Rethinking the office

If the office where you work has not changed at all for many years, this probably means it does not meet the needs of your company today. A quick look might show you a number of its bizarre quirks such as employees who prefer to sit with headphones on, who would otherwise be disturbed by the noise or people wandering around the corridors with mobile phone in hand, as they have nowhere private for them to talk. Chairs might also occasionally be moved into the corridor when there is nowhere suitable to hold a meeting. What is it you need? Clearly such an office could do with a change, but defining what is needed requires specialised tools. Before making any major changes to an office, most international corporations will call in a workplace strategy consultant. Such a consultant might typically take from six to twelve weeks doing their research, which will include employee surveys, interviews with managers, workshops and office observations. Sometimes motion sensors might be used to de