Expect less pie-in-the sky, more takeaway
This year’s Future of Work Congress is fast approaching – held in April in Philadelphia, hosted by the General Services Administration.
You remember last year’s event held at San Francisco City Hall – we spent two days huddled around tables of four doodling sunrises and snowcapped mountains with magic markers, dreaming of a world without middle managers?
Don’t misunderstand – the “World Café style” format is perfect for brainstorming and reflecting “on the true purpose, meaning and value of work.” Everyone there – academics, business people, authors, independents, vendors – came away inspired, nourished by compelling honest conversations. Yet, most also came away without any action items or proposals to the boss.
So this year, the focus is on “turning vision into action.” So we’ll also take away a toolkit, a collection of case studies, checklists, design guidelines – like Herman Miller futuristic floor plans and tech info on incorporating blogs, wikis and collaborative tools into our organizations.
So where does the GSA fit in? Freaked that the federal government will lose 60% of its workforce in the next five years – the GSA has launched 22 alternative workplace pilots around the country. Not telework centers, traditional central offices. These worksites have open floor plans, “quiet rooms,” “analytical spaces” and natural light (um, like at home), which will help the government compete for private sector workers.
I know, I know, it’s going to take a lot more than an open floor plan to get you working for the government. Me, too. But GSA is also experimenting with compensation plans, social networks and ways to reduce stress levels.
Of course, I want to know why GSA isn’t spending these tax dollars to transition jobs home – I’ll be sure to ask about that. In the meantime – Charlie Grantham, one of the co-founders of the Future of Work Organization (of which I’m a member) – says the idea is to consolidate space (and ideally send some people home), then redesign the remainder more efficiently.
Grantham is familiar with the GSA plan and its architect, Kevin Kampschroer, and passed along Kampschroer’s presentation (link below). In it, Kampschroer posits, “What if the office were more like the new zoo?”
Grantham’s sold, so I’ll try to keep an open mind. “Sure, there’s lots of inertia in the federal government,” he says. “But GSA is doing a lot of things we don’t see other large companies having the guts to do.”
Other notables expected to attend: Intel, Cushman & Wakefield, Spherion, Boeing, Nokia, in addition to Herman Miller and Steelcase.
Spherion (staffing, recruiting, outsourcing) will unveil the results of its latest research on “emergent workers.” Bruno Bottarelli, director of Town Builders Collaborative, will share how he’s transforming Lamont, Ill., from a regular old town to “new economic town.” To attract younger workers, Bottarelli’s group is redoing the town plan and all zoning ordinances, and creating mixed-use (residential and commercial) downtown areas.
