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Creating an Agile Workplace

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James Osgood, Founder and President Of OfficeFinder LLC, recently wrote a blog on creating an Agile workplace. He defines the Agile workplace as:

An agile workplace is one that is constantly changing, adjusting and responding to organizational needs. Agility requires a dynamic relationship between employees, management, work and the workplace as well how work productivity gets measured. Many companies are now finding that in order to attract and retain the best and the brightest, they need to rethink the workplace and how work gets done.

By creating different working areas within the organization, ensures that employees have complete freedom and flexibility to work where they want, when they want.

Lee Parsons, Marketing Manager at Office Principles, shares in a blog that the key take-away point from Agile working is the idea that workers are given back their space and allowed to work where they feel most comfortable. This could be a quiet pod, a collaborative bench space, an armchair or a traditional desk.

James, explains four laws of the Agile workplace as follows:

  1. Access to the company information: Employees or team members need to have access to the company information from multiple devices. Additional to that a company floor plan that encourages collaboration.
  2. Scalable Workplace: The agile workplace must be adaptable one. Depending on the services or products, organizations probably find sales surge at certain times of the year and slows down at others. In order to be agile, you could consider downsizing or up-sizing the work area seasonally.
  3. Agile workplace for IT Team: Agile workplace for IT team allows them to reach and assist team members without going on an hour hike.
  4. Harness the power: To be truly agile, track social media sites regularly and effectively follow followers’ responses and emerging social trends.

Simon Evans, wrote a news on The Sydney Morning Herald, that KPMG has spent $7 million on a new workspace prototype of the modern office to reinforce flexible working as a way of life for everyone. Started from the KPMG Adelaide office, this Agile workspace, is likely to be rolled out to KPMG's other capital city offices. He described some key features of new setup as:

The office is split into zones. If you don't want to be pestered, head to a "focus" area. If you are wandering around in the "collaborate" zones then you're up for some serious interaction. If you come up with a smart idea then sprint to a "spark" area to quickly get your brainwave down on one of the electronic screens or whiteboards built into the walls.

Don't bother looking for a phone with a handset on any of the desks to make a call. There aren't any. The entire office works through laptops. Simply put on a headset to take the call which is routed through your laptop.

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