Event reflections: 'What's beyond ABW'?

After speaking on the panel discussion 'What's beyond ABW' at the Indesign Worklife event held in Sydney last week, I thought it would be an idea to share my thoughts on three key questions that were raised by the audience: 

• What's beyond ABW?
• Do Australian and Dutch new ways of working overlap?
• Does Veldhoen + Company inspire itself from both?

What's beyond ABW?

Well we believe that all new ways of working are based on one philosophy; the philosophy of Activity Based Working. And the fact that it is a philosophy means that there isn’t necessarily ‘beyond ABW’ as was discussed during the forum. To put it another way, it’s almost like asking what comes after living in a house, or what comes after Christianity or Buddhism. ABW is a catalyst for change in how we behave, and how it is translated for each organisation will always be different. So just because the philosophy will stay the same doesn’t mean how we translate our changing needs will stay the same.

In this exciting and ever-changing world of work, we are of the opinion that workplaces will become more and more community-based. Becoming places you will go to meet-up, connect and socialise with like-minded people. More and more public places will open up for workers, and hospitality will flourish in corporate workplaces. The workplace will itself develop to look more like a place you would live in. 

Do Australian and Dutch new ways of working overlap?

Sure there is an overlap, especially in the use of the workplace. Most of our projects in Holland and Australia are driven by the desire for more engagement and better collaboration. But of course there are differences, especially when it comes to culture.

• In Holland there is a very high degree of staff engagement and involvement in continuously developing their new way of working. Working from home is one of the key elements for that market and yet one of the key challenges.
• In Australia clients are more focused on the journey before move-in and getting it done, with less involvement in the potential of how their new way of working evolves after move-in. Which is interesting as a new way of working doesn’t stop once you move in, its just the beginning.

Does Veldhoen + Company inspire itself from both?

Of course. It is always our aim to create the most suitable way of working that talks to the purpose, vision and strategy of a company. This comes from over 25 years of experience in multiple markets and working with over 200 different clients worldwide. So we ourselves continuously learn and are lucky to be inspired by each client that we work with. The great thing about ABW is that it is a platform for change and inspiration, so if you are considering change have a read of one of our previous posts about 'The courage to embark on a path to change'. Or to find out more about ABW itself have a look at our animation below:

In conclusion...

What a great topic to be invited to speak about, and thanks to the other panellists on the day who made it an interesting discussion; Andrew Pettifer from Arup, Carol-Ann Pickvance from Hassell, and Chip deGrace from Interface. It was great to have more than one perspective on the table.

And thanks to Lorenzo Logi from Indesign Magazine who facilitated the discussion and encouraged the flow of the conversation, making it an inspiring event! 

- Gijs

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