Unleashing Potential: The Power of Workplace Design

Imagine the potential within your organisation. Every person, at every level, has unique talents and abilities waiting to be unleashed. The difference between good organisations and great ones lies in their ability to tap into this potential and empower employees to perform at their best.

Korn Ferry, in their report titled Potential Code, outlines a 6-step recipe for successfully tapping into the potential of your workforce. Workplace design is a critical ingredient in this recipe. It directly influences and impacts each of these six elements of success:

1. Leadership

Leadership sets the tone for an organisation. Visionary leaders create a climate of possibility, inspiring their teams to reach new heights. Your workplace should be a physical manifestation of this vision. A space that aligns with your leadership aspirations can significantly impact employee morale and productivity.

• Aligning the workplace with your vision: When your workspace reflects your company's aspirations, it reinforces the leader's message and inspires employees.
• Creating a positive climate: A well-designed workplace contributes to a positive work environment, reducing turnover and boosting employee morale.

2. Purpose

A strong sense of purpose can be a powerful motivator. However, it’s not enough to just define your purpose; it must be lived. Your workplace can serve as a living embodiment of your organisational purpose. By designing spaces that reflect your values and mission, you can foster a deeper connection between employees and the company’s goals.

• Living the purpose: When your workspace reflects your organisation's purpose, it becomes a daily reminder for employees.
• Creating a sense of belonging: A workplace that aligns with your purpose fosters a strong sense of belonging and pride.

3. Culture

Workplace design is a powerful tool for shaping organisational culture. It can reinforce positive behaviors and help to change negative ones. By understanding your desired culture and designing spaces that support it, you can create an environment where employees feel valued, engaged, and inspired.

• Understanding your culture: Assess your current culture and identify the desired culture. Design your workspace to support the desired culture.
• Integrating subcultures: Different teams within an organisation have unique cultures. Your workplace should accommodate these differences while promoting overall unity.

4. Motivation

To boost employee engagement and productivity, offer greater choice and flexibility through workplace design. Provide spaces for both collaboration and focused work, as well as areas for relaxation and rejuvenation. By creating a workplace that supports employees' needs and preferences, you can enhance their overall well-being and job satisfaction.

• Offering choice: Empower employees by giving them options for where and how they work.
• Driving connections: Create spaces for collaboration, socialisation, and idea generation.
• Providing retreat: Offer quiet spaces for focused work and relaxation.
• Prioritising well-being: A healthy workplace supports employee well-being and productivity.

5. Team Chemistry

Workplace design can facilitate stronger team bonds by providing opportunities for both formal and informal interaction. Create spaces that encourage collaboration, idea sharing, and social connection. By fostering a sense of community, you can improve team performance and innovation.

• Creating opportunities for interaction: Design spaces that encourage both formal and informal collaboration.
• Encouraging socialisation: Provide areas for employees to relax and connect.

6. Alignment

Empower your employees by giving them control over how and where they work. Provide a variety of work settings to accommodate different tasks and work styles. By offering choice and flexibility, you can help employees optimise their productivity and job satisfaction.

• Providing flexibility: Offer a variety of workspaces to accommodate different work styles.
• Enabling focus: Create quiet spaces for concentrated work.

The bottom line: Investing in workplace design is an investment in your people. By creating a workspace that supports the six elements of potential, you can unlock the full potential of your workforce and drive significant business growth. The numbers speak for themselves:

• Increase EBITDA by as much as 16%
• Create 8x higher engagement
• Get 2.5x higher revenues (compared to competitors who engage their teams less)
• Boost performance by 40% among your teams
• Add as much as 30% on your bottom line

Your workplace design is the key to activating these six elements and tapping into the full potential of your employees. Are you ready to unlock yours? Speak to our experts!