TechSub’s office around current technology topics.
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