Before NeoCon 2019 moves too much further into our rearview mirror, we’re excited to continue our tradition of covering the NeoCon seminar from the dynamic duo of Sven Govaars, of Steelcase, and Dean Strombom, of Gensler.
Messrs. Govaars and Strombom’s partnership has resulted in a whopping nine NeoCon seminars, and many loyal followers in the A&D community who come back each year ready to hear ta distinct point of view.
Last year’s presentation, “Take Aim…A Quiver of Strategy Tools”, offered a departure from the usual case studies and research, instead focusing on providing clearly articulated design tools and helpful knowledge to create successful workplaces.
2019’s presentation, titled “Give Me A Reason”, welcomes a pointed discussion of the push and pull happening between employer and employee in the modern workplace.
These two camps have always held tension, each asking the question, “What have you done for me lately?” Today, this schism is perhaps wider than it’s ever been.
“Our employees are saying, “‘Give me a reason to stay here at this job, and employers are saying, ‘give me a reason to keep you,’” said Mr. Strombom.
Employer Point of View
Employer priorities lie in productivity, innovation, shareholder value, profits, and cultivating a fruitful company culture. These can be summed up into one intention: performance. As demonstrated in a chuckle-worthy FedEx commercial shown to the seminar audience, the open office, among other things, has complicated those priorities.
In particular, Govaars and Strombom called attention to employers’ desire to capture a culture of innovation. Referencing an article in the Harvard Business Review, titled “The Hard Truth About Innovative Cultures,” the pair walked through what that culture of innovation looks like:
>Tolerance for failure but no tolerance for incompetence.
>Willingness to experiment, but highly disciplined.
>Psychologically safe but brutally candid.
>Collaboration but with individual accountability.
>Flat but strong leadership.
>Leading the journey, through clear vision.
It is a daunting task for employers to bring together these six ingredients under one roof, but they are all necessary for achieving a high level of success.
Employee Point of View
The employee point of view is equally as complex as that of employer, if not more complex. Their priorities include purpose, career growth, work/life balance, recognition, money, choice and amenities, and these can all be summed up into one intention: experience.
Govaars and Strombom pulled up an even more chuckle-worthy video of Snoop Dogg receiving his Hollywood Walk of Fame Star (cut to 3:40 to get the gist). After thanking many people who helped him along the way to his success, he ends his speech with a thank you to himself above all else, for a myriad number of reasons. It’s a funny moment, but one that also points to a person’s deeper sense of personal and professional drive, determination and development.
Messrs. Govaars and Strombom’s now classic graphic depicting the “Mental Load” of a modern-day employee, contrasted against the mental load of a worker of the by-gone 9-5 era, continues its relevance by showing the unrelenting, 24/7 nature of work today. The graphic has always indirectly depicted what “burnout” might look like, but in 2019, Govaars and Strombom point out that burnout is officially a thing.
In late May of this year, the World Health Organization officially recognized employee “burn-out” as an occupational phenomenon:
“Burn-out is a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. It is characterized by three dimensions:
>Feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion
>Increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job
>Reduced professional efficacy
Burn-out refers specifically to phenomena in the occupational context and should not be applied to describe experiences in other areas of life.”
Govaars and Strombom noted that burnout used to hold the stigma of something “lazy Millennials” fabricated, but in one of the most poignant moments of this NeoCon seminar, the presenters asked their audience a series of questions:
>Which generation do you belong to?
>Do you feel guilty when you’re not working?
>Do you feel like burnout is only a Millennial problem?
The series of questions show us that Millennials are not the only ones identifying with burnout. Rather, burnout is a systemic issue that can and does infect every generation present in the workplace.
“Leisure feels bad because we feel guilty when we’re not working, and then work feels bad because we’re burned out,” said Mr. Govaars. “Burnout happens when you get to exhaustion and you keep going.”
Millennials serve as more positive inspiration, too. Quoting Malcom Harris in his book, Kids These Days: Human Capital and the Making of Millennials, “Millennials have been trained tailored, primed and optimized for the workplace.”
Mr. Strombom expanded: Millennials were built for the workplace, with structured lives and structured play. They see working as a way of growing and of learning, as a journey along the way.”
The Blend of Employer Performance & Employee Experience
“Employers want performance, and employees want experience,” said Mr. Strombom. “We need to bring those two together, not separate them.”
These competing priorities create a constant shift of balance between employer’s focus on performance, and employee’s focus on experience.
While the landscape this tension creates can seem difficult to surmount for those designing the workplace, Messrs. Govaars and Strombom made the case that the two camps actually align well for successful outcomes on both ends.
Designers can create successful workspaces by helping employers design, develop and deliver them, and help employees embrace, adopt and use them.
The pair presented experience models from both Gensler, an esteemed A&D firm, and Steelcase, a leading contract furniture manufacturer. Each model demonstrates how their organizations go about creating a thriving workplace, and the two models have more in common than difference.
In the long run, everyone wants success and results,” said Mr. Govaars. “These are scalable models, and can be applied to a project, team or entire building. We’re all trying to understand how things work, and how we can fit the tools, processes, drivers and enables together in a way that makes sense for the organization.”
The presenters showed an intriguing square graphic depicting four stages of what “moving forward” entails from an organization:
>How things were (History)
>How they are today (Current reality)
>How they might become (Where they are headed)
>How they ought to be (Driven by purpose and principle)
Those four stages are mirrored in four “Degrees of Change” actions:
>As Is – status quo
>Refine – moderate change
>Redefine – significant change
>Transform – breakthroughs
Of particular interest to Govaars and Strombom, are the many layers, or Dimensions of Wellbeing [credit: Steelcase]:
>Optimism: Fostering creativity and innovation
>Mindfulness: Fully engaged
>Authenticity: Really yourself
>Belonging: Connecting to others
>Meaning: A sense of purpose
>Vitality: Get-up-and-go
In designing for these facets of wellbeing, Govaars and Strombom touched on their 10 Design Factors (featured in previous presentations) – air quality, acoustics, lighting, user controls, restorative, motivators, activity, nutrition, ergonomics and nature.
“Wellbeing isn’t just one thing; it’s so many things,” said Mr. Govaars. “The 10 Design Factors are the tools you have to create and impact your workplace, and the wellbeing of your clients. We wanted to bring these tools back for our audience because they help simplify what the priorities are. Those 10 things aren’t going away, but the way we address them in the workplace continues to evolve.”
The presenters also touched on the value of human capital, depicted in previous seminars and shown again here.
Messrs. Govaars and Strombom each presented projects happening at their respective organizations – at Gensler Houston, a brand new design for a newly occupied building; and at Steelcase in Grand Rapids, Michigan, a redesign of its 4West work area. Each project includes an extensive “Preparing the People” program – one just as robust as preparing the space, and offers a view of how both Gensler and Steelcase walks through a project.
“We’re preparing people for the change at the same time as when we’re in every phase of the design process,” said Mr. Govaars. “We need to listen, develop choice, and control. Your goal is to create an environment where people are coming to work more – and it’s well worth it.”
For the full Give Me A Reason presentation, visit www.givemeareason.work.