Is the ‘sexy office’ dead post-COVID?
Speaking on a JLA webinar this week, Rory Sutherland opined that the ideal office of the future will combine the qualities of a pub for socialising + a library for deep work.
While Richard Reeves, founder of Innocent, wondered whether recent changes in how we work foretell the end of introverts being dominated by extraverts. Now deep-thinking, detailed introverts can happily work at home and get stuff done—while people with ‘charisma’ are less useful.
Office predictions
Both views reveal the big question at the heart of the kind of office jobs many of us will go back to. Will we use offices:
as both a social space and deep work space?
or for creative and connecting work—staying home otherwise?
On the vlog this week, clinical psychologist Bill Mitchell reflects on what offices are for.
Mulling these issues, inspired me to also speak to Danny Tseng, co-founder of Syllable Design. His view is that the tech idea of the sexy office, as promoted by Google, is over.
‘Farewell’ to pool tables, Prosecco taps, and beanbags.
‘Hello’ to training and talent development, psychological welfare, and social connection.
Which resonates with work I’ve been doing this year, ostensibly to support people working remotely, but in practice providing a shared point of connection. Whether hybrid and remote working, communications, or parenting in lockdown—the subject matters less than people having a moment to think, reflect, and talk to each other.
And perhaps after this we’ll all become what Rory called TWATs: people who work Tuesdays, Wednesdays, And Thursdays in the office. (It’ll come as no great surprise that I’ve been a TWAT for years.)
But wait...
Not everyone so confident that we’ll seek the office for those connections. The CEO of Brompton bicycles Will Butler-Adams reckons offices are going to have to make themselves more appealing to compensate for the pain of the train, and the appeal of home. Perhaps it’s not time to rip out those Prosecco taps just yet.
It seems to me that the more prosaic answer is that offices won’t mix pubs and libraries as much as nod to the modern clubs that have sprung up of recent years. The great tragedy will be those who have gone bankrupt waiting for their moment.
Here’s to seeing you there
-Christine x
