{"id":35334,"date":"2020-01-30T14:31:46","date_gmt":"2020-01-30T03:31:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.steelcase.com\/asia-en\/?p=35334"},"modified":"2024-02-28T12:31:04","modified_gmt":"2024-02-28T01:31:04","slug":"culture-shift","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.steelcase.com\/asia-en\/research\/articles\/topics\/culture-talent\/culture-shift\/","title":{"rendered":"Culture Shift"},"content":{"rendered":"

Chapters<\/h3>\n
    \n
  1. Introduction<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n
  2. From Processes to Projects<\/strong><\/a>\n
      \n
    1. The Project Team<\/a><\/li>\n
    2. Defining the Strategic Objectives<\/a><\/li>\n
    3. A Holistic Approach<\/a><\/li>\n
    4. Change Management<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n
    5. What Work Looks Like Today<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n
    6. Results<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
      <\/div>\n

      <\/a>
      \n<\/p>\n

      1. Introduction<\/h1>\n

      \u201cThe world is changing so fast. If you don\u2019t shake things up from time to time, you\u2019re not going to be able to keep up.\u201d<\/p>Alejandro Poci\u00f1aPresident, Steelcase Spain & Portugal<\/span><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n

      Ask any CEO today and they\u2019ll tell you that the business landscape is changing faster than ever before. Disruption is everywhere. As the race towards more innovation and growth shows no signs of slowing, organisations worldwide are scrambling to transform.<\/p>\n

      As customer needs and the business environment continue to evolve at an unprecedented rate, organisations need to be quicker to find new, innovative solutions to stay one step ahead of competitors. But leaders are realizing that change can\u2019t happen without a shift in culture or in how they work. Organisations need to foster a workplace where creativity, collaboration, continuous learning and agility can thrive. Teams need to feel empowered to make decisions faster, always putting the customer first.<\/p>\n

      This was no different for the teams at the Steelcase Madrid WorkLife Center.<\/p>\n

      \u201cThe world is changing so fast,\u201d says Alejandro Poci\u00f1a, president, Steelcase Spain & Portugal. \u201cThe traditional way of doing things is not working anymore. Whether it\u2019s employee expectations, market stability or evolving customer needs, the speed necessary for growth and innovation is rapidly increasing. If you don\u2019t shake things up from time to time, you\u2019re not going to be able to keep up.\u201d<\/p>\n

      When the leaders in Madrid recognized a shift in the challenges their customers face when going through transformation, they knew they had to change the way they work to better address their needs. They believed the best way to achieve this was to provide a better employee experience that could help shift their culture.<\/p>\n

      \"MadridPlaza
      Key to a better work experience, the Madrid Plaza offers a variety of postures — whether sitting, standing, perching or lounging — privacy and technology.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
      \n

      <\/a>
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      2. From Processes to Projects<\/h1>\n

      \u201cWe didn\u2019t make this change because things were going wrong, we made it because we wanted to be even better.\u201d<\/p>David MartinDirector, Human Resources, Steelcase Spain & Portugal<\/span><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n

      Located in the same building, the connection between the Steelcase Madrid WorkLife Center and manufacturing plant had always been close. The tight-knit relationship resulted in a linear, process-driven way of working with teams in the WorkLife Center supporting manufacturing. And for a long time, that was exactly what they needed to do to get work done.<\/p>\n

      \n

      At a Glance: The Madrid WorkLife Center<\/strong><\/p>\n

      Number of employees:<\/strong> 250
      \nDepartments:<\/strong> marketing, product development, finance, human resources, sales, operations, after sales, IT, logistics and procurement
      \nSize:<\/strong> 2.500 sq meters
      \nNumber of workstations per person:<\/strong> 1 for every 1.4 people<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

      Typical of an assembly line set-up, all teams sat in spaces assigned by department. This approach was focused on efficiency and task-based work, especially for those with a close connection to the factory. When the task was completed, they handed off the baton to the next team. They worked in silos and did not have a \u201cbig picture\u201d view of how their individual or departmental work affected the entire process. Other teams were more agile in how they worked, but still the space reflected the linear approach to work.<\/p>\n

      Senior leaders worked in private offices and each department had their own open space hub with individual workstations. But the open plan left some room for improvement. Frequent phone calls and loud conversations left many seeking more acoustical privacy. Everyone had access to meeting rooms where they could collaborate, but they needed more areas where cross-departmental collaboration and an open exchange of ideas could take place.<\/p>\n

      “Perfect, linear processes were no longer a right fit for our organization. We had to move from processes to projects, with the clear idea that the customer is at the center of everything we do.”<\/p>Alejandro Poci\u00f1aPresident, Steelcase Spain & Portugal<\/span><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n

      As client needs started quickly changing, leaders heard many employees saying they were stuck doing the same thing throughout the day. If they wanted to be creative and come up with new solutions, they needed to work differently.<\/p>\n

      The ultimate goal was to shift from process-driven, functional silos to project-based work that brings multidisciplinary teams together.<\/p>\n

      \u201cPerfect, linear processes were no longer a right fit for our organization,\u201d says Alejandro Poci\u00f1a, president, Steelcase Spain & Portugal. \u201dWe had to move from processes to projects, with the clear idea that the customer is at the center of everything we do. Every department and function needs to have that in mind. And the type of space we had was designed for the old way of working. We needed to change that.\u201d<\/p>\n

      \"MadridPlaza
      With a variety of different applications, like this workshop space for example, the multi-disciplinary teams can always find the right setting they need to prototype and experiment.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
      \n

      <\/a>
      \n<\/p>\n

      The project team<\/h3>\n

      In line with the overall goal, the in-house project team was made up of a multidisciplinary group of people including leaders from all departments, in-house designers and architects, communications and change management experts, and employee ambassadors. It was crucial that senior leadership was involved to define a clear strategy, and help coach and motivate the team throughout the project. With the human resources director in the lead, the team applied a human-centered approach every step of the way \u2013\u00a0beginning with identifying clear objectives.<\/p>\n

      \u201cDefining objectives for each project is crucial to creating the most appropriate solution,\u201d says Gonzalo Lorenzo, director of sales, Steelcase Spain & Portugal. \u201cThe Madrid Plaza is an excellent example of how the objectives are embodied in the design. These were our goals and the reason why we created this particular solution. But each organization has its own priorities that will guide their design.\u201d<\/p>\n

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      <\/a>
      \n<\/p>\n

      Defining the strategic objectives<\/h3>\n

      To go from functional silos to project-based teams, leaders knew they needed a shift in culture. They identified the following strategic objectives to help get them there:<\/p>\n