In a session on the future of workplaces, the opening speaker began by stating that 70,000,000 American workers truly dislike their jobs. This amounts to 80% of the employed people in the nation. It is a widely accepted premise that an unhappy worker is an unproductive worker. Therefore, this revelation about dislike of the workplace is a giant opportunity to change things up and increase productivity.
Improving the future of the workplace means that the workplace must change from: “a place you have to go, to a place you want to be.” Some people, myself included, have been fortunate to have fulfilling and pleasant jobs throughout most of our careers. I would venture to say that all of us have at least occasionally had days that getting out of bed and going to work was a chore. The reality is that most of us have also been in a work situation that was, for whatever reason, terrible. It could be because of a stifling commute, or inadequate tools to do the work. It’s possible that the atmosphere felt suffocating. Most of us have been there.
Design an Effective Space
Much discussion was held about the workplace of the future, when humans will do the work that machines can’t. One of the insights offered was that workplaces need to offer multiple types of stations, with very few dedicated to only one person. I was very pleased to hear this, as this is precisely the arrangement of space used at CVEP. We all have an office, but we can all gather at will in community areas, at the counter, in the kitchen or even in a conference room. These areas don’t belong to any one person, but to all of us. We can also work from home on many occasions, and often do. I have been posting from a New York hotel this week and answering emails without missing a beat.
According to the luminaries at the Future of Everything Festival, CVEP is a good example of the future of work. Come see for yourself.
