Part Three of Three: Matching Work to Place

A Network of Places Effectively Matched to the Work Necessary

Matching Work to Place

Long before the pandemic we all intuitively matched ‘place’ to ‘work’:

  • If I needed a block of time to concentrate without interruption I’d find that little-used desk hidden behind the copy room, or I’d barricade myself in an unused office, or put headphones on or go work in that alcove off the lobby that nobody seems to know about;
  • If a bunch of us needed to work through some project issues. we’d grab a conference room or, if one was not available, we’d move chairs around someone’s desk.

That intuitive place ‘matching’ has an awful lot to do with the kind and amount of interaction that that work requires – from none to a lot!

Which brings us back to our three fundamental types of work. It’s not all that hard then to take the next step and describe the place characteristics for each type of work.

  • Solo = Quiet, free from distraction, room for source materials for the work to be close at hand, access to the digital elements needed to execute the work, etc.
  • Interdependent = Strong connectivity, access to the full digital workplace, ready access to those one needs to interact with, etc.
  • Collaborative = Real-time access to my collaborators, wall space to iterate and capture work, isolated from those not collaborating, etc.

Now we are (finally!) able to bring actual possible workplaces back into the picture! We have all worked in a variety of places not called ‘the office’ — hotel rooms, Starbucks, libraries, community centers, airport lounges, home offices, building lobbies. As well as a bunch of distinct places INSIDE ‘the office’ — hidden desks, alcoves, under-utilized conference or even store rooms.  We did an entire project once on folding tables in an office building garage! (not a place well-matched to the work but …)

Now we can add a bit more structure to that intuitive process and explicitly catalog the places each of us has available to us and match the characteristics of each place to the place characteristics required for each type of work.

This is where we can also take into account individual preferences and comfort zones. It’s important to note that up until this point, we have been focused on the work and the place requirements of work independent of any particular person performing that work. But now we can add in the individual’s style and preference as regards place.

Some people have put a bunch of time and attention into their home office and can effectively do not only Solo work there but also almost all of the asynchronous, lower-velocity Interdependent work. Others, although they’ve proven that they CAN do a lot of that work at home, don’t want to! They’d greatly prefer a place outside the home — ‘the office’ or an office at a flex-work location (Regus/Industrious/WeWork) or their favorite study carrel at the local library down the block.

Armed with all of the above, the enterprise can be much more intentional, clear and effective in providing and equipping a network of places that can be effectively matched to the work necessary to operate the enterprise.

Armed with all of the above, the individual can be much more intentional, clear and effective in planning one’s workplaces for a period based on the types of work to be done in that period.

 

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About the Author

Chris Shaida, CEO and Founder

Chris Shaida is the founder and CEO of RealFoundations. Chris brings over 30 years of real estate industry experience to RealFoundations. He has played an essential role in building and managing real estate information technology consulting practices both within a “Big 4” management consulting firm and a real estate-focused professional services firm. Chris founded RealFoundations to provide a place where like-minded professionals are able to focus their deep industry and solution knowledge and passion to help improve the operations of our real estate industry and corporate real estate clients.

Chris has experience in each of RealFoundations’ defined market sectors, with depth of knowledge in the homebuilder and corporate real estate segments. Chris and his teams have served as trusted business advisors to some of the most recognized names in the real estate industry, including Kaufman & Broad, Hovnanian, Centex, Shea Homes, GIC and Simon Properties.

Shaida founded RF to provide a place where like-minded professionals are able to focus their deep industry and solution knowledge to help improve the operations of our real estate industry and corporate real estate clients.

 

 

 

About RealFoundations

RealFoundations is the world’s foremost professional services firm focused solely on the real estate industry. Through our delivery of Management Consulting and Managed Services, we help companies that develop, own, operate, service or invest in real estate make better, more profitable decisions. We are proud partners to over 500 real estate companies around the globe, providing accelerated solutions that solve some of real estate’s most complex challenges. We Make Real Estate Run Better.