So, your office set-up was cutting edge back when Ronald Reagan was president, but now you need to modernize the space. Debbie McCann, principal of Vocon, says there are three things a CEO should consider when changing up the indoor work area.
1. The space has to be reflective of the organization’s brand. “It can’t be what the design firm’s brand is,” she says. “That, to me, is where people like us get tripped up. We have really prided ourselves in the fact that when you look at a photo of a customer or client we’ve done, it doesn’t look like another photo. It looks like the client.
“A CEO has to be mindful that whatever they do has to be reflective of what culture they are trying to promote to their people.”
2. Focus on attraction and retention of people. “Will this space attract and retain my people?” she says. “If it doesn’t, then I think you’ve failed. Moving or renovating is a total opportunity for an organization to express itself to folks that are either visiting or working there.
“If you aren’t mindful that it’s a huge attraction and retention tool, then you’ve failed.”
3. Be efficient. “People aren’t building monuments anymore,” she says. “It’s really got to reflect an efficient methodology of work process. If we don’t do that, we’ve really failed the organization.
“In order to get that culture change that folks are often looking for when they move, let’s make sure it is efficient.”
