What is the perfect working and gathering space for a growing company? “Well, let’s start by not calling it an office,” says Danelle Dilibero, Augury’s VP of People, who has a global workforce wishing to collaborate in person more often. “Instead, we need to ask questions like ‘Is on-site the new off-site?’ and ‘How do we balance remote working with the human drive for direct contact?”
Avoiding The O-Word
The perfect working space comes down to the old saying that one-size doesn’t fit all. For certain jobs and/or people, working from home has provided the perfect balance of flexibility and productivity. For other jobs and/or people, it’s better – or even required if you are, say, a nurse – to be in-person. But for most, there’s an aspiration for a Goldilocks-Just-Rightness between the two.
So, how do we accommodate all the flavors as we try to formulate a future-resistant gathering place for a growing organization?
Let’s start with the basics. Why might we need a shared workplace? Basically, there are two reasons:
- To offer a place to work to those who need it. After all, not everyone’s home is a comfortable or safe place to work. This is a very pragmatic reason. And also a very passive one.
- To create a place for hospitable collaboration. We want our teams to get together for activity and bonding (and occasionally for all the teams to get together for a proper party). In this scenario, it’s less about daily working tasks and more about being actively together in the name of fostering organic conversations and decision making.
Did you notice I went three paragraphs without using the word “office”? Indeed, too many people think the productivity solution is in getting everyone back in the office – Greece is even bringing in the option of a six-day work week. At Augury, we know this won’t work for us.
Better Together, But…
I’m not for or against working fully remotely, or returning to the office five days a week. Either can work in certain situations. Each company’s needs are unique to its business and people. In other words, this idea of “one size doesn’t fit all” also refers to companies – with each company needing to find its own way to work optimally.
In the case of Augury, we are a people-first company. We’re also a global company with employees spread thin worldwide. At the same time, I recently witnessed the power – and need – of bringing people together. Humans are built to bond. And, we should also admit the enforced remote working brought on by COVID was also very artificial.
So yes, we at Augury are committed to the middle path: hybrid. But how do you make that feel as natural as possible? Well, now we have a clean slate to rethink how to make the best of both scenarios. So, let’s take the time to get it right.
“I certainly experienced that camp as a return to each other. But how do you capture this for the long-term?”
Augury at Camp: Capturing Fireflies
Earlier this year, we had an offsite where over 100 global employees came together at a lakefront camp. It was only about a third of our company, but we had never done anything like this before.
While we bonded over hikes and campfires, we also had a full schedule of training and workshops. Over the last three years, our company has evolved with new team members, new customers, and new offerings and it was a good time to catch-up. For some attendees, this was the first time meeting face to face. Not only did relationships form, but I overheard someone say, “I just learned more in 30 minutes than I would have reading 30 Slack messages on this topic.”
As a recent joiner myself, I could relate. And I certainly experienced that camp as a return to each other. But how do you capture this for the long-term?
“A long-term space should feel like home. The coffee is always waiting. That cool lunch spot is around the corner. In fact, that cool lunch spot could be in the space itself.”
A Home, Not A Hotel
This return-to-each-other mindset aligns with the number one reason people book coworking spaces in the US. According to a recent study, it’s not about getting out of the kitchen or changing the scenery. It’s about collaborating with colleagues.
But a daily booking of a coworking space can give off a sterile vibe. You can often get lost in the logistics of the new: getting there, finding the best coffee, connecting to the Wifi and reserving a phone booth for the private conversation.
A long-term space should feel like home. The coffee is always waiting. That cool lunch spot is around the corner. In fact, that cool lunch spot could be in the space itself.
Calibrating The Perfect Balance
Happily, Augury already has an in-house pioneer. Our spot in Haifa, Israel, where most of our R&D team is located, set up its own hybrid space that actively sought the balance between working from home and the magic that happens when the people we are working with come together to work in a shared space.
According to the designer, Augury’s Creative Manager Adi Shaul, “We still recognize the advantages of remote work – in terms of its potential to improve workflow, adapt to the global nature of our company, and benefit the life/work balance. During the pandemic, we certainly adapted more quickly to this remote working – and partying – than most companies. However, we also recognize the advantages of shared workspace in terms of inspiring team camaraderie and innovation.”
In short, each team has two set days a week – and of course, everyone is welcome to come more often. The space accommodates changing needs – from quiet areas to flexibility to open everything up for larger parties and gatherings.
Meanwhile, everyone comes for one set day every month. This day is different from other days – it truly represents that expression ‘onsite is the new offsite’. It’s the day of the all-hands office meeting. If there’s a holiday that month, this is the time they celebrate. There’s usually a special lunch or activity. It’s a day that’s very community-based and collaborative. It’s a day many look forward to.
Not many companies can draw such direct inspiration. At the same time, this scenario works for Haifa – and it remains a work in progress. The US side of our organization is dispersed, and diverse, and this must be accounted for.
“It’s a place where you feel comfortable putting down your bags. It’s a place where you feel ‘anchored yet not chained’.”
Homebase As Anchor
So in our journey in finding the right formulation for our homebase locations, we already know a few things.
In short, we want to create an anchor for our employees. We want a place to feel a sense of a community outside of our home communities. And you certainly don’t get that same sense of community Slacking back and forth all day. This is a place that’s definitely not sterile or random. It’s a place where you feel comfortable putting down your bags. It’s a place where you feel “anchored yet not chained”.
So, how do you find, bottle, and scale that?
We’re working on it. So, stay tuned…
Read more from Danelle: ‘How To Grow A Larger And More Diverse Manufacturing Workforce’.
