Workshop New Work: How we want to work

Work-life balance or pure efficiency, home office or presence work, flexibility or structure? The world of work has been changing for years. Corona and labour shortages have driven these discussions further - and we are also continuously dealing with the topic. Because: In every company, different interests come together that should be brought to a common denominator. In December, we had a workshop in our conference room with one goal in mind: to create a working environment in which we all enjoy working.

The future will be rosy - at least maybe. That was one of the outcomes of our workshop on the future of work at our company. But let's start from the beginning: New Work is not a foreign word at GOOS COMMUNICATION. For years and in ever-changing constellations, we have been thinking about how our cooperation can be shaped. Team workshops, employee surveys - such instruments help to bring together the different interests that naturally exist in every company and to create an environment in which everyone feels comfortable.

After two years in which external factors had changed everyday working life (not only in our company), it was now time to take the reins ourselves. That's why Florian and Yvonne invited us to a team workshop, which began with each of us having to draw why we like coming to work. The result would not have secured any of us a place at art college. But the stick figures in different qualities showed the first thing we had in common: it's our colleagues. We like working together. With this very good premise, Torsten Koschnitzke, our trusted coach, led us through the day.

How much flexibility is allowed and when does it lead to arbitrariness? How much home office is desirable and at what point does it no longer make sense to maintain an office infrastructure? These were the questions we discussed and for which we sought concrete answers. Because one thing is clear despite all the New Work cosiness: everyone is different and has different interests. When several people come together, compromises are always necessary - and we found them. And in a way that accommodates everyone a little.

Office architecture: the fixed workstation has had its day

Torsten Koschnitzke was not the only external guest who accompanied our workshop. After he had finished his part, the topic was how the GOOS COMMUNICATION headquarters should be designed in the future. The situation today: everyone has their desk, there is a conference room (which is rarely used), a lounge corner (which is rarely used) and a reception desk. Just the classic office. Some time ago, there was an employee survey that also dealt with the design of the office. Interior designer Juliane Bennien presented her proposals in the second part of the workshop. Specialising in modern office design, she brought in the current findings for new-work environments: If everyone can work from anywhere and not everyone is always in the office at the same time, not everyone needs a fixed desk. This creates space for creative rooms: an office is designed for teamwork, there are variable workplaces that can be occupied as the day's tasks require. Quiet areas make concentrated work possible. And customers are received as they wish: in a lounge atmosphere, at casual bar tables or in the conference area. Analogous to living, where we no longer speak of living rooms, dining rooms or bedrooms, but of functional zones that can overlap, our offices are also becoming more flexible. And it is becoming more colourful: Juliane also had colour suggestions in her luggage: the palette ranged from Hanseatic brick red to muted pink. The vote is still pending. So it has not yet been decided whether it will be pink. But one thing is certain: the future will be rosy!