Navigating the return

SEPTEMBER: THE OTHER JANUARY

The return of yellow school buses to our streets. Uhauls pulling up in college towns. Crossing guards. Back-to-school specials everywhere – including, (next to pencil cases, noteboards and electronics)...masks.

No matter how far removed you are from academia, September has that feeling. Like the end of something and the beginning of another. We’ve all been students and those back-to-school sentiments run deep, especially after Labor Day. So here we are… it’s that time of year again – set again in the second straight spectacular summer and fall of collective uncertainty.

Just as teachers dust off their lesson plans, big companies were expected to be cracking open fresh return-to-the-workplace plans in earnest this month. The Delta variant, as we know, has got in the way of that effort. And it’s also causing anxiety in colleges among administration and students as nearly 20 million U.S. college students return to classes.

Our newest article details one major college’s efforts to improve the campus experience and make it safer – via indoor location technology. Cafes and dining halls are clear areas of congregation at every school. This school is implementing the InnerSpace platform, and using apps and digital signage to demonstrate for students real-time occupancy and density levels inside each dining hall, empowering them to make personal choices and when and where they visit (and enabling food service providers to tailor their procedures and offerings accordingly).

FROM SCHOOL SPIRIT TO CORPORATE CULTURE

As we round the corner into fall, the hopeful normalcy many were expecting in a September return-to-the-workplace has not yet come to fruition. Glass half full: this gives companies more time to refine their reopening plans.

Aside from the practical considerations of returning to work, leaders must keep employees’ emotional considerations in mind too. It’s a lot to navigate – and for guidance, many companies are seeking the expertise of organizations that can build and design plans that influence the softer side of returning to the workplace.

HOK is one such organization, and we recently sat down with its principal, Susan Chang, about how she and her team guide organizations through the physical changes that can influence the softer side of returning to the workplace – as well as how data drives meaningful change. You can read more about her thoughts along with key insights from our director of client success Talia Poleski, here.

PRACTICAL TIPS USING DATA TO DESIGN YOUR WORKPLACE

Understanding the need for a flexible space to suit your hybrid workforce and knowing how to practically adapt an evolving space to your needs can be challenging. Susan Chang also took us through some key considerations when it comes to welcoming employees back into a space that puts both safety and emotional needs first.

Good news: it’s possible to start small, but it’s important to start somewhere, with research, technology and transparent communication at the core.

NEW IN SMART TECH

The maker of our original smartphone – laid to rest by IOS and Android – has been hitting the streets. BlackBerry has pivoted to Smart cars, pioneering software that tracks real-time locational, traffic and other data in millions of cars being driven right now. Most recently, this technology is being test driven by Amazon in its pursuit of self-driving vehicles.

For an aging population, Smart tech is set to revolutionize senior living. To help older adults and the caregivers who support them, smart home systems that manage lighting, thermostats, medical dispensers and so much more, can be actively monitored from anywhere.

Speaking of Smart lights: a new study has unveiled a new way to capture indoor light in a manner similar to how we capture solar power technology – enabling energy-efficient buildings and all manner of IoT devices.

Smart tech is also affording new opportunities to help individuals with disabilities – 61 million of whom live across the U.S. A team from the New York Times picked and tested a roster of Smart devices that hold the greatest promise for this segment of the population. Read their guide here.

IN OUR SPACE...

See how InnerSpace helps companies get ahead after COVID – and how an employee-focused hybrid office is set to transform business – in this interview our CEO James Wu did with Enterprise Podcast Network.
Keeping the benefits of work from home whilst reopening offices takes a thoughtful approach – but isn’t as complex as some in the media portray it to be. James penned an article to this effect, “Five Ways to Set Up Your Hybrid Workforce for Success” in CEO World magazine. Find it here.
There is opportunity in every square foot: See how our platform can transform a workplace to support hybrid workstyles.