COMMENT While often not a popular view, and I’ve felt on occasion a lone voice, I have never been in doubt about the importance of the workplace going forward, whether this be for the individual or the business.
The debates that flowed were often full of emotion, and as government directives over the past 18 months continued to encourage home-working, I admit to having had periods of doubt. Now at last, once and for all I hope, that doubt has been cast into history.
For months at Knight Frank we have been developing a plan, called “Ignite”, to nurture re-engagement. Respectful of everyone’s concerns while simultaneously acknowledging that we are a professional client services firm, we have adapted our offices and are now in the process of welcoming everyone back.
Pulling together
Specifically, in the last 10 days we have begun a series of events, barbecues, “open café” evenings, and so on. And last Thursday we held our bi-annual Day of Giving. This is an event where teams from across the business are encouraged to volunteer and/or raise money for our chosen charities, which this year were LandAid, Surfers Against Sewage, Hospitality Action, the Felix Project and the Mental Health Foundation.
The result of this activity in financial terms will not be known for several weeks, as many events have not taken place yet or are run over a period of time. That said, the desire of our teams to “do good” is palpable, and I very much hope our charity partners will be satisfied, not least since funds this year have been boosted by a significant contribution from the partnership in recognition of celebrating our 125th anniversary.
However, that is not the point – the point is the office is back, or rather the appreciation of the positive difference that returning to the workplace makes is back. It is well and truly back. It was a real privilege to see how much fun our teams have had over the past couple of weeks when together. In the majority of instances, and for the majority of the time, I am certain our teams and our clients will be better as a consequence of returning to work.
The importance of the office
Over the past 18 months many articles have espoused the virtues of an office environment. I have no doubt that flexibility to varying degrees has its place and that working from home has a role, in a way we have not acknowledged or supported in the past. However, principally for the benefit of our clients and the customers they serve, the office has a range of valuable roles to play.
Now, I love a list, so without working too hard, here’s a quick list of some of the benefits as I see them. Training, team development, social interaction, network building, reintroduction of crucial life to our towns and cities, client engagement, learning and development for early careers (such as apprenticeships, interns, graduates and new starters), developing and growing a business’s culture, more effective idea development, supporting each other (always done best in person), a helpful divide between workplace and home life, broadening career development, more effective business planning and growth management, crucially benefiting wellbeing and mental health, collective responsibility, identifying trends and opportunities, impromptu chats and meetings, and then finally there’s the fun and laughter derived from being with a vibrant group of generally like-minded people.
The list could go on, but what is most clear to me is that the benefits far outweigh the possible negatives and reinforce the valuable place the office plays in our daily life and infrastructure.
Alistair Elliott is senior partner and group chairman of Knight Frank
