Arcadis‘ Jodi Williams shares the top five learning takeaways from the workplace in 2024.
It’s been another wild year for workplace in the news, with most of the mainstream media focusing on return to office. While strong opinions abound about the exact right solution: remote, hybrid or fully in-person, there is so much more to workplace than just whether people need to be in an office or not. As workplace design leaders, we, the readers and writers of Work Design Magazine, are always focused on inspiring and creating the best workplace experience, whether that be an exciting new design, a retrofit, or simply small changes that can make a big difference.
Looking back at what we’ve seen in 2024, key themes reflect the evolving landscape of the workplace, emphasizing the crucial elements that contribute to successful, engaging, and sustainable work environments
1. Sustainability & Workplace Responsibility
The slow progress in achieving net-zero targets highlights the significant responsibility the built environment has in reducing carbon emissions. It is a long, hard slog. We are making progress, but we need to do better.
2. Work-Life Balance & Productivity
Long work hours do not necessarily equate to increased productivity, with fatigue setting in after a certain point, highlighting the importance of maintaining work-life balance for optimum output. The remote/hybrid/in person discussion comes to play here, as does the four-day work week, both of which have dominated the news in 2024.
3. Positive Workplace Culture
Cultivating optimism among employees can profoundly impact workplace culture by creating a ripple effect of positivity. Optimism is contagious! Finding ways to practice gratitude in the workplace (This coffee is great! My chair is comfortable!) and to demonstrate it (thanks for helping me with this problem! You did a great job in that meeting, I’m glad you spoke up!) can have a huge impact on not only your own performance, but that of your colleagues. Work with a grump like me? Try to reframe issues. It might not be a redesign of your space that is needed to bring a little sunshine into the day.
4. Importance of Trust and Connection
Trust is foundational for fostering productivity, engagement, workplace culture, and sustainable business growth. Loneliness is a real issue for both in-person and remote teams. Small acts of respect, support, and trust are crucial for building high-quality connections in remote teams. Finding ways to identify risks around loneliness and disconnection and address holistically is critical for individual and corporate success.
5. Creativity & Innovation
The office remains a central hub for collaboration, even in a work-from-anywhere ecosystem, indicating the enduring significance of physical workspace, that said, remote work has revolutionized collaboration methods, emphasizing the need for innovative approaches to boost creativity. Technology to the rescue?
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