One thing everyone can agree on is that the entire world, from governments to businesses to individuals, are experiencing a transformative event as a result of COVID-19. For most companies, this transformation started with the closing of places of business. Office-based businesses transitioned to working from home (WFH) overnight, an unplanned experiment on an unparalleled scale. For businesses that did not traditionally operate with remote workers, the experiment was eye-opening and will likely alter where and how work will be conducted going forward.
Recently Tango hosted a two-day virtual summit called Moving Forward: Workplace 2.0, which brought together thought leaders from Accenture, PwC, Deloitte, Cushman & Wakefield, Arup and Newmark Knight Frank. The virtual summit was a huge success and was attended by hundreds of companies looking to navigate the challenges, both near and long-term, that the pandemic has presented. One recurring theme throughout the summit roundtable panel discussions, presentations and Q&A, is that companies are looking for real-world guidance as they return to the office and reimagine what work will look like in the future.
While the summit was great, we know that companies need help throughout the entire journey – from planning for the return to the office to the initial phase of the return and what can be learned, to the reimagination of how and where work is conducted in the future. And it does not stop there. These challenges, and the required changes, will affect the entire real estate and facilities lifecycle. It will result in new portfolio plans, real estate transactions, construction, moves adds and changes, occupancy cost, facilities policies, as well as the need to manage a much more dynamic and diverse set of corporate spaces and assets.
Tango will be traveling the same road as all companies. Like you, we need to plan our return to the office, execute on it, and figure out how and where our employees will work going forward.
To make this possible, we are excited to announce the launch of Workplace 2.0, a new series that will cover all three phases of the return to the office as well as how real estate and facilities will be managed in the new normal. We’ll share our own experiences throughout this journey – our struggles, our successes, our failures and our learnings. Joining us in this adventure will be industry leaders and experts on all facets of the location lifecycle who will provide us, and you, with real-life practical information and guidance.
So what will Workplace 2.0 look like? We’ve got big plans. Our virtual summit, Moving Forward: Workplace 2.0 was only the beginning. Soon you will have access to a steady diet of blogs, articles, podcasts, webcasts and curated content to help guide you. We’ll start where most companies are today – including Tango – planning the return to the office. Initial topics will include the long, tedious, and often confusing, process of reviewing governmental and health organization guidance and regulations in an effort to formulate a practical and achievable set of policies and procedures that will govern office life in the first phase of our return. From there we’ll explore the “why” question of returning to the office (organizational drivers) which will be different for every company. Next, and most importantly, we will dive into the human side – employees. We’ll unpack the “me within we” concept in an effort to fit together the puzzle pieces of the individual, the role, the function, and the location within the context of the business as a whole.
Welcome to Workplace 2.0. We’re excited to have you along for the ride. Let’s figure this out together.
