3 Things to Consider when Implementing Activity Based Working: Workplace Transformation (Article 1 of 3)

This article is written by Audra Lee

Activity Based Working, or Smart Working, is being implemented in Asia at an increasing pace as companies realise key benefits such as increased productivity and collaboration, and reduced turnover and real estate costs. Implementing it involves a physical change in the environment and more importantly, a culture change in the workplace.

Activity Based Working gives employees the freedom to choose the most appropriate work-space for the activities in which they are engaged. For example, employees may use a collaboration space with soft seating to connect with colleagues from different parts of the business, meeting rooms for more formal meetings, or a secluded soft seating area for reading documents.

For some organisations, Activity Based Working means that many employees may not have assigned seating or there is not a traditional desk for each employee. Making this work requires employees to adopt new ways of working.

If your company is considering a move towards Activity Based Working, consider the following:

Take Time for Good Design

Great design starts with a clear vision of desired benefits or outcomes. Ensure that the workspace reflects what you are trying to achieve. For example, hub spaces and soft seating can help encourage collaboration. To get started…

•	Carry out an audit of how your current space is being utilised and use this information to establish a realistic ratio of employees per seat
•	Engage the workforce in the design process to promote a sense of ownership and buy-in. Research indicates that engaging people in the design process can result in greater commitment and satisfaction with the change

Engage the Right Team to Drive the Change

Having the right project structure is important. Make sure you have a strong, multi-disciplinary project team with the authority to make decisions on areas of design, communication, and change management. At the same time, ensure you have a group of employees who are representative of the workforce and whose role is to facilitate upward communication, review plans, and be your ambassadors in change.

Keep Culture Change top of Mind

Many organisations focus on the physical and logistical changes (e.g., construction, moving into the new space) needed when transforming their workplace. Afterwards, they realise they should have focused much more on the culture change needed for success. The impact of change on people can be significant, and managing this is a crucial step to reaping the benefits of these programmes. Good change practices include:

•	Role model the change. Ensure your leaders are involved and role modelling the behaviour needed in the new environment. If everyone is moving out of their office, ALL leaders should do this
•	Define new behaviours for success. If you have adopted a high ratio of employees per seat, it’s important to define norms for seating and space usage
•	Provide training necessary to manage in this environment. Managing without seeing requires new ways of leading
•	Communicate the vision and progress of the change on a regular basis – even if it’s not 100% clear. Uncertainty can be more stressful that the change itself!
•	Provide practical and emotional support throughout the change period. Expect people to respond differently
•	Align your processes to ensure they support the new environment. For example, early on, recognize people for the right attitudes and behaviours
•	Encourage conversations about cultural and individual differences. For example, employees from different culture show respect to their manager in different ways. Some show respect by approaching and initiating conversations. Others show respect by waiting to be approached

I hope these ideas are helpful to you. Watch this series to learn more about how to get the most benefit from workplace transformation efforts.

(c) 2011 Organisation Solutions Pte Ltd.

About the Authors: Audra Lee is the director of Organisation Solutions, a global consultancy specialising in organisational design, development and change solutions worldwide. Audra has more than 15 years of experience in the areas of Human Resources, Learning and Development, OD and Occupational Psychology. She has worked in the areas of culture change, organizational development, facilitation, talent management and leadership development.