The workplace and the way we work is constantly evolving. With offices embracing a system where remote and in-office experiences intertwine, it is imperative for modern workplaces to adapt and become a magnet to draw employees in. Adapting to this new era demands a reimagining of the office, with a focus on creating environments that not only meet the needs of employees, but also inspire and foster collaboration, making their daily commute worthwhile.
A recent survey by Cisco found that 96 per cent of employees expressed the need for intelligent workplace technology that improves their work environment and experience. As a pioneer in Smart Spaces technology Cisco Spaces brought together some of the finest minds who understand the workplace culture and employee behavior, to discuss How To Make The Office A Magnet, Not A Mandate.
An Inspiring Panel Of Experts
To dive into the nuances of what makes a workplace tick, Cisco Spaces chose four pioneers in their respective fields.
Together, they combined their expertise in facilitating immersive workplace experiences and employee wellbeing, to deliver an insightful conversation on creating workplaces that are conducive to strategy, wellness, productivity and more. Our panel of experts made a clear case for the need for smarter workplaces, and how technology plays a vital role in making the workplace more human. Click here to watch on-demand (limited time only!)
Making The Workplace More Human
Creating a human-centric workplace involves several aspects, including fostering connection, promoting wellbeing, ensuring productivity and experiences that engage employees, enhancing their sense of belonging and purpose. In a Fireside Chat, our panel discussed four deciding qualities of a magnetic workplace and how they shape an employee’s experience in the office.
Purpose & Productivity
Does a sense of purpose influence productivity?
Perks vs Purpose: What makes the commute to work worth it?
For many decades, we thought purpose and well-being are nice to have. Now, data makes it clear that in fact, purpose is a productivity multiplier. What we are looking for is sustainable productivity without burnout and purpose becomes key, because then it’s not just a job, it’s incorporated into your full life.
– Arianna Huffington
I don’t think perks alone get you there. You have to have an intention for the experiences that you’re trying to create and the connections. The commute is worth it if there are meaningful connections. If there’s a purpose on the other side of that commute.
– Francine Katsoudas
Picasso said, the meaning of life is to find your gift and the purpose of life is to give it away. So right now, as I look at workplaces, it’s becoming extremely important that people use their strengths and life purpose in the workplace.
– Deepak Chopra
Culture & Collaboration
How does hybrid work impact workplace culture?
How do you ensure effective collaboration and digital equality in hybrid offices?
If you’re a leader, I think you’re now an event manager. And you need to think about it that way. Because you are always now accountable for the experience of your people, however they work.
– Francine Katsoudas
At Thrive, one of our key values for collaboration is what we call collaborative directness – people expressing dissatisfaction, frustration. If you can express and not let it fester, it makes a huge difference. It is easy to express in person or at least on Webex, so you can see each other. Never have a difficult conversation on text or email.
– Arianna Huffington
Health & Wellbeing
How does employee wellbeing impact productivity?
How can workplaces ensure employee wellbeing and overall healthier spaces?
We are reimagining workspaces and also reimagining life because we used to think that human beings are like machines, and the goal with machines and software is to minimize downtime. But for the human operating system, downtime is a feature. It’s not a bug.
– Arianna Huffington
Disengaged workers account for about $300 billion of lost economy in the workplace. So to enhance wellbeing in order to enhance productivity and economic wellbeing, you need expansion of self awareness through technologies and opportunities for people to express their talents to complement them with each other.
– Deepak Chopra
Sustainability & Space Efficiency
How can we use technology to drive sustainability and efficiency?
Is there a connection between employee wellness and a sustainable workspace?
Before COVID-19, our buildings were configured in a way where 70 per cent of the real estate was set up as individual space where people could work in their cubes. And today, only 30 per cent is individualized. Because when we come into the office, we want to meet with one another. Analytics guides us around how our people are using the space, it’s very helpful.
– Francine Katsoudas
The more sustainable our lives are and the more offices drive sustainability, the more sustainable we’ll be able to make the planet. We have a sustainability planetary crisis. And we have a burnout, individual and company crisis, and the two are much more interconnected than we think.
– Arianna Huffington
Smart tech that powers Smart Spaces
Cisco Spaces develops purpose driven technology that enables wellbeing, collaboration, sustainability and productivity in the office. Cisco Spaces works on a foundation of Cisco’s best-in-class infrastructure (network infra, collaboration devices and sensors), turning the network into a sensor to enable outcomes that positively impacts employees, visitors, businesses and the planet, too.
In a nutshell, Cisco empowers enterprises to make their workplace more human with purpose-driven technology. This is the inspiration behind Spaces’ product innovations. The Spaces apps launched during the event are no different. The Smart Spaces Suite makes use of your Cisco network, collaboration devices and sensors as a foundation, and the Cisco Spaces cloud platform as middleware, to turn buildings into Smart Spaces. They then deliver business outcomes for IT, Facilities, Workplace Experience, Real-Estate and Operations teams. Here are the Smart Spaces suite of apps for workplaces that we launched at the digital event.
The Smart Spaces Suite for Workplaces At A Glance
- Digital Signage 2.0: Welcome employees with a visual representation of room and desk availability and indoor air quality, using AI-powered 3D maps on digital signages.
- Indoor Wayfinding: Get turn-by-turn directions to available meeting rooms, desks and other points of interest – no mobile app download necessary.
- Smart Desking: Reserve desks in advance, or on arriving at the office, and use wayfinding to locate them.
- Smart Rooms: Prioritize employee wellbeing and energy efficiency with rooms that automatically and actively optimize temperature, air quality and lighting.
- Space Utilization Analytics: Use data to learn how real estate is being utilized and analyze environmental trends in the workplace.
Watch the Cisco Digital Event On-demand, for a limited time only
Watch a recording of the complete digital event including previews of all the new Cisco Spaces apps and features. Available for a limited time only.
