Pilot projects: Simple interventions, multiple benefits
Are you thinking of formalising hybrid working, or activity based working?
Or exploring what less time in the office per employee per week means for your office space?
Or perhaps you’re thinking of converting a large portion of your space from desking to collaboration space.
A workplace pilot project is a great way to test out new ideas, ways of working or new and different workplace settings.
Pilot projects create an opportunity to test and refine workplace concepts before committing to investment.
In a workplace scenario, a pilot approach can assist with efficiently testing and implementing new workplace configurations, space settings and ways of working. Specific teams or spaces can be identified as test beds, and engaged in this regard as part of a broader workplace strategy or change initiative.
Pilots are about live research and testing
The workplace is a constantly evolving system of people, processes and the physical environment. So any pilot should test and track holistically, engaging with employees to gauge their feedback as well as measuring the relevant hard data around space and process. It’s an exercise in exploration and optimization.
Some possible areas to test could include:
What settings (collab spaces, meeting areas, desk areas, quiet rooms etc) do we need now? Testing settings and their appropriateness for work activities: type of setting, number, amount of space required
Amount of space actually needed: Do we really need 1 desk per person? Test out desk sharing and booking system in a pilot.
Do these changes make a difference to us? Overall impact on brand, culture, employee willingness to come into the office
How could we improve these changes? Gauging the user experience, and users’ ideas for improvement
Workplace pilot projects are best run when highly visible within the workspace, and when well communicated before, during and after the exercise.
Benefits
Workplace pilots can save money, avoid undue stress and resource usage, and provide insights on what needs to be implemented to achieve business goals.
The are low risk high reward
They create certainty and help build the business case for investment
Real-life research gives more accurate insight than any prediction or data modelling
Employees are directly involved in the feedback process, participating to co-create the outcome, which is both engaging and creates broader buy-in, setting the foundation for a smoother change management process when the prototype, or a version of it, is eventually implemented.
Employees in the broader business have visibility of the process, which also helps to build trust and create positive anticipation around the change.
It’s no wonder Google is investing in pilots across 10% of their spaces!
Google is utilising pilot spaces to test and refine its new workplace kit of parts. Over the next year or so, Google will try out new office designs in millions of square feet of space, or about 10 percent of its global work spaces.
Instead of rows of desks next to cookie-cutter meeting rooms, Google is designing “Team Pods.” Each pod is a blank canvas: Chairs, desks, whiteboards and storage units on casters can be wheeled into various arrangements, and in some cases rearranged in a matter of hours.
Find out more here.
And for more: Global design firm Gensler also sings the praises of Pilot spaces here.
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At Space Sense we’re great believers in being open minded and exploratory when it comes to workplace development (and life in general, really!). We can assist with workplace pilot project conceptualisation, setup and management.
If you’re looking to explore your workplace options through a pilot project, get in touch with us today.
Image credit: LinkedIn Sales Solutions on Unsplash