DB Interiors explain for the benefit of anyone considering changing their workplace just exactly what is Activity Based Working. Activity based working (ABW) is based on the premise that no employee ‘owns’ or has an assigned workstation. Rather, the broader workspace provides employees with a variety of predetermined activity areas that allow them to conduct specific tasks including learning, focusing, collaborating and socialising.
This new way of working is positioned as a team-orientated approach, which must be flexible enough for diverse teams to adapt their allocated home zones to their needs. For ABW to be successful, the losses and gains should be made explicit with the new focus on team ownership emphasised: individual ownership of a workstation is lost and team ownership of a home zone is gained. The transition from a ‘me’ to a ‘we’ mindset is one that needs to be supported by a structured change management programme in which leaders play an imperative role.
Leaders must actively help their employees overcome their resistance to a change to ABW and ensure that they remain empowered and engaged from a work and social perspective. Promoting employee connections and a sense of belongingness and place remains relevant at work and should become a more active behaviour in ABW leaders.
ABW is about supporting employees while they’re in the office, so they perform at their best every day. It’s not one size fits all, and it’s about flexibility for people to do their best work for the teammates and the organisation. Ideally, It is about helping employees to do their best and be their best selves while working.
Finally, for ABW to be successful, it must be relevant to the workforce: who they are and what they do at work. ABW is not for everyone and is more appropriate for a workforce that is mobile or is planning to embrace mobility with the support of its leadership team. It may be that ABW is applied to some teams or departments within an organisation, but not all, as is the case in New Zealand.
If you’re transforming the way you work and need your space to transform with it, contact DB Interiors, and for more information on interior designer, office design Wellington and interior design NZ please go to http://dbinteriors.co.nz .
