In an era marked by rapid change and unprecedented challenges, understanding the dynamics of the future workplace is crucial for businesses aiming to stay ahead. We spoke with Corinne Murray, founder of Agate, a consultancy specializing in the future of work and workplace strategy. Corinne's mission is to help companies work smarter, not harder. As we chatted, she shared her expertise on workplace engagement, the intricacies of hybrid work, and the evolving nature of office spaces.
As Corinne Murray has gone through her career, she has placed herself as a thought leader in organizational transformation and workplace strategy, dedicating her career to rethinking how work is done. "I am on a mission to help us all work smarter, not harder," Corinne begins. Her consultancy, Agate, further emphasizes her focus on developing strategies to optimize work environments. "I work with clients to determine how we make effective work happen. What are the environments, resources, spaces, and programs needed to make it work? And how do we iterate on these solutions?"
Though many place themselves as thought leaders and base their findings on theory, Corinne ensures that there can be practical implementation for the theories she forms and creates frameworks to do so. She is co-authoring a book, WORK then PLACE, Navigating the Future of Work and Where it Happens with industry peer Sarah Escobar, which aims to provide actionable guidance for teams grappling with the complexities of modern work environments. "Our book will help teams navigate these changes by providing a framework for understanding and implementing effective workplace strategies."
Corinne highlights one of the main concepts for enhancing workplace engagement as workplace and employee engagement evolves. She emphasizes that there is an understanding that engagement is highly dependent on a corporation and that “every company interprets differently." Corinne's definition of workplace engagement extends beyond the physical office to encompass the entire ecosystem a company provides for its employees. "The workplace is not just the four walls of the office. It's how you engage with colleagues and all the environments available to employees–including digital collaborative tools, physical environments, employee programs, policies, and more. When these components work together, it creates a self-contained experience, like a snowglobe."
In her perspective, Corinne notes that engagement is about interaction and effectiveness. "Workplace engagement is about how easy and effective it is to interact with your colleagues and leverage the resources at your disposal. Most workplace engagement challenges aren’t due to lack of employee engagement; they’re due to lack of access and lack of ease."
Hybrid work models have become a central topic in discussions about the future of work. We have seen countless upsides and downsides of hybrid work. Corinne identifies a significant challenge in this area: matching work types with appropriate environments, whether inside a company office or a coffee shop around the corner from an employee’s apartment. "The biggest challenge, which I see in the media and hear from clients, is that many companies haven't yet solved the problem of aligning different types of work with suitable environments," she explains. "A lot of companies are still operating under the assumption that work can only happen in one particular place, without considering the nature of the work being done,” Corinne argues for a more nuanced approach. She points out that companies should establish specific behaviors for office days to enhance productivity and simple dynamics. For example, reducing the number of scheduled meetings can encourage spontaneous collaboration. The key is not the frequency of office days but the quality and structure of those days.
As workspaces have evolved, including remote work hotspots such as WeWork, a hybrid and remote workspace, Corinne has had her fair share of experiences working from these offices. Reflecting on her experience at WeWork, Corinne provides insights into how office spaces evolve. "WeWork was ahead of its time in many ways. We redesigned our headquarters to double down on collaborative zones throughout the office that were available for everyone to use and dedicated nearly half a floor to a quiet zone where WeWork employees could focus on individual work or asynchronous collaboration. Today, companies need to rethink their office designs and depart from the traditional desking model.” Corinne emphasizes prioritizing collaboration in office design, advocating for spaces encouraging teamwork and spontaneous interactions, and providing adequate areas for individual work, just not in the way that we’ve done it historically.
As workplaces evolve, their design does as well. To ensure higher employee engagement, Corinne's approach to workplace design is grounded in a product mindset and continuous iteration. "We need to view the workplace as a product that evolves based on feedback and changing needs," she says. The built environment is the slowest to evolve because of the time and cost involved. However, we can be more agile by focusing on behavioral changes and how we interact within these spaces." She emphasizes that outdated frameworks shape the real estate and design industry. As work becomes more mobile and less location-dependent, we must adapt by creating flexible, evolving environments based on actual work patterns.
Corinne wants to receive feedback and ensure that her theories match their expectations, so she measures success. Corinne categorizes work into four types to measure the success of new working models: asynchronous collaboration, individual focus, synchronous collaboration, and socializing. "It's crucial to understand how the workplace supports these different types of work," she explains. Corinne recommends using simple survey functions to gather data on how effectively these needs are being met. For instance, a real estate team might survey employees about the type of work they were doing during their most recent office visit. By categorizing these responses and evaluating their effectiveness, companies can gain valuable insights into what works well and what needs improvement. This process is akin to collecting product feedback, but it's applied to the workplace.
The pandemic has significantly impacted social connections in the workplace. Corinne stresses the importance of rebuilding these connections. "Functional connections should take precedence over warm and fuzzy interactions. The functional connection supports work the most. Not everyone needs to be friends, but they need to be able to work together effectively. Friendship, when it blooms naturally, is a bonus." She believes that companies need to reassess their approach to social interactions. She noticed that companies are moving away from the "we're a family" mentality that many once operated under. They need to balance functional and personal connections, ensuring that social interactions at work enhance productivity.
Corinne recommends her newsletter, The Workplace Strategist, available on Substack, for those interested in delving deeper into the future of work. "I cover a wide range of topics related to the future of work, from macro movements to specific challenges and opportunities," she says. “I also delve into work history, tracing back to events like the Protestant Reformation and the Industrial Revolution. More of our ‘secular’ world experience is shaped by these moments in history than we might realize, and my goal is to shine a light on all of them and connect the dots so we can all be more aware. This is my way of fulfilling my mission to help us all work smarter, not harder."
Corinne Murray's insights provide a comprehensive understanding of the future of workplace strategy. By treating the workplace as a product and fostering continuous iteration, companies can create environments that truly support their employees' diverse needs. Embracing these innovative strategies will be vital to navigating the complexities of the modern work landscape and staying ahead in an ever-changing world.
