The Connected Workplace: Here to StayThe Connected Workplace: Here to Stay

This week at Enterprise Connect Digital Conference & Expo, we’ve been hearing many perspectives from enterprise IT leaders, analysts, consultants, and industry players on how to adjust to a blending of remote and in-office work. In yesterday’s fireside chat (available to view on demand), Melissa Marsh, of PLASTARC, brought perspective to this challenge from her perch in social research, workplace innovation, and real-estate strategy.

At PLASTARC, which she founded and serves as executive director, Marsh focuses on “bringing people and buildings together and helping them work better for one another.” Before the pandemic hit, creating workspaces around the goal of connectedness and collaboration was a high priority for many businesses. But what about now, given that social distancing and other pandemic precautions make in-person collaboration less feasible?

While Marsh readily admits to being a “three-quarter cupful optimist,” I nonetheless take heart in her belief that “the community, the connectedness, the people-centric nature of the workplace isn't going to go away.”

Marsh said she encourages her clients to think about the workplace “why.” That means as they think about returning to the office or planning for long-term telecommuting, they should be asking themselves, “Who are we?” And, “what role does the workplace play in our organization?” With those questions at the core, then they can “build back up into the features of that workplace and why [they] have that workplace,” she said.

As we move through the last full day of conference programming, and as you view content on demand going forward, I’d propose you do so with this final thought from Marsh in mind:

“My vision of the long-term future is that we do get through this COVID moment and that we've learned a lot about how our workplaces could operate better for people through both the kind of wellness and health-centric things that we're addressing right now from a COVID perspective, but also this exposure to teleworking/telecommuting at a scale that never could have been expected … and would have been hard to implement.”

Our conference program wraps up today with the following sessions:

And, don’t miss our traditional conference Locknote, during which Enterprise Connect GM and my program co-chair, Eric Krapf, will recap these four days of insights with industry analysts Robin Gareiss, of Nemertes Research; Sheila McGee-Smith, of McGee-Smith Analytics; and Dave Michels, of Talkingpointz.

Lastly, be sure to check out all our sponsored sessions and visit our exhibit hall, too!