{"id":55898,"date":"2019-07-18T10:54:41","date_gmt":"2019-07-18T14:54:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/?p=55898"},"modified":"2020-09-03T05:53:01","modified_gmt":"2020-09-03T09:53:01","slug":"three-tips-for-creating-an-office-that-inspires-innovation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/research-insights\/expert-insights\/three-tips-for-creating-an-office-that-inspires-innovation","title":{"rendered":"Three tips for creating an office that inspires innovation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Space is a powerful tool to foster engagement, inspire innovation, and drive productivity. But what exactly does an optimal space look like? In the <\/em>Science of Space<\/strong><\/em><\/a>, we explore how the science of intentional design can turn any work environment into a holistic experience.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s an immense amount of pressure on businesses to innovate ahead of the competition. It\u2019s that ability to stay two (or 10) steps ahead of the pack that allows for the biggest gains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The path to innovation<\/a> seems straightforward: It starts with hiring the best talent, who will think up new and novel solutions; putting them into action; learning and iterating. But in today\u2019s world, it doesn\u2019t end there.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hiring top talent and then asking them to do their best work in a suboptimal office environment is a recipe for disaster. Have you experienced (or may be experiencing now) surroundings that remind you more of the movie Office Space<\/em><\/a> than an innovation superhub? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

The world\u2019s most innovative companies optimize every aspect of their business\u2014including their physical workspace.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

The ability to think creatively, to imagine possibilities, to connect those dots that will drive business into the future can feel impossible when you spend your entire day in a windowless office with no natural light. Or when you feel chained to a desk. A depressing physical workspace may hinder even the most talented hire from thinking of their next big idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, how should employers set the stage for innovation within their own workspaces? As part of the workplace strategy team here at WeWork, we\u2019ve spent a lot of time optimizing the workplace experience so that employees can do their best work. Here are three ways you can rethink your workspace to encourage innovation<\/a> among your own teams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Make your workspace \u201chackable\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When teams are tasked with innovation, there\u2019s an expectation that employees will quickly be ideating, prototyping, and testing things out\u2014so shouldn\u2019t their workspace be agile as well? In other words, shouldn\u2019t employees feel empowered to physically \u201chack\u201d a conventional office setup?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What exactly does this mean? From desks to chairs, couches to tables, employees should have the ability to mold their workspace into what they need, rather than what the employer may have originally envisioned. For example, WeWork has made sure some of our furniture can be moved by adding handles and other visual cues. Employees can configure the space for their needs, whether it\u2019s a large group brainstorm or a comfortable place to work alone. In essence, we think of workspace as \u201csoftware,\u201d or possessing the ability to be updated on-demand, rather than \u201chardware,\u201d which is static and unchanging. Employees should be encouraged to create an environment in which they feel comfortable and inspired\u2014much like the feeling of a residential home.

A great example of this came from my recent visit to IDEO, an international design and consulting firm founded in Palo Alto, California. Their philosophy is that \u201chackable\u201d workspace enables employees to make their actual work more scrappy and experimental. When imagining what it feels like to have a wall in certain space, for instance, IDEO employees put up cardboard walls and tested different arrangements to see how behaviors change within the space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

The result of all this space-hacking? A workspace environment in which people were enthusiastic about sharing ideas and solving problems. Moreover, employees in hackable spaces feel free to express their ideas and opinions without punishment<\/em>; in other words, the employees feel psychologically safe to express themselves<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How important is psychological safety? In researching the dynamics of high-performing teams, Google’s people operations department identified psychological safety<\/a> as the first of five essential ingredients. Losing that fear of repercussion for trying something new makes employees feel empowered to take risks, have candid discussions, and brainstorm creative solutions. To them, failure is a learning experience, and confronting issues leads to positive outcomes. All of this can be fostered and encouraged by the right workspace. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Drinking coffee is a popular ritual at WeWork in Bogot\u00e1, Colombia<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

2. Build a unique culture with rituals<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

All companies have rituals\u2014from the mundane everyday routines (coffee breaks, tea time) to major, less frequent events like annual meetings and retirement parties. They\u2019re simple actions that connect us to ourselves, our place, and the moment. But did you know that workspace rituals can also have an effect on your employees when it comes to innovation?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Employees who are encouraged and empowered to initiate specific activities within their work environment tend to strengthen their sense of belonging within their team. In essence, rituals create a shared identity<\/a> between people. <\/strong>Successful sports coaches, for example, typically use rituals to build social bonds between team members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s important to note the difference between a standard ritual and those rituals designed to encourage innovation<\/a>. At WeWork, for example, we not only serve fresh coffee daily; we do so in a kitchen designed as a \u201ccenter of gravity\u201d\u2014a place designed for people to naturally want to gather, chat, and share ideas. We don\u2019t just have a reception area; we have a whole community team whose job it is to make sure employees feel taken care of. And on Mondays, our team dinners are about more than food\u2014they\u2019re about coming together after the weekend to connect and discuss the week ahead. All of these rituals contribute to employees feeling like they\u2019re part of a community, which contributes to the psychological safety needed to innovate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In essence, workspace design can help create those rituals, but it\u2019s that layer of connection that really reinforces everyday activities with positive memories. Day after day, these rituals stimulate emotions and reduce anxiety, while increasing a sense of belonging and creating the right environment for innovation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Add an element of play<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Incorporating playfulness into everything we do is essential in developing the flexibility our brains need to access innovation and creativity (which decreases dramatically as we become older). According to Stuart Brown, M.D. and Christopher Vaughan, authors of Play: How It Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul<\/em>, play at its essence is the act of doing things \u201cjust because.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Play is:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n