A Message to Our Valued Clients and Colleagues

From Robin Weckesser, CEO, a3 Workplace Strategies

As we all deal with the challenges posed by the coronavirus, we at a3 hope that you, your families, and professional colleagues stay strong and well. Certainly, COVID-19 has affected all facets of our lives, and there are many implications ahead for us as a society as well as for commercial real estate and the workplace.

While we need to sacrifice during this period, we believe there are opportunities to be productive.  One silver lining can be more of us working from home.

The working from home trend had been increasing even before COVID-19 made this mandatory for most of us. Today, as remote work  is transforming our industry, it wise to look at  the potential advantages of this environment:

• Minimal impact to productivity
• Reduced bottom-line corporate expenses
• Less traffic congestion and improved air quality

COVID-19 will cause us all to pause and think differently about where we work. As we always say, one size doesn’t fit all, and there are trade-offs relative to interaction and the benefits of personal contact  So, this is a good time for organizations to think ahead about a variety of topics. For instance:

• Technology: How to get the right technology for remote employees.
• Productivity: The need to be mindful of home office efficiency and ergonomic considerations.
• Management training: How to manage a remote workforce.
• Communication: Organizations will have to adopt new tools/protocols towards best practices for communicating.
• Workplace design and “Workplace distancing”: Employers in companies that remain open with at least a skeleton staff should adopt workplace distancing practices for the foreseeable future and then reassess space needs when we return to more normal times.

Now is also a good time to reassess strategies, reboot priorities, and prepare for the eventual bounce-back of the industry.

At a3, we work with organizations in good times and bad to provide customized workplace solutions.  During this time, we are adapting with our colleagues and meeting through a variety of channels used as appropriate to help projects move forward.

Years ago, I wrote this about working from home, and you might find that much of this still resonates.

So let’s be smart and stay positive.  On that note, here’s a final silver lining:  For those of you who share your home office with beloved pets, look to them for emotional support and even inspiration.  Here’s a bark-out to my golden retrievers Olive and Miley who love having us at home!