PUTTING THE TEAM FIRST
The traditional workplace model strives for efficiency and reliability, but the emerging focus among more progressive and volatile organisations is agility, innovation and connection.
While this shift is transforming team structures and work methodologies, the physical workplace, based on open plan and activity-based working (ABW), remains largely efficiencybased. This problem is compounded as workplace performance continues to be measured against individual performance rather than that of teams.
We need a new workplace model that puts the team above all else. Here, we share a case study developed by Resource Architecture with Latrobe University Research to develop and pilot such a model, identifying the key learnings for facilities managers.
FROM EFFICIENCY TO TEAM-BASED WORKING
The 20th century defined the organisation and much of our thinking on management. Management distilled every role and function into the most efficient process, then overlaid ‘culture’ that would recognise and reward individual achievement. The structure was a command and control hierarchy where ‘managers’ were accountable for individual performance.
Within a stable business environment, this workplace model served us
