Why offices fail

In no particular order:

1. Fear of change: people are creatures of habit. Change does not come easy, it requires effort. Thus the road of least resistence is followed and some (most) offices today look like offices of a century ago.

2. No Vision: Offices have a strategic value, which in most cases is completely undervalued by those who should set the vision for the company. Company reports or mission statements should be replaced by a couple of pictures of the office. “We did great this year, profits went up by 200% look at our office, it shows!”
3. Functionitis: A disease often found in offices where both the managers and the staff have the illusion that everything in the office should be related to function. Sufferers of functionitis believe that when they sit at their desk they are working.

4. Departementalization: Or not being able to look outside of the box, or in case of the office, not be able to think outside of the department which leads to the partitioning and the walls that are a sign of failure. Yes, office workers are a lot like dogs. (the difference is that they don’t pee to mark their territories….)
5. Cancerous growth: Just like a garden an office needs weeding, regular cutting and pruning.
6. Don’t care: No one cares for a rented car as it is only rented, not owned. An office should be “owned” by all who use it.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *