Hixson Thought Leadership Series Event Reveals the Truths About Today’s Workplace Design

“We’re the mythbusters.” Eleanor Forster, Managing Director of North America for global insights leader Leesman, kicked off the 2018 Hixson Thought Leadership Series presentation on September 20 with this intriguing statement.  In saying so, Forster was noting that the independent, unbiased workplace research conducted by Leesman can often challenge certain assumptions that are made about workplace strategies and design options.  Consider open offices:  According to Leesman research, a large amount of high-performing workplaces have open floorplans. While some may say that open workspaces are not good for productivity, some very high performing workplaces on the Leesman Index are open plan.  The reality, says Ms. Forster, is that “there is good open plan design and bad open plan design.”

Another area that Ms. Forster’s presentation focused on was the impacts that workspace design has on employees. Five key areas led the field: Atriums and common areas, informal work and breakout areas, having a variety of different types of workspaces, general décor, and quiet rooms for working alone or in pairs.   In addition, as most could expected noise levels and temperature were also cited as leading impact factors.  Yet, “noise doesn’t always mean loud,” said Ms. Forster.  “It means suitable for what your work needs are.”

Hixson’s Thought Leadership Series events are designed to present ideas on today’s hottest topics from some of the world’s renowned workplace experts. If you missed “The Role of Workplace Design in Strengthening Employee Engagement and Performance,” watch our blog for a highlights video of the event, coming soon, or contact us today to make sure you get the invitation for next time!

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Highlights from the 2017 Hixson Thought Leadership Series