Telework

21 Tools That Will Help Your Remote Team Work Better Together

Working as a remote team can be difficult, but doesn’t have to be. Here at The Next Web, much of our team is remote.

We have staff in the UK, India, The Netherlands, USA and New Zealand all working together across time zones successfully, even though the time differences can be confusing sometimes.

Here’s a handful of great tools for working with remote teams…

Source: thenextweb.com

A common concern amongst organizations that are focused on increasing opportunities for remote workers is how will employees be able to effectively communicate and collaborate with off-site individuals.  Often times these employees can be a great distance from the home office or from one another.  Fortunately, technology has given us the ability to bring everyone closer, at least in a virtual sense.

This article discusses several tools that can make working on or managing a remote team easier and more convenient for all involved.  Applications to help everyone keep track of time zones ensures meetings can take place or communications can be sent at optimal points throughout a day.  Project management programs can give a remote team an instant snapshot of where everyone stands on a job.  And of course, video chat capabilities provide the sense of sitting at the same table as a coworker as opposed to miles away.

At Stegmeier Consulting Group, we have seen the apprehension that comes with instituting teleworking programs.  Our consultants have successfully guided organizations through these change initiatives, with employees and managers benefiting from increased morale and productivity as a result of SCG’s guidance.  Don’t be deterred by the challenge of implementing new ways of working — we can help.

Stegmeier Consulting Group can assist with a wide range of challenges involved in implementing a workplace change initiative.  Contact us to find out how our services can help your organization.


https://stegmeierconsulting.com/contact/

Phone: 440-846-1410

Changing the way organizations manage workplace change

Telework

RingCentral Predicts How the Cloud Will Change the Workplace in 2015 | CloudWedge

Cloud computing has forever changed the way we access information and perform business tasks. The cloud has saved us time and money, and made it possible f

Source: www.cloudwedge.com

The trends we see in increased remote and mobile work do not appear to be slowing down as we get ready to jump into 2015.  As the author of this article points out, next year will be an enormous year for the evolving workplace, with mobile device usage increasing and the use of virtual meetings “advancing ten-fold.”

Technological advancements (such as the increasing prevalence of SaaS [software as a service] as more companies opt more commonly for cloud based solutions) allow us to communicate and collaborate with one another no matter what time it is, or where in the world we are located.  Is your organization poised to take advantage of opportunities when they arise?  Or is your company still bound by a rapidly aging concept that work is only done “at work”, during “business hours”?

Stegmeier Consulting Group can help your business transition to a new way of thinking about mobile and remote work.  Partnering with us will allow you to take advantage of the technologies that exist and prepare your employees to be as dynamic as they can be.

Stegmeier Consulting Group can assist with a wide range of challenges involved in implementing a workplace change initiative.  Contact us to find out how our services can help your organization.


https://stegmeierconsulting.com/contact/

Phone: 440-846-1410

Changing the way organizations manage workplace change

Corporate Real Estate and Facilities Management

On-Site Productivity, Engagement and Comfort Drive Next Generation of Millennial-Based Office Designs | NAIOP

Say goodbye to bland-looking cubicles, dueling thermostat wars, constructed walls and flat panel TVs, as the office of the future instead will be comprised of sleeping pods, self-luminous walls and treadmill-operated desks, according to winning entries in NAIOP’s 2014 Build-Out/Interior Design Competition. Winning entries were submitted by design firms Dekker/Perich/Sabatini, Albuquerque, New Mexico; DLR Group, offices coast-to-coast; and Ware Malcomb, Irvine, California.

Source: www.naiop.org

Treadmills and bicycles at workstations.  Nanoparticle lighting systems.  Biowalls to improve air quality.

The future workplace is being built today, and by all accounts we should be in for some exciting enhancements thanks to ergonomically appropriate and eco-friendly designs.  But while the future concepts are sure to pique the interest of young talent, what of the existing workforce?  Convincing an older, or more established workforce to trade their personalized cubicles and offices for open, flexible designs can be quite the challenge. 

In fact, companies have invested large amounts of time and money in workplace change initiatives only to see those projects fail due to encountering unforeseen or unaddressed employee resistance.  Teaming with Stegmeier Consulting Group can help you transition your outdated work environment, and prepare the individuals in your organization to be productive and innovative in the workplace of the future.

Stegmeier Consulting Group can assist with a wide range of challenges involved in implementing a workplace change initiative.  Contact us to find out how our services can help your organization.


https://stegmeierconsulting.com/contact/

Phone: 440-846-1410

Changing the way organizations manage workplace change

Blog, Work Life Balance

How Cultural Transformation Can Improve Performance in Healthcare

“When doctors are viewed not as an important team member, but some sort of god-like royalty, culture change is difficult,” Stegmeier says. “Ultimately, healthcare organizations need to empower all caregivers to make a positive change, but taking that first step in either addressing the problem or asking for help can be a difficult thing to do.”

Source: www.precheck.com

SCG’s Matthew Stegmeier was recently interviewed on the subject of cultural transformation in healthcare organizations and shared some insights on some of the misconceptions commonly held by healthcare executives.

Stegmeier Consulting Group has partnered with top healthcare clients such as the Cleveland Clinic, Partners HealthCare, and Johnson & Johnson to lead change initiatives ranging from boosting employee engagement to changing the office environment and, in turn, entirely changing the way administrative caregivers conduct business.

We understand the unique organizational climate of healthcare organizations, as well as how healthcare reform is impacting how institutions must operate in an increasingly competitive marketplace.  If your organization is considering changes of any significance, we’d encourage you to connect with us to learn how SCG can be a resource in preparing and leading your caregivers through change.

Corporate Real Estate and Facilities Management

Believe It: Co-Working Space Startup WeWork Is Now Worth $5B | WIRED

WeWork, the New York City-based startup that rents out office space to entrepreneurs across the country, has just raised a $355 million round of funding, a deal that values the company at a whopping $5 billion

Source: www.wired.com

Co-working spaces are becoming more and more popular worldwide and it is not difficult to see why.  With the global workforce becoming increasingly mobile and flexible there are fewer limits on where and when work can be conducted.  Co-working spaces can serve as a home-base for employees that travel often, and can free workers in a home-office environment from distraction and isolation.

This particular article concludes with some questions about the future of co-working, pointing to the current favorable market conditions for entrepreneurs.  It may be worth noting that in the event of a downturn in the economy, co-working spaces still stand a chance to thrive.  In this scenario, an organization conducting a re-evaluation of their corporate real estate needs may recognize the cost effectiveness of allowing their employees to work remotely, specifically at a “third place,” like a co-working venue.  By our estimate, companies can save upwards of one million dollars a year simply by eliminating the space needed to house 100 dedicated workstations for employees.

It is important for an organization to establish policies based on best practices for employees utilizing co-working spaces.  For instance, a public setting may not be an ideal place to conduct business that involves sensitive information that could be seen or overheard by someone outside the company.  Training your workforce on how to best navigate the waters of maintaining privacy and staying in line with information security standards are a big part of ensuring success in a more public work environment, such as a co-working location.  If your organization would like to learn more about how to combat the risks involved with an increasingly mobile workforce, contact Stegmeier Consulting Group.

Stegmeier Consulting Group can assist with a wide range of challenges involved in implementing a workplace change initiative.  Contact us to find out how our services can help your organization.


https://stegmeierconsulting.com/contact/

Phone: 440-846-1410

Changing the way organizations manage workplace change

Workplace Strategy

Students design workstations that accommodate groups and individuals

New school and office workspace designs created by a group of Penn State engineering students are intended to allow users to share space and materials while maintaining their own work areas—a dual purpose the researchers say has been neglected.

Source: phys.org

Stegmeier Consulting Group applauds Penn State University and their engineering students for their hard work and years of study on continuous improvement of shared workspace environments. 

In 2002, the General Services Administration (GSA) began the Workplace 2020 initiative which was a project that sought to research what workplaces of the future may look like.  It was back then when the administration noticed the workplace becoming “increasingly more team-based and collaborative.”  Two of the “Hallmarks of the Productive Workplace” they identified were spacial equity and comfort: two areas this Penn State research program has worked hard to master since 2010!


Continuing to push the frontier on how organizations can work more efficiently and collaborate better is a passion we share as well.  We have worked with several clients across many industries who have successfully transitioned their employees away from confining and isolated work areas to open, more team-oriented settings.


Stegmeier Consulting Group can assist with a wide range of challenges involved in implementing a workplace change initiative.  Contact us to find out how our services can help your organization.


https://stegmeierconsulting.com/contact/

Phone: 440-846-1410

Changing the way organizations manage workplace change


Workplace Flexibility, Workplace Strategy

Office Design: The Right Environment for the Right Space

Poorly designed office spaces have been proven to not only have a negative impact on an employees’ mood, but productivity and wellbeing. Extensive international research from Ipsos and the Workspace Futures Team of Steelcase shows 85% of people are dissatisfied with their work environment and can’t concentrate; of those, 95% said working privately was important to them.

However some businesses have incorporated fun in their office design without compromising productivity.

Source: interfacedesignwithpurpose.com.au

Proof that a workplace does not need to be a dry, bland environment, this article highlights some very interesting workspaces designed to make employees feel comfortable and stimulated!  When companies create work environments that their people enjoy, productivity increases, morale improves, and internal relationships strengthen.  We’re not suggesting every office needs a ping-pong table, but we do feel it is important organizations reinforce their culture through the design of their physical space!

If your company is considering a drastic, or even a minor, change to the work environment, let the experienced consultants at Stegmeier Consulting Group help make your transition smooth by preparing your workforce for new ways of working.

Stegmeier Consulting Group can assist with a wide range of challenges involved in implementing a workplace change initiative.  Contact us to find out how our services can help your organization.


https://stegmeierconsulting.com/contact/

Phone: 440-846-1410

Changing the way organizations manage workplace change

Workplace Flexibility, Workplace Strategy

Millennials are more like Boomers than you think, in workplace preference

Millennial-oriented workspaces – those wide-open, funky zones designed to foster “collaboration” – have become such a part of the tech office landscape that the hip HBO series “Silicon Valley” has made a running gag out of them.

But a new CBRE study of more than 5,500 office workers shows that Millennial employees don’t actually work that much differently than their more seasoned colleagues. Indeed, Baby Boomers, Generation Xers and Millennials all gravitate toward similar working environments.

Source: www.bizjournals.com

Implementing a workplace change strategy does not have to mean a complete elimination of privacy in the office.  Instead, a well-designed organizational layout should provide employees and managers alike easy access to a variety of work settings including areas for individual work to take place as well asspaces for collaboration.  Even workplaces that have shifted to a more open space environment where everyone is easily visible and accessible can implement policies such as visual cues to indicate when someone is not currently available.

Stegmeier Consulting Group can assist with a wide range of challenges involved in implementing a workplace change initiative.  Contact us to find out how our services can help your organization.


https://stegmeierconsulting.com/contact/

Phone: 440-846-1410

Changing the way organizations manage workplace change

Corporate Real Estate and Facilities Management, Workplace Strategy

Why companies are doing away with assigned desks

It sounds like a gag straight out of a Dilbert cartoon. But for a growing number of companies, taking away assigned desks and turning employees into office nomads has its advantages.

At Citi, executives saw office work space going unused because employees were home sick, out on vacation or on flexible schedules. So the company filled an entire floor of a building in Long Island City with conference rooms, meeting areas and desks — but no assigned desks. In fact, there are only 150 spaces for 200 people, according to Harvard Business Review. Employees put their personal belongings in lockers and simply find a space where they want to work.

Source: www.cbsnews.com

The trend of companies seeking a more mobile and “agile” workforce continues to grow as this article documents.  Presently, most work environments are set up to maximize productivity.  What a redesigned and more team-focused environment does however is inspire collaboration and innovation.  The goal?  Maximize productivity AND innovation simultaneously.  At Stegmeier Consulting Group, we work with organizations in various fields and of all sizes to help with transitions to new office layouts and new ways of thinking about workplace efficiency.

Stegmeier Consulting Group can assist with a wide range of challenges involved in implementing a workplace change initiative.  Contact us to find out how our services can help your organization.


https://stegmeierconsulting.com/contact/

Phone: 440-846-1410

Changing the way organizations manage workplace change

Corporate Real Estate and Facilities Management, Workplace Strategy

5 Ways to Increase Your Workplace Innovation

How can you spur innovation? Recently, I attended an internal workshop on strategy and growth, and my workgroup was asked to tackle this very question. We quickly came to the conclusion that innovation and learning are closely aligned; that is, creating the condition for innovation requires creating a “learning culture,” or a culture in which new ideas and fresh thinking are welcome.

Source: www.kineo.com

At Stegmeier Consulting Group, we believe that innovation can come from anywhere at anytime within an organization.  Innovation should not just be a responsibility left up to the marketing department or the research and development teams.  This article brings to light 5 great suggestions on how to foster a more innovative culture.  Here at SCG, we’d like to propose a 6th suggestion: Consider a workplace redesign that allows for more collaboration and efficiency.  The changes can range from simply providing employees more space to hold small meetings, to considering a telework program that will allow employees more flexibility and more of the most precious resource of all: time. 

Stegmeier Consulting Group can assist with a wide range of challenges involved in implementing a workplace change initiative.  Contact us to find out how our services can help your organization.


https://stegmeierconsulting.com/contact/

Phone: 440-846-1410

Changing the way organizations manage workplace change