Case Studies, Workplace Strategy

Getting Ready for Change: a case study on how employees at PTC Inc. embraced office relocation 

With the employee’s welfare in mind, and to preserve the working culture of the company, PTC Inc. helps employees transition to a new office with proper change management programs fit for its strategic goals

PTC was preparing for its forthcoming global headquarters relocation to 121 Seaport Boulevard in Boston. Approximately 800 employees in Needham would be relocating to the Seaport District. Aside from the relocation, which will require most current employees to commute, other office changes also await them with the introduction of open office spaces, hoteling, and even flex work options.

Seeing how so much change is about to happen within the organization, PTC sought to put a structure around the final change management activities through a series of consultations and various training sessions that help the business and its employees adapt to the changes.

PTC needed outside assistance to assist in the final stretch of the relocation. SCG was engaged to support the success of PTC’s headquarters relocation. They were referred to SCG by the real estate team at Cresa Partners as well as by Margulies Peruzzi Architects, both of which had previously worked alongside SCG and were aware of the firm’s Change Management expertise and extensive experience in the Boston market. 

PTC reaches out to Stegmeier Consulting Group to help plan, facilitate, and implement, effective strategies to streamline the change management process.

Employing Seaport Champions from Company Volunteers

Providing a sense of familiarity helps people become more relaxed and receptive when faced with changes. With that, SCG sought the help of volunteers from the company who wanted to help out, and want to be the first to better understand the transition that awaits all employees when they start working at the new office in Seaport. 

Volunteer facilitators, branded the Seaport Champions, were the first to undergo a session with SCG for them to understand the changes, which they then communicated with the rest of the employees during the Seaport Lab/mock-up tour. They were given a Facilitator Guide and a script for easier communication and had first-hand experiences with the upcoming activities so they feel comfortable and confident facilitating the lab.

They acted as ambassadors for employees, helping get people acquainted with the new space and leading labs. But, their function is important not just in disseminating information to the rest of the employees but also to play as role models that exude a positive, open, and curious attitude throughout the session so that the rest are able to better understand and grasp the positive effects of the changes and hopefully erase the doubts and negative ideas that some employees are probably thinking due to the changes.

Volunteers are the key to helping motivate participants to adopt the Guiding Principles and are the drivers of the culture the company wants to build. Thus, from the onset, a lot of planning and considerations also went into choosing these champions.

Importance of the Seaport Lab: Mock-up Tour Activity

The total duration of the lab is approximately 90 minutes, the majority of which was dedicated to interactive exercises that will help create awareness and adoption of the Guiding Principles for How to Thrive at 121 Seaport. In essence, the lab gives employees a feel of how the new office would look like, how everything works, and what everyone should follow and observe, given the changes. 

The lab is an application process of the things that the guiding principles enumerate – from the use of public spaces, where to conduct private meetings, how to reserve schedules for use of common areas, and proper etiquette to observe in open office settings, among other things. 

The seaport lab is a tour, a chance for everyone to explore in advance how the new space is coming to life in the new headquarters, and how the community, the people, and the business will soon look and feel in the new environment.

Giving a taste of what’s to come to employees will help lessen the anxiety that people are feeling, and make them appreciate all the positive aspects of the changes. 

How to Thrive at 121 Seaport: Embracing the new Workspaces

Some of the concerns shared by employees and managers include the loss of private offices, commute, open plan, 100% hoteling, and understanding the various workspace settings from which to choose when privacy or collaboration is needed.

To address this, PTC, with the help of SCG, created an extensive guide called How to Thrive at 121 Seaport. Copies of the guide were disseminated to everyone so that they can always get back to it, especially during the first few weeks of the relocation. 

Some of the important points shared in the guide are:

• Description and usage/purpose of the new spaces
• How to choose the proper space to work in when in the office
• Storage options for employees
  • Lockers
  • Cubies and cabinets
  • Closets
• Proper etiquette when using the new spaces

The concept of open office spaces was only starting to rise, and a lot of people are still unaware of how it truly works. This makes it all the more important for companies like PTC, which was just starting to embrace the concept, to be more detailed and thorough in communicating how these spaces work and should be used.

Change Management with SCG

Transitioning to workplace changes while trying to ensure business continuity, is a tedious task. Thankfully, with SCG’s years of experience in Change Management, the firm has gathered the right tools and resources to help organizations efficiently embrace change, to lessen, if not eliminate, any form of negative reactions and resistance.

Is your organization planning changes to the work environment or needing a new workplace strategy due to business development or any other aspect that calls for changes? SCG will be your partner through all these processes! Contact us using the form below, and we’ll make sure to provide you with the assistance you need to create the ideal workplace strategy for your company.