Description
What exactly is work today, and how should leaders manage and engage their teams in this unsettled new reality? In this episode of the Inspire Podcast Bart speaks with Wayne Berger, CEO of the Americas at IWG, the world's largest provider of flexible workspaces about these questions. Drawing on IWG's research, Wayne explains what the future of work looks like, why it's not the office but rather the commute workers want to avoid at all costs, and why being in the office can be a great thing if done right (hint: it's not about being on zoom). Then he shares guidance for leaders who must reach, engage and motivate teams that are increasingly bound more by mission and culture than proximity. He wraps up with some longer-term thoughts on how these trends can not only lead to better workplaces but healthier cities.
Show Notes
00:25 - Show intro
01:02 - Introducing Wayne and IWG
01:51 - Where they are recording
01:54 - We are neighbors
02:03 - Contrast in approach from Alan Richardson's interview
02:18 - What is IWG?
02:34 - World's largest provider of coworking spaces
03:38 - Record revenues
03:42 - 34 years in operation - 3.4 Billion
03:50 - Stats on remote work
04:12 - One long construction project
04:22 - Huge demand for their workspaces
04:57 - Different kinds of companies that use shared spaces
05:22 - What does the future of work look like - trends in the industry
05:47 - Big trends in the industry
06:38 - 82% of Fortune 500 clients use shared office space
07:03 - Looking to rationalize their real estate portfolio
07:37 - 90% of North American Workers demand flexibility
07:51 - Working from home is isolating
08:19 - Model the purpose of the day with the location
08:54 - What is real flexibility?
10:24 - Vacancy rates have gone up
10:38 - Leases and vacancies
11:30 - Fortune 500 companies using flexible workspaces
12:38 - Push/pull in the news headlines
13:20 - Fundamental shift in the workforce
13:26 - Coming soon - 75% of the workforce will be millennials and Gen Z
14:18 - All of my direct reports reside somewhere else
15:09 - Non-purposeful gatherings will diminish
15:28 - Bill Gates quote
15:58 - Bart summarizes trends
17:31 - Profitability is a huge cost
18:15 - Local hiring pool to global hiring pool
18:26 - Getting rid of the commute
18:44 - Environmental implications
19:16 - C-level position of: worker mobility!
19:44 - 15-min city concept
20:43 - Advice for leaders
21:34 - Invest in training on people managers to handle flexible workers
24:24 - What should people managers be able to do well?
24:41 - Align and communicate vision
25:49 - Support team members when you're not together?
26:25 - Find good gathering technology. For example, Microsoft Teams
29:28 - Replicate in-person with digital tools
35:51 - How to connect/find more
36:42 - Outro
