The Workplace You Need Now

2Personalizing the Workplace

“If you want to create a great product, just focus on one person. Make that one person have the most amazing experience ever.”

Brian Chesky, CEO, Airbnb

During the past decade or so, leading companies have begun to view their workplace as a consumer product – that is, a service or resource that employees can consume just as they might “consume” a residence, a hotel room, a cell phone, or a new car. Many of the products we consume these days can be personalized and configured with a single swipe or tap, but the workplace – whether physical or digital – has historically been less responsive, lacking the kind of personalization that individuals might expect or desire.

Yet, if the workplace could be consumed in a more personalized way, it would unleash significant improvements in engagement, performance, and value. Consider the simple office layout. The working world is filled with analysts and administrative assistants who struggle to be productive in one-size-fits-all open-plan environments. If provided with some level of privacy and a quiet workspace, and perhaps the flexibility to work quietly at home, these beleaguered workers could become top performers. The office may provide space – but is it the right kind of space for different kinds of work?

Conversely, thousands of lawyers, managing directors, and executives across industries thrive when they are closely connected to their employees and spending more time in collaborative environments. ...