Building a Connected Workspace

I N T R O
The workplace of the future is adapting to the demands of a worker who
has always known collaborative technology, and physical location is no
longer a barrier to connection. Employees expect a work environment
where they have a myriad of options for getting things done. The move
to a connected workspace isn’t just for cool tech companies, as companies
everywhere look into what their people need to excel. Research firm
Workplace Trends predicts that getting serious about office design
and using it as a way to increase collaboration and attract top talent
will be a major theme this year.
What does it really mean to be connected in today’s workplace?
In this ebook, experts from the leading design firms, workplace
researchers, employee engagement innovators, and businesses that are
already introducing collaborative environments share their thoughts on the
steps an office can take to better connect its greatest assets — its
employees.

W H O W E A R E A N D W H Y W E
P U T T H I S E - B O O K T O G E T H E R
LivePerson is one of the few tech companies to be founded in the '90s and
survive the dot-com crash. We even boast having our founder and CEO, Rob
LoCascio, still at the helm. Rob’s passion for cultivating strong core values
to see the business through the years manifested in 2010, when he flew
the entire company to our technology hub in Israel for a days-long workshop
to formalize the core values: Be an owner and help others.
After this momentous event, LivePerson employees quickly realized that
physically, our traditional office space, with cubicles in the middle and
management offices along the windows, was a barrier to living out the
culture. We established a collaborative design process between LivePersons
— everyone from lawyers to developers to accountants to creatives — and
architects to design a space that allowed our culture to come to life. This
experience was so successful it has since been replicated in our offices
around the globe.
Customers and partners often ask us how they can create a culture-driven
workplace, so we compiled our thoughts on the process — along with
insights from workplace and employee engagement experts — in this guide.

GREG BESNER
C U L T U R E I Q
WHEN IN
DOUBT, ASK
YOUR TEAM
T w i t t e r @ g r e g n y c

Leaders are faced with hundreds of decisions when
shaping and maintaining a healthy workplace. The
goal is to create an environment that encourages
collaboration, productivity, and happiness. At the end
of the day, your team knows what works best for
them. Therefore, I recommend collecting employee
feedback before, during, and after making decisions
about the workplace. At CultureIQ, we've seen clients
survey their team about what changes would make
the office more comfortable and productive. Putting
employee feedback at the center of the process
has three main benefits: (1) You are able to make
informed decisions with employees’ best interests
in mind; (2) The space becomes collaborative both
in function and in development; and (3) Employees
feel ownership over and respect for the space, which
translates into loyalty and pride for the company.
""

JACOB MORGAN
T H E F U T U R E O R G A N I Z A T I O N
T w i t t e r @ J a c o b M
NO SECRET
FORMULA HERE:
GO TALK TO YOUR
EMPLOYEES!

Building a collaborative workspace is one aspect of designing
an employee experience. Where most organizations fall short is
designing something for employees instead of designing something
with employees. This isn’t about coming up with ideas and then
pushing them out. This is about understanding how employees work
and why they work, then designing spaces based on understanding
these things. So what’s the simplest way to do this? Just ask. Have
conversations with employees about their physical space and what
they like and don’t like. Get to know them and how they work and
involve them in the design process to get their feedback.
Another big mistake that organizations make is trying to design
a single type of workspace. Don’t focus on open floor plans versus
cubicles. Instead, focus on creating multiples modes of working,
so if an employee wants some alone time, they can have it. If they
want collaboration time in an open environment, they can have that,
too. A collaborative workplace is more than just having a
collaborative workspace. Simply giving everyone a giant open
room with whiteboards won’t solve your collaboration challenges.
"

LISA JACKSON
C O R P O R A T E C U L T U R E P R O S
THE BEST ENVIRONMENTS
AT WORK REFLECT THE
FEELING YOU WANT
EMPLOYEES TO HAVE
AT WORK.
T w i t t e r @ c o r p o r a t e c u l t u r

All collaboration in business is supported by two premises: (1) a
common, shared goal, which is a priority for the leader; and (2) tapping
a representative group of employees across functions to achieve it.
If a culture of collaboration is desired, the environment must support
feelings of tribal unity. The spaces must fulfill diverse needs — sitting,
standing, quiet, small meeting spaces (people gravitate to these more
naturally), and informal interactions (common areas). Ask your "inside
design team" to come up with creative ideas versus relying on an
outside expert.
According to Gensler's 2013 Workplace Design research, "individual
focus" was the most significant factor in workplace effectiveness. If
this factor is supported, collaboration, learning, and social interaction
increase, and if ignored, all decrease.
Make sure you’re providing the tools and a work environment in which
people can do their best work, set goals that require collaboration,
and let employees tell you how to change the workplace environment
to support them.
"

TAREK PERTEW
U N C U B E D
WE ASK
EVERYONE
TO PROVIDE
FEEDBACK.
T w i t t e r @ t a r e k p

At Uncubed, we have a weekly homework assignment that
involves familiarizing oneself with work from a particular
business unit and, collectively, sharing feedback. This
ensures that no single business unit runs away with all
the plaudits while folks who may be relatively silo in their
roles get consistent exposure to other areas of the business.
For example, we have three relatively prominent business
units: Uncubed.com, our employer-branding SaaS platform;
Wakefield, our editorial arm; and events, including our well-
established digital skills and careers conference, NYC
Uncubed. At the start of the week, we may ask everyone to
watch a recently created class on Uncubed.com and come
to our Friday Town Hall prepared to provide feedback on
what they liked and what could be improved. This allows the
team to have their voice heard and provides an opportunity
to accelerate product improvements, keeps the team well
informed on progress across all units, and creates a more
collaborative and united workplace.
"

PERRY TIMMS
M E D I A Z O O
BRING
YOUR OWN
DESIGN.
T w i t t e r @ P T i m m s e s c u

I think we could build more workplaces where
the people who occupy them are able to shape their
environment much more than we see now. "Want a
desk? Want it in white or white with a grey pedestal?
Oh, and a colored bean bag nearby." That’s about
the extent of most design considerations. Yet quiet
space, a booth, a kitchen table, a standing desk, or a
variety of all these — a blank canvas built up by each
one of us — is surely now a feasible way to create a
space where people feel they belong rather than a
space where they are "corporatized." And, yes, create
a collaborative exercise where the team shapes and
reshapes as they see fit. "Bring your own design"
could stop us working from home and make
workplaces more homey.
"

COLIN BRICE
M A P O S
THE TOTAL
IS ALWAYS
GREATER
THAN THE
SUM OF
ITS PARTS.

At Mapos, we have found two critical drivers to creating a connected
workplace. The first is behavioral: Include all stakeholders in the
design process. We invite as many decision-makers as possible to
participate in team games, workshops, and brainstorming sessions
from the very beginning of each project. These activities not only
leverage the actual end user’s intelligence and insights for the
benefit of the design (which is invaluable) but also set the stage
for how people will be interacting, sharing, and co-creating their
everyday work experience. At move-in, everyone is already
accustomed to working together! The second is urban: Design the
workplace like a small city. Like citizens of any proud community,
the people sharing a workplace act, react, and move through their
environment in different ways. There are places of privacy and
repose for focused work and rejuvenation, there are small collection
points for group work and open discussion, and there are large town
squares for public activities, presentations, and celebrations.
The right mix of these ensures everyone will be using and sharing
the spaces over the course of any given day or week.
"

ERICA STOKES
P O P P I N
CULTURE
IS A LIVING,
BREATHING
THING.
CULTURE
IS A LIVING,
BREATHING
THING.
T w i t t e r @ e r i c a s t o k e s _ n y

With hiring, we try to lead by example. In any company, there
are influencers throughout the organization — whether it's your
head of marketing, tenured salespeople, or founders. Regardless
of level, those are the types of people to include in the interview
process. Culture is not about finding someone you can go to
happy hour with; it's about finding the person who will work
scrappily alongside your team. It’s important to identify who
your influencers are and make sure they too are portraying your
core values and evangelizing the culture. At Poppin, we’re very
transparent about the type of culture we support during the
interview process. When candidates come through our door,
they're welcomed by at least two or three employees. They’ll see
teams huddled up to collaborate in shared spaces, over standing
tables, or in our showroom. A candidate interviewing later in the
day might catch a round of ping pong, hear music playing, or see
dogs running across the hallway. For us, the physical design of
our office and the various incentives we offer are huge selling
points in attracting and retaining the right people.
"

HUNG PHAM
C U L T U R E S U M M I T
THE BEST
THINGS HAPPEN
WHEN PEOPLE
ARE RUNNING
INTO EACH
OTHER AND
SHARING IDEAS.
T w i t t e r @ C u l t u r e S u m m i t S F

An open workspace environment doesn’t necessarily
equate to more collaboration. You could have an open
workspace and still have a very silo culture, which is
common in older enterprise companies. Removing silos
and increasing engagement begins with a shift in mindset
that has to come from leadership at the top. Leaders must
create opportunities for employees to engage, connect,
and collaborate with each other to make the open
workspace effective. For example, at Zappos, they are
always looking for new and innovative ways to get people
to run into each other more. At its headquarters in Las
Vegas, there are exits on all four sides of the building, but
all of them are locked except one. Although inconvenient,
this enables people to connect with each other more
by making what Zappos calls “meaningful collisions.”
"
T w i t t e r @ c o r p o r a t e c u l t u r

KRISTY SUNDJAJA
L I V E P E R S O N
IT'S IMPORTANT
TO KNOW AND
EXHIBIT WHAT
YOU STAND FOR
AS A COMPANY.
T w i t t e r @ L i v e P e r s o n

LivePerson has a culture built on our core values of “Be
an Owner” and "Help Others" and our space reflects that.
We involved our employees in designing our office so
the look, feel, and functionality would be truly authentic.
Collaborative aspects include a vast Town Hall area and
open kitchen, as these are the heart of where people
connect casually. We have monitors that display
pertinent company news, wins, and photos of our
colleagues across the world in these common areas to
forge a sense of community despite the many miles
between us. You can write on pretty much anything in
our office, allowing for on-the-fly meetings or capturing
notes on tables and walls whenever an idea strikes. Our
open seating plan — even the founder and CEO sits in
the open — allows LivePersons to better connect and
collaborate with their teammates and hear what’s going
on with other teams, supporting our core value of
helping others. It also eliminates the forced hierarchy
that is inevitable when individuals are in personal
offices.
"

BOB FOX
W O R K D E S I G N M A G A Z I N E
COLLABORATION
DOES NOT
JUST HAPPEN.
T w i t t e r @ w o r k d e s i g n m a g

Connecting with people and enabling collaboration
in the workplace is about communication. Modern
workspaces impute behavior, and the space itself
defines what we can and can’t do. From reception
areas to meeting places to our own workstations,
our behavior is defined by those spaces. As a result,
our workspaces set the context for the culture of the
organization. When someone walks into your space,
you have the ability to shape what he or she perceives
and feels. You have an opportunity to communicate
a message, to influence how someone feels, and to
create a story about your organization and its purpose
in how your design your space. Collaboration doesn't
just happen: It’s about the successful communication
and sharing of ideas. Like most other behaviors, it has
to be carefully nurtured, reinforced, and supported
by your workspace.
"

M A G N E T I C
MYKE MANSBERGER
I WANT YOU
TO LEAVE OUR
OFFICE WITH
A GREAT
IMPRESSION.
T w i t t e r @ M y k e T V

It is absolutely crucial to involve team representatives
when making changes to our spaces. From large projects
such as full build-outs to small changes like seating
assignments, it's important to give a well-represented
committee a voice in the process. From a facilities
aspect, the execution of a project becomes collaborative
and painless for the employees who are impacted.
Combining a well-thought-out experience with technology
can be a key component to wowing office visitors.
Whether you're the food delivery guy or a job candidate,
I want you to leave our office with a great impression.
Something as simple as an iPad check-in system allows
a visitor to notify their host directly, so rather than
chasing someone down, the front-desk staff can focus
on making your visitor feel welcomed and engage in
conversation until the host arrives.
"

STEPHANIE KRIEG
H R C U L T U R E C L U B
EVERY OFFICE
TELLS A STORY.
T w i t t e r @ H R C u l t u r e C l u b

The trick is to make sure your office is telling your
company’s story. You want your employees to feel
like a team and guests to know about your culture
from the moment they enter. Consider displaying your
mission statement and values visually on the walls.
Not only is this energizing, but it helps foster a unified
culture, too. Or instead of painting the walls all one
color, get creative with their coverings. You could hire
a local artist to leave their mark on your walls. Another
option is to use chalkboard paint, whiteboard paint,
word scrambles, or even scratch-and-sniff wallpaper
(it exists!) to enhance your company culture. When
you have an office design that goes beyond beige,
consider hosting office tours. It’s a great way to find
people who not only love your creative office but
people who would also love to work with you!
"

AMANDA SOL PERALTA
L I V E I N T H E G R E Y
KICK THINGS
OFF WITH AN
ICEBREAKER.
T w i t t e r @ a m n d s l

Collaboration is becoming an essential way we do business.
It enables our teams to be more creative, impactful, and even
fun to be a part of. Yet it doesn’t happen on its own, and there
are preconditions for true collaboration to happen. One
crucial precondition we’ve identified at Live in the Grey is
trust. If team members don’t feel a sense of psychological
safety with each other, they’ll never be comfortable sharing
stupid ideas (which lead to great ideas) or giving honest
feedback. One way to build trust and psychological safety is
to establish a practice of starting meetings with sharing. You
can start off easy (“What was your most memorable night in
the past week?") and evolve toward deeper topics (“What’s
really going on in your life?”) as time goes on. By making
personal topics okay to share, your team dynamic opens up.
Suddenly, it’s not so hard to suggest a wild addition to a
product offering or share your honest reactions in a meeting.
Suddenly, collaboration starts living up to its potential.
"

W H A T L I V E P E R S O N D O E S
( W H E N W E ’ R E N O T C R E A T I N G A W E S O M E O F F I C E S P A C E S )
LivePerson is a leading provider of mobile and online messaging, enabling
a meaningful connection between brands and consumers. LiveEngage,
the company's enterprise-class, cloud-based platform, empowers consumers
to stop wasting time on hold with 1-800 numbers and, instead, message
their favorite brands just as they do with friends and family. More than
18,000 businesses, including Adobe, Citibank, EE, HSBC, IBM, Orbitz, PNC,
The Home Depot, and Disney, rely on the unparalleled intelligence, security,
and scalability of LiveEngage to reduce costs, increase lifetime value,
and create meaningful connections with consumers. (NASDAQ: LPSN)
C O N N E C T W I T H U S
H o l l i e E l l i s o n
C u l t u r e C o m m u n i c a t i o n s
W e ’ d l o v e t o h e a r y o u r t h o u g h t s
o n h o w t o c r e a t e a c o l l a b o r a t i v e
w o r k s p a c e t o i n c l u d e i n o u r f u t u r e
e d i t i o n s ! S e n d t h e m t o H o l l i e E l l i s o n
a t h e l l i s o n @ l i v e p e r s o n . c o m .

Building a Connected Workspace

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