Klang Games’ Post

"I've heard about the infamous 'fun' activities in the office – cool downtime areas, ping-pong tables, things like that. And I don't think I've ever been wildly intrigued by them" – Jamie Masterson (from a recent BBC article) The bar is being raised on what it means to enjoy your time in the office. I am still quite bullish on the office as a gathering space but free coffee, a ping-pong table and stale bagels just won’t cut it anymore. The best real estate organizations are going to understand the individual cultures of each office, the designs that facilitate useful activities, and generally understand how employees want to use the space. I empathize with Jamie’s quote. Particularly for those who have started work since the onset of the pandemic. The bar for me to come into an office has increased as well and the so-called amenities of years past are no longer sufficient. When thinking about the next decade, what brings people into the office in my opinion are experiences. Shared experiences with colleagues, new experiences about working with a group, and experiences about what it means to be in the office. I can’t wait to see what experiences are designed for the next generation of office workers.

Did you hear about Expensify's office experiment? Just found out about this from a customer. They created a lounge with great views, cocktails, coffee... all the perks that make an office space cool to see if was possible to get people back to an office. Despite all of this, they couldn't get many people to consistently work from there. Their conclusion is: The office is dead. I certainly agree that the pre-2020 office where 95% of us went in 3-5 days a week is gone, but I wonder if this test considered all the variables. I never went myself, but from what I can tell the environment was really cool, but there seems to be a missing piece: the team you work with day in and day out. In my opinion an office is worth going to, at least weekly, if the team I'm working with in the trenches each day is there. This is the challenge I have with coffee shops and co-working spaces. They do break up the routine and provide a new environment which can be nice, but I'm still just sitting alone with my computer in a new place. What I miss about the office is problem solving and chatting with my teammates. I can't speak for anyone else, but I would go back to an office with some frequency if my team was there. The reason I fell in love with sales years ago was in large part due to working on an incredible sales team. But other perks like unlimited coffee and cocktails alone aren't compelling enough to commute across town for. I'd rather meet a friend or coworker for a drink at my favorite local coffee shop or a cool bar in the city. What do you think? Is the office dead? https://lnkd.in/gKZV74TU

Working at the office is about who you work with (where they are) and the quality of the office environment. Since Covid I’ve worked from home 99%. When I was asked (ordered) to come back to the office 3 days a week at a past company it was a final good reason to look for something new. When I worked in Denmark 🇩🇰 at the office I worked maybe 80% of the people I interacted with were in that building. The building was comfortable, there were loads of meeting rooms and convenience like affordable and healthy lunches. I loved going to the office but if my team needed to work from home during the week because of family etc, of course I allowed it. I then changed job and changed country, the work I did fundamentally changed, I worked with people that were 90% in different offices / countries. My work was being in teams meetings, as was the work of the other 10 people in my office room. We came to the office, did quick pleasantries and then put our headphones on, even if you didn’t have a meeting you kept the noise cancelling on as there were always multiple calls taking place at other desks. The office I worked at also had no air conditioning - sometimes in the summer legally we had to work at home because the temperature would be over 40°, but also the air was not fresh so in the winter we had to keep the windows open. There was no healthy, quality affordable food offered. When Covid came and we started W@H - quickly it was clear, there was no going back. I enjoy working with people around the world every day and the office just doesn't suit this. Companies need to understand the work the staff are doing, if it’s a big international company and staff are working with people around the world, the idea of corridor conversions, coffee meet ups and water cooler moments won’t happen at a physical location either. If you work with a global org then the more comfortable that can be the better, don't get me started on commuting 🚂 Obviously keep offices for teams that live locally and work together but also invest money in high quality meet ups a few times a year that focus on culture and trust. They need to offer environments that will compel people to come to the office out of choice and also understand that some work is just better done at home - if they don’t chose too even though all the colleagues they work with are there, you have a problem, work on fixing the problem, not ordering people to come back so they begin to leave all together. Where I work now there is an office down the road which is wonderful and I love to have an excuse to go there. It's not about W@H or at the office, it's about finding the best place to do your best work. For me, at the moment it's at this desk 👌🏽 What do you think? 💭 https://lnkd.in/eQrpDnN3

🎎 Exploring the Rich Tapestry of Japanese Office Culture 🏢🇯🇵 Greetings LinkedIn community! 👋🌏 Having had the privilege of immersing myself in the unique realm of Japanese office culture, I am excited to share some insights into this fascinating and dynamic work environment. 🎌 👥 Collaboration and Harmony: Japanese offices are renowned for their emphasis on teamwork and unity. The collaborative spirit is deeply ingrained, with open communication channels and a commitment to collective success. This creates a harmonious workplace where everyone's efforts contribute to the overall success of the team. 📅 Punctuality and Precision: Punctuality is not just a virtue; it's a way of life in Japanese offices. Meetings start and end on time, emphasizing a commitment to efficiency and respect for colleagues' schedules. Precision is valued in all aspects of work, reflecting the meticulous attention to detail that is a hallmark of Japanese craftsmanship. 🎌 Hierarchy and Respect: A clear hierarchy is prevalent in Japanese office culture, rooted in the principles of respect and deference. Seniors are revered, and decisions often flow from the top down. However, this doesn't hinder communication; rather, it ensures a structured and organized work environment. 🍱 Lunchtime Rituals: Lunch breaks are a unique aspect of Japanese office life. Many employees enjoy a bento box at their desks, fostering a sense of continuity and dedication to work. This practice also promotes a healthy work-life balance by minimizing the need for longer lunch breaks outside the office. 🌸 Seasonal Celebrations: The Japanese cherish their rich cultural heritage, and this is evident in the way offices celebrate seasonal events. From cherry blossom viewing parties (hanami) in spring to year-end parties (bonenkai), these events strengthen team bonds and infuse the workplace with a sense of tradition and joy. 🌐 Global Integration: With an increasing focus on globalization, Japanese offices are becoming more diverse and inclusive. Embracing different perspectives and international collaboration is seen as essential for staying competitive in today's interconnected world. 🤝 Adaptability and Innovation: While tradition is valued, Japanese office culture is not stagnant. There is a growing emphasis on adaptability and innovation. Companies are integrating modern technologies and management practices to stay at the forefront of their industries. 🌈 Conclusion: Exploring Japanese office culture is a journey into a world where tradition meets modernity, and harmony coexists with innovation. It's a unique blend that fosters not only professional growth but also personal development. I'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences with Japanese office culture. Feel free to share your insights and stories in the comments! 🗨️🇯🇵 #JapaneseOfficeCulture #WorkplaceHarmony #GlobalBusiness #CrossCulturalExperience

The closure of the upscale lounge at Expensify, following a six-month experiment, seems to have confirmed CEO David Barrett's belief that bringing workers back to the office voluntarily is a challenging task. Barrett's blog post suggests that employees at other companies who are returning to the office may be doing so out of pressure rather than preference. While the return-to-office trend has gained momentum, some companies like Nvidia and Canva are taking a different approach by allowing employees to decide whether to use office spaces. The pandemic has reshaped our perception of work, with remote work remaining a top priority for many. Barrett emphasizes that the traditional nine-to-five office culture is unlikely to return, and businesses insisting on office returns may be fighting a losing battle. However, the lounge experiment did offer Expensify benefits such as product testing and impressing potential clients.

🏃♂️ Home office escape! Tips for co-working spaces? I love working from home but miss a real office. 2019 was the last year I spent five days a week in an office. When Covid forced us to stay at home, right away I missed the office and my colleagues. I even ordered the same - too expensive, but good - coffee machine we had at work to bring a piece of it home. A decision I do not regret as it still makes great coffee. Fast forward to today: I am working remotely from the Netherlands for The Forge, a UK-based consultancy. Fortunately, I get to spend quality face-to-face time with my colleagues in the UK every month, which I greatly appreciate. However, it’s not enough to satisfy my desire for office atmosphere or afternoons without having the kids around. Don’t get me wrong, working from home has many benefits. But after five years, I’ve come to realize it’s time to explore some office options outside my home for a day or two each week. Likely, one of the many co-working spaces in Amsterdam will do the trick. So, to my Amsterdam-based connections, I’m all ears for recommendations as the list of co-working venues in the city is endless. Good coffee is a crucial factor, I've been spoiled 😇

Many employers are calling employees back into offices, trying to restore the workplace of pre-pandemic days. Along with filling seats, they're also looking to bring back another relic: office culture. Pre-2020, office culture was synonymous with the 'cool' office: think places to lounge, stocked pantries and in-office happy hours that went all out; or luxe retreats and team-building exercises meant to foster the feeling of 'family'. In past years, these perks drew many workers to the office – in some cases, entire companies defined themselves by their office cultures.

My office today is a dozen steps from my refrigerator, which can be tempting. It’s also within arm’s length of my guitar, which is devilishly distracting. I am quite content, though, working virtually from home, making calls to all points of the globe in our day job in international development. There once was the typical professional office with about 100 staff sitting at various desks in two Moscow and Kyiv, and in a third, Istanbul. It was called The Willard Group. The teams were damn good at what they did as art directors, designers, copywriters, account executives, PR specialists, strategic planners, and governmental relations specialists. That was then. Eastern Europe is in the rearview mirror. We left, reluctantly, after two revolutions Olga and I supported.  It was time to come in from the cold. However, years ago, I had an epiphany. It was more a commercial reckoning than a religious experience. It was brought about by the belief that our offices are actually north of our belly buttons. It was the summer of my Ukrainian discontent. Ukraine’s economy was teetering between merely disastrous and catastrophic. But that was not unusual for the Wild East. So, I thought, why not jitterbug on that thin ice? I called it The Freedom Solution, and for Ukraine, it was revolutionary. After one year, I claimed success. That is what PR folks generally do. I set out to determine if a freer and more open environment could actually work in a land where work structures were rigid and experimentation rare. Could one make a profit while having an atmosphere more similar to a frat house? The Freedom Solution consisted of a 24-hour workday, an open-space office, and an all-mobile office. We went for the trifecta. I felt that adaptation to the 24-hour Workday would be the most difficult. I was wrong; The Open Office concept was the hardest. I had not counted on the nesting instincts of professionals. The all-mobile office went down as smoothly as 16-year-old Lagavulin. The most misunderstood concept was the 24-hour Workday. As branded, it seemed to imply that employees were on-call 24 hours daily. It merely meant getting work done within a 24-hour span. We live and work today in 24-hour time segments, and it really makes no difference if you are behind a desk, driving your car, showering, or washing the dishes. Time is not a thing but a state of mind. Intellectual work cannot be lassoed and contained within a glass cubicle. It is, in fact, a misnomer to label work by that traditional name, sort of like calling a car a horseless carriage. I suggest compensated time. Paid time can and does occur anywhere, and it is a 24-hour phenomenon. Nothing prescribes a workday as consecutive hours, usually eight and during the day. This doesn’t mean you have less time for family and leisure activity. It could mean more. You have seven days, 168 hours, and 10,080 minutes to develop that killer proposal. It's an ocean of time.

Although fifty-four percent of respondents said nothing could influence their decision to attend the office more often, there are some factors that may influence their decision. 14% stated better amenities such as health and wellness offerings, they would be inclined to attend more, while 12% of respondents said they would want their office space to undergo a significant renovation before going in more often.

Check out this article in LIBN with a perspective shift if you're struggling to get your teams back in the office 😊 It’s time to reimagine the office as a place where work and people concurrently thrive. Lillo: How co-working spaces can ease the return-to-office transition #LONGISLANDBUSINESS #LONGISLANDREALESTATE #LONGISLANDSMALLBUSINESS #NEWYORKREALESTATE https://lnkd.in/e8AT-KwN