Corona Virus: Workplace Impactand Future Planning ImplicationsEmerging Thoughts from Herman Miller

Gail D. Toliver, IIDA, MAOM

Workplace Strategist | Workplace Performance Services

31 March, 2020

Drivers of our Point of View

“A novel coronavirus is a new strain that has not been previously

identified in humans. Fortunately social distancing works, but

it’s an extreme and unsustainable response. It is only being

implemented because there simply isn’t another option. This

crisis is still unfolding, no one knows the shape it will ultimately

take. The best anyone can do is speculate. We must keep in

mind that when it comes to this pandemic we are learning as we

go.”Joseph White, Director of Workplace Strategy, Design + Management

Emerging Thoughts

4 Key Themes That Matter

In our new “normal” state of work, working from home and social distancing are part of our way of life for the unforeseen future. We know that there is a need for more strategic responses. Regardless of the shape of things to come, there are some skills and features that will be helpful to create value:▪ Data Literacy▪ Remote & Asynchronous Collaboration▪ Continuous Learning▪ Workplace and Workforce Agility

Silver Linings

DriversConsiderations + Implications

The crisis has already been a profound equalizing force, increasing people’s willingness to break from the norm and try something new. The GreatDepression brought a similar force, and an opportunity that propelled Herman Miller to the forefront of modern design. We have viewed moments likethis as “providential” throughout our history. Here are a few quick examples of change and potential benefits from the current context:▪ Supercharge diversity, equity, inclusion: Driving creativity and innovation▪ Experiment with agile work processes: Making work faster and more effective▪ Make asynchronous collaboration primary: Safely and sustainably overcoming the challenges of time and distance in a global economy▪ Set work schedules aligned with personal chronotype: Enhancing well-being and productivity

As we navigate this pandemic, now is the time to ask questions with a new sense of purpose and conviction. As we look to the future, the field of future studies is “not about predicting the future, but planning for the future you want to build in response to emerging, unseen conditions.” Based on experience and expertise in workplace design, we offer up thoughts and suggested solutions that will help with the “immediate”, and help plan for future responses. These are inchoate ideas and themes that will solidify as we learn from this crisis. Our research on Team Landscapes helps shape our responses, and our foundational theories on work, the workplace, and designing settings to support the work being done. These are our guiding principles. People, Process, and Place are interconnected, and anything that impacts one of the elements, impacts all in some way.

Foundational Elements

5

Foundational elements of every workplace:

People Who is doing the work and why

ProcessWhat the work is, how it’s created,

and when

PlaceWhere work happens, how spaces

are created, managed & measured

6

People will seek out and stay in jobs that

prioritize wellbeing, comfort, and flexibility.

• The global knowledge workforce will become increasingly diverse

• People will share personal data in exchange for more customization

control of their work experience

• People will expect the workplace to foster culture and community

7

Process automation and data collection will redefine the value

of people’s work.

• Increased focus on teamwork and uniquely human tasks: creativity,

collaboration, synthesis, strategic and design thinking, complex

problem solving, and empathy

• Companies will create new metrics to measure people’s performance

that are results-based rather than presence-based

• Real-time and context-aware data about “people like me” will drive

decisions and trust in healthcare, shopping, and job choice

8

Economic pressures and urbanization will shrink workplace square

footage and disrupt where work gets done and how those places

are created.

• Each individual will interact with a greater variety of other individuals

for a greater variety of purposes

• Companies will achieve digital transformation, automation, and collect

vast amounts of work experience data

• Work-life balance will continue shifting to work-life integrations as

people become more mobile and work moves outside of the office

Workplace Impacts | Our Response

WORKPLACE IMPACTS

Pandemic Effects on Space

How will this pandemic affect work

space in the future?

1. Dynamic of Expansion and ContractionThere needs to be a good understanding of the types of

teams that comprise an organization and their “DNA”, or

how they work and why. Some teams work better remotely

than others, and some need to be co-located to work at

maximum efficiency. Although most workers have been sent

home to work, contingency and foresight planning needs to

be enacted so that companies can better prepare for future

events. Workplace planning, policies, and tools need to be

agile enough to expand and contract to suit the needs of the day.

2. Data LiteracyData literacy is critical for a company’s agility, whether

responding to a global pandemic, or to other business disruptions.

There is the immediate “triage” response of having people/teams

working from home, but there also needs to be data collection to enable

fact-based workplace decisions to prepare for sudden challenges and

long-term societal shifts.

3. Continuous LearningAs workers are navigating how to work from home successfully,

and how to put into practice social distancing (in reality, more

physical distancing), there is an opportunity for learnings for all

involved. It’s a time to learn new skills, to engage in creative

ways to store and share information, and to master asynchronistic

collaboration (two or more events not existing or happening at

the same time). Those organizations and individuals with “growth

mindsets” and rapid adaptability will best succeed in this new

environment.

WORKPLACE IMPACTS

Design to Make Us Safe

Internal business unit clients

asking “how are you going to

make us safe?”

1. Health & Safety | New FocusThe Covid-19 virus has raised awareness of basic health and safety guidelines.

The days of going into work sick (as a sign of valor), have radically changed. We

must view the workforce through this new lens of adopting basic guidelines to keep

us safe as we go back into the office. How this will manifest itself in a corporation’s

guidelines has yet to been seen. Everyone is now conditioned to washing hands

and using hand sanitizers. The janitorial staff will be the new “heroes” in corporate offices.

2. New ProtocolsNew protocols around how we interact as teams and how we conduct ourselves in this

era of pandemics will need to be established. Related topics around how we give employees

the choice to work from home in distributed teams if one feels that they need to isolate are

new cultural aspects that must be considered. There needs to be honest and transparent

conversations from executive leadership as to a company’s escalation plan in the event of

a major event. Employees require “over communication” at these times to help allay fears

and to disseminate vital information.

3. Alternative Workplace StrategiesDistributed teams are now a thing of the “present’, and the more data that can be gathered

during this time of forced isolation can help companies be better prepared in the future. Our

Workplace Performance team is creating insights and virtually facilitated workshops

that will help customers while they navigate this new normal.

WORKPLACE IMPACTS

Work From Home

Will there be more work from

home? What will the affect be

on workplace occupancy, ABW,

and other workplace initiatives?

1. New NormalThere have been many virtual roundtable discussions and webinars talking about

the new normal of “forced” working from home for most organizations. As people

learn the “tips and tricks” to virtual teams, video conferencing and file sharing

platforms such as Microsoft Teams, corporations are realizing that work can still

be done successfully. It may not be optimal, but it can and is working. Will there

be a new paradigm as to who works from home and what can be done in the office

once the immediate danger of this pandemic fades? We think that there will be

modifications to company work at home policies, but that most will want to return

to work in an office environment to reconnect with colleagues, to reconnect with

the company culture and to go back to a sense of normalcy. However, we feel

that there will be more opportunities for people to have the choice to work from

home more than in the past.

Technology ToolsTechnology has helped enable successful working from home. We’ve researched

and tested new ways of supporting virtual work with leading technology companies

such as Logitech, Skype (Microsoft), Teams (Microsoft), and Samsung. All of

these platforms have facilitated a way for distributed teams to stay connected, to

meet virtually, and to file share. Virtual teams can become part of a company’s

ABW initiative with lessons learned from this real-time Covid-19 experience.

2. ABWThe practice of providing employees with a choice of office settings for a variety

of tasks and activities can now be applied to distributed and virtual teams. It

is about variety and choice, and this will be extended to virtual teams. It’s about

creating flexible environments for employees, and ensuring that they have the

appropriate technology to facilitate these efforts.

As people return to the physical office, the real heroes will be those charged with

keeping the workplace clean and sanitized. New protocols will be in place for

employees to do their part by staying home if sick, and other ways to keep the

workplace clean and safe for all.

WORKPLACE IMPACTS

Materials + Finishes

Will the pandemic have an

effect on the types of materials

and finishes specified in work

spaces? Antimicrobial, etc.

1. MaterialityThere are already materials and finishes available that help mitigate the

spread of germs and possible contamination. There may be more thought

given to the materials specified for corporate offices, but that may be more of

a “knee-jerk” response. This discussion will need to include manufacturers, dealers,

and the A&D community as they look at interior architectural finishes, and

materials/fabrics that they may specify.

2. Cleaning ProtocolsMore than looking to radically change the types of material specified is the new

reality of specific protocols around cleanability, personal hygiene, and janitorial

services cleaning standards. A cautionary note is to contact the appropriate

manufacturers of materials and finishes to ensure proper and approved cleaning

materials are applied.

3. More Data NeededUltimately, more data is required to determine what new protocols can be

implemented to ensure a safe workplace environment following this pandemic.

It is inevitable that there will be changes to our industry that will be based on

data from this experience.

Antimicrobial Fabrics

WORKPLACE IMPACTS

Social Distance

How will social distancing be

incorporated into the workplace

in this environment of our new

“normal”? Should barriers be

applied, and in what form?

1. Social Distance | Physical DistanceSocial distancing is now part of our lexicon, and it transcends both

home and work. The question has been asked by many if this is

something that we will need to consider as people go back into the

workplace. This remains to be seen, but our subject matter experts

think that the protocols will be enforced around sick people coming

into work, versus having to radically alter the workplace and existing

workplace guidelines. As we think about unassigned working and

benching, we may see more attention being paid to keeping areas

clean as more than one person may share a space. Personal

responsibility and cleaning protocols will probably be strictly enforced.

2. BarriersShould there be physical barriers in the workplace as we go through

this pandemic? Will we need to add screening elements to delineate

space and provide the sense of physical distancing? Not sure if this will be

required. We have seen some companies taking the initiative to add screens

in some of these types of spaces. Data will need to show if this will make

a difference.

3. New Industry Standards?Following this pandemic, and once people re-enter the workplace, data will

need to be gathered to determine if companies adopt new workplace

guidelines around health and wellness. Once we have the data collected and

analyzed, then there may be new industry standards that impact the workplace.

Until we have more information, we can all make our “best guess” and use

logic and past responses to global events (example: 9/11).

WORKPLACE IMPACTS

Workplace Layouts

Do workplace layouts matter?

For example, will a 4-pack be

better than a 10-pack? How

important is density?

1. Workplace GuidelinesWe believe that most workplace standards and guidelines will work

for those re-entering the workplace. As stated earlier, the new protocols

around personal hygiene, office cleaning, and not coming to work when

sick will be most important. We cannot fully imagine how this global

pandemic will change the physical workplace or alter how we engage

with our work environment. We can assume that some common-sense

protocols will be enacted, but we don’t feel that most workplace standards

will be negatively impacted. It will give a new meaning to “smart working”.

2. DensitiesIn the short term as workers return to work, there may be a hard look at

the densification of workplaces. However, as most corporations have

enacted some type of ABW, we already have seen a “loosening up” of

office densities to make room for ancillary spaces.

6-Pack Example

6- Person

Configuration

WORKPLACE IMPACTS

Distributed Teams

What is the effect of distributed

teams during this pandemic?

1. Distributed TeamsExtensive research led us to classify team types by thinking in musical terms.

We identified four team types: Soloists, Studio Musicians, an Orchestra,

and a Jazz Ensemble. Each have unique characteristics that relate to

the musical terms used. A Team of Soloists find it less challenging to be

distributed, while a Jazz Ensemble find it more challenging. Each of these

four teams are typically represented in an organization. The effect of the

pandemic shows us all that most team work can continue, albeit reimagined.

There are teams that function best when co-located.

2. Team TypesThe context for distributed teams takes several forms, but always

include at least one remote member. Fully Distributed Teams,

Partially Distributed Teams and Distributed Subteams

3. Effective “Tips and Tricks”We have insights related to “tips and tricks” for distributed teams

and the best way to engage successfully. From how to build

relationships that facilitate a flow of ideas, to collaborative effectiveness.

See the diagram (right) that gives more information on Social Distance,

Cognitive Distance, and Physical Distance.

WORKPLACE IMPACTS

Future Proofing

How can an organization future

proof their workplace initiatives

if another global pandemic were

to happen?

1. Future ProofingThis global pandemic crisis has already had a profound equalizing

force that has increased our willingness to break from what is normal

and to try something new, both in our personal and work lives. Though

we cannot know what the future holds, we can rely on what we have

seen and experienced in the past, and also look at past research to

look for potential benefits from the current context:

▪ Supercharge diversity, equity, and inclusion – this can drive

creativity and innovation

▪ Experiment with agile work processes – exploring how we can

make work faster and more effective. Technology is critical

to seeing this succeed during this challenging time

▪ Make asynchronous collaboration be the primary initiative – finding

ways to safely and sustainably overcome the challenges of time

and distance in a global economy

▪ Set work schedules that align time zones and locations – this can

enhance well-being and productivity

Companies will need to take a critical look at their existing employee

team types and determine which teams can seamlessly become virtual and

which teams may need more training to function at max-efficiency when

faced with this type of global pandemic challenge.

Framework:

Our Services

Explore Possibilities Examine Realities Activate Change

• Alignment workshop

• Visioning Session

• Focus Groups

• Ethnography

• Surveys

• Short-Term Space

Utilization Studies

• Space Allocation

Modeling

• Applied Placemaking

• Change Management

Planning + Collateral

• Change Leadership

Workshop

• Employee Workshops

• Change Implementation

• Post-Occupancy

Evaluation

• Long-Term Space

Utilization Analytics

WORKPLACE PERFORMANCE | OVERVIEW