HI there, 

STEP INSIDE THE INNERCIRCLE:

your monthly recap to stay connected with the world of Smart tech and Smart life.

FROM SUMMER TO SEPTEMBER

The hazy days of summer will soon give way to thoughts of returning to work this fall. Timelines are shifting with variables at play, and everyone is on a different spectrum with how they feel about going back into an office. Especially as COVID numbers begin to rise once again in the U.S., Australia and other regions with the highly contagious Delta variant. 

For months, companies have planned reopenings based on hybrid work models that balance remote and in-person. If we drop the spreadsheets and Zoom strat sessions for a moment, it’s a good time to remember that employees are people – with unique feelings and concerns. 

In fact, one industry expert we spoke with, who’s worked with thousands of clients and employees, says people are burnt out and stressed out. This problem touches all industries, and it’s more important than ever for organizations to ask their people what they think – and listen. You only get one chance to invite them back to a first experience. We’ll explore more around this in future posts. 

Since early spring 2020, people have made sudden, deep adjustments to their lives. Expecting them to return from parameters in 2019 amounts to unsound business strategies. While inconsistencies are the name of the game in this return to work, a targeted, phased return with initial capacity in the 25-30 percent range seems to be the trend currently in play. And the thread holding key decisions together? Data.

So… where are we right now?

VIEW FROM AROUND THE WORLD

At InnerSpace, we are laser focused on figuring out the post-pandemic, hybrid workplace - how it will look, how companies will measure and manage it, and ultimately what trends and best practices emerge. As the rise of talk of hybrid workplace continues, we decided to see where the rest of the world is at in the return to work and change management.

We hit the library instead (read: internet), spoke to a few of our colleagues, and tried to catch a bird’s eye view of how businesses in key global cities were faring as COVID continues to hang around and cause havoc. Take a five minute trip to see what’s happening on the ground in Manhattan, San Francisco, Toronto, Sydney, London, Frankfurt, Singapore, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Tel Aviv in our recent article.

YOUR OFFICE REAL ESTATE: IS NOW ACTUALLY THE TIME TO GROW

Around the world, companies are busy debating what to do with their real estate portfolio that has probably been a source of consternation during COVID. But what if now, with commercial tenants in the driver’s seat and office vacancy rates high in major cities, is in fact the time to pounce and the time to grow – even if it’s months or years before that growth is expected to happen?

One key to accelerating out of the pandemic: be real estate flexible. Consider all the cards on the table. Could a company grow within its existing office space? Does a five- or 10-year plan call for growing real estate this year, while the iron is hot? Our latest article takes aim at this idea – and details an inexpensive simple way to gain data-driven insights into how offices perform in order to make such decisions.

NEW IN SMART TECH

Can smart technology possibly make us smarter? These researchers think so. In fact, they surmise that smart tech actually supplements our biological cognitive thinking, helping us to excel.  

If that’s the case, perhaps we can start being smarter about how we’re managing climate change. In the quest to make our cities more resilient and sustainable, several Smart city projects are cropping up. One impressive example comes out of Saudia Arabia called “The Line” – a 100-mile climate-first Smart-city without cars or streets that’s entirely powered by renewable energy – and where all residents can find what they need within a five-minute walk.  

Yet Smart tech isn’t just confined to the city alone – in fact, it’s giving the farm sector a significant boost. In India, the pandemic has accelerated the digitization of farming with IoT-based systems that can monitor agricultural land, allowing farmers to keep tabs on their fields from anywhere. A government app, Kisan Suvidha, also provides information on weather conditions, market price, dealer info, plant protection, and more.

ICYMI

• Our latest metric post dives into the art of measuring frequency.  
• Explore the top 5 most urgent questions companies should be asking themselves right now as offices begin to reopen. 
• What’s Desk Reservation 2.0? Find out about key outcomes from this approach here.

Source: The New Yorker

That's a wrap... 

THANKS FOR READING, FOR SUBSCRIBING, AND FOR BEING PART OF THE CONVERSATION. See you in September!

Stay well,

YOUR TEAM AT INNERSPACE