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Our Response to the Post-COVID Workplace
I think it goes without saying that none of us truly knows what the future will hold for the post-COVID workplace. Our teams at bkm have been hard at work reading and digesting as much information as we can to form an opinion about what to do next. We believe our findings can lend some guidance to our customers and serve as a real-life case study within our own organization to make the return to work safe, effective, and — crossing our fingers — include minimal disruption.
As the CEO of Steelcase, Jim Keane proclaimed in this Steelcase white paper: ‘The Post-COVID Workplace’, the one certainty is that employees will not return to a workspace they deem unsafe. The dominant message is clear: spaces will need to be modified to meet the needs of their employees while limiting the spread of infection.
What these spaces look like next week may be very different from how they look next year and will undoubtedly require a reinvention. The 6-FeeOffice conceptual idea put together by Cushman & Wakefield with data compiled from the World Health Organization and the advice of medical experts has visualized an entire concept around what they refer to as the new golden rule: “the 6-feet rule.” If this concept isn’t going away any time soon, it is time for us to adapt by ensuring distance while working safely together.
So where do we go from here? Our bkm team has compiled a list of recommendations that are meant to serve as quick fixes and suggestions for the near term, to enable our customers to get back to work quickly and adapt proactively to what may come in the future.
QUICK WINS:
- Space Division & Screens
- A Focus on Cleaning & Materials
- Visual Cues & Space Assessment
For Quick Win examples and more information on each category, CLICK HERE.
Be flexible, Expect Change, Be Patient and Stay Positive.
There is no doubt that this pandemic will have a lasting and profound effect on our lives, how we see the world and how we work. Some of those changes will be difficult but others will be for the better. How we work together will improve. As Tracy Brower notes in a recent Forbes article, nothing is more significant in creating bonds between teammates than a common enemy, and the coronavirus struggle is a perfect example of what will strengthen relationships.
What is happening today will ensure that we take steps to prevent something similar in the future. Innovation will flourish, creative problem-solving will be discovered, and proactive approaches to overcome today’s struggles will become commonplace. We have all had the opportunity to witness the ability of companies and employees to adapt to change quickly. This proves to us that change can happen quickly throughout organizations around the world and will help companies remain nimble and pivot in the future when required.
As always, our team at bkm is here to help you navigate these changes as your trusted partner along the way. Click here to start a conversation with one of our Post-COVID Workplace Consultants.