Those working within the built environment are already in the change business, was the view of Neil Usher in his presentation at the Workplace Trends Conference which was held in London this week. This was apt, as the changing business of work’ was the theme of the conference. It’s a pretty common topic these days of course but a strong line up of speakers ensured some interesting discussions; which included the rise of the gig economy, the variety of ways people from different cultures perceive workplace design and predictions on the workplaces of the future. On the current design and fit out of the office, Usher was clear; that creating a fantastic workplace is independent of culture, location, the work style you want to create and the sector in which you’re working. His other mantra was that you can still work in an awful workplace with great technology, but not the other way around, which is why there is no excuse for not getting your technology right.
On this point came a pertinent question posed by Paul Miller, CEO and Founder of the Digital Workplace Group (DWG) and co-author of The Digital Renaissance of Work: Delivering digital workplaces fit for the future: “Would CEO’s and business leaders who admit they are digitally illiterate sustain a business career if they were similarly unable to read?’ How effective can they be, he asked, if they don’t understand the fundamental impact new technology is making on the workplace?