Hello and welcome to Tricky Management Situations !

Onirio delves, just for you, into all those delicate, sometimes seemingly improbable (but oh-so-real!) challenges that the world of management throws our way. In each episode, you'll find tips to gain some perspective and expertly navigate through your tricky managerial situations

On today's agenda, a topical issue for many companies: the transition to flexoffice.

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🛶 Today's Struggle: Adapting to the arrival of flexoffice!

It's almost time for the big move for your team. New site, new office layout with the arrival of... flexoffice! Gone are the days of individual offices. Hello open spaces, new ways of working and above all... m2 savings! 🤭

Your team, on the other hand, is concerned and even annoyed by this change

How can you help team members adapt smoothly to their new working environment?

What is flexoffice?

Let's go back to the basics of the "flexoffice" concept, which is particularly popular for describing workspace arrangements...

With flexoffice...

You no longer have a dedicated office: when you arrive in the morning, you choose a workspace according to your activities of the day. For example: Need a quiet space to finalize a report? Head to a silent area. Planning a brainstorming session with the team? Reserve a creativity room!
Various types of workspaces are available: traditional meeting rooms, creative rooms for collaboration, "bubbles" for 2 or 3-person meetings, phone booths, relaxation and conviviality areas... The idea is to be flexible and use these spaces according to the tasks you need to accomplish.

photo of a flexoffice workspace — Source: Gosto France

Flexoffice, the dark side of the force...

With the rise of remote work, office occupancy rates rarely exceed 50%. However, flexoffice allows for optimizing the number of workstations: between 50 and 70 seats for every 100 employees (or even less).

So, it's a real opportunity for companies looking to cut down on square footage and save costs.

Several challenges can arise in daily life:

Finding a seat near your colleagues on busy days at the office
Staying focused on deep work due to noise and interruptions
Finding a free space for confidential discussions with colleagues, clients, partners, or your manager
...

⛔ Watch out for dumplings!

As a manager, the transition to flexoffice is generally not your decision. However, you are on the front lines to support your team through this change.

Be careful not to become that manager who...

Doesn't take the time to give meaning to the relocation project: "Oh, come on, we've all moved before, it's not a big deal!"
Does not acknowledge the economic motivations of the relocation project: "We're doing this project ONLY to improve the employee experience!"

Oversells the project: "These new offices will be beautiful and modern; they will make us more efficient and innovative"; and doesn't address practical questions from employees': "Will there be enough space for everyone? Is there bike parking? Where will we store our belongings?"
Claims the best spot on the office floor by authority (you know, the one in an isolated corner near the window 😜): "That's my spot! But of course, you can use it when I'm on vacation or teleworking"

Holds all video conferences with the speaker turned up: "My meeting is really important; if people listen, they'll probably catch useful information!"

Seizes the opportunity to provide feedback in public, right in the middle of the team: "Patrick, I've just reviewed your report. And it's not great!"

💡 Key points for a positive transition

Communicate transparently throughout the project

Real estate projects take time! From the initial idea to the actual move, it can span several months or even years. To facilitate buy-in for the project and the adoption of new spaces, you need to COMMUNICATE!

Yes, you may not always be able to reveal everything because these projects require mandatory discussions with staff representatives. But whenever you can, communicate! 🙂

The relocation project is official? Communicate to provide context and the timeline
The arrangement of teams in the building is defined? Communicate!
The fundamental principles of flexoffice are established? Communicate!
The layout of the area where the team will be located is approved? Communicate!
The move is approaching, and it's time to pack? You know what to do😉

Set operating principles for shared spaces

Flexoffice is like a massive shared living arrangement. Therefore, some collective operating principles will be highly beneficial:

Which spaces are reservable, and how can they be reserved?
What are the rules for non-reservable spaces? For example, first-come, first-served? Priority for groups?
Where should personal belongings, team documents, and archives be stored?
How will special cases be handled? E.g.: people with special fittings such as ergonomic seats...
What are the rules for dining? E.g.: For example, using refrigerators, the possibility of eating in meeting rooms or at one's desk....
...

Take the opportunity to rethink the way your team operates

As a manager, a move (like any change) is an opportunity to rethink the way your team operates:

On-site and remote presence schedules: is the whole team present on site on certain days? Are there days when the whole team works remotely?
Collaboration and information-sharing rituals: What formats and methods of team meeting facilitation should be used? What communication channels should be utilized to ensure everyone has the right level of information?
Concentration in open spaces: Are there specific areas for deep work? Are there distincive signs to indicate a desire not to be disturbed?
Socializing rituals: What routines can be established to share good times together and have informal discussions despite the distance?

How to proceed?

A "Keep - Drop -Start" workshop is straightforward to structure your thinking:

5 minutes of individual reflection on practices to keep, drop, or start
Sharing with the whole team
Collective selection of practices to experiment with

It's true that you don't need to wait for a relocation to reflect on how your team works. However, when everyone is fully occupied with their day-to-day activities, it's often challenging to pause and figure out how to work differently.

In conclusion, make the work environment a recurring discussion topic with your team!

No matter how much you plan, you will discover the advantages and disadvantages of your new workspaces as you work in them.

Our advice to all managers: make the work environment a recurring topic of discussion.

Several times a year, set aside time for employees to express what they like and what bothers them in their work environment. This way, you can take actions to ensure everyone feels comfortable in the office!

À for the next episode!

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Have you experienced managerial difficulties? Inspire us!

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Episode #17 - Surviving flexoffice...