The Beating Heart of the Workspace
Why Human Connection Trumps All
“There are no facts, only interpretations.”
Friedrich Nietzsche’s words are on my mind again as I consider the future of the workspace. In the midst of the ongoing debate about hybrid models, RTO mandates and the wildly overblown death of the office, something fundamental risks getting lost: the enduring power of human connection.
I have had a few recent experiences that have made me step back and think about this more deeply. Take, for example, the concierge team in a premium Melbourne building owned by one of Australia’s largest institutional property owners. There are a multitude of means by which tenants can connect with the team - app, email, message services, phone, having a direct conversation, or perhaps carrier pigeon (actually, I’m not sure I support the latter….). Yet, month after month, the overwhelming majority of tenants choose to walk up and interact in person.
In April, we logged 1,425 concierge interactions, a mere 94 of which were digital or phone-based (for clarity, zero came via carrier pigeon).
This points to a need for more than just service – it evidences a need for human connection.
Then there was a conversation with a flexible workspace customer. I was keen to hear about the design, the amenities, the cutting-edge tech. Instead, I got an impassioned discourse about our team (which was wonderful to hear!). The barista who remembers their name & order, the community manager who goes the extra mile, how our team had proactively responded to a couple of challenges they faced. That was what truly mattered to the customer.
The physical space must be great of course, but it is just the starting point for a workspace experience.
These aren’t isolated incidents. They hint at a deeper truth: the workspace, at its core, isn’t about desks and chairs. It’s a place that must facilitate, and indeed promote, the intricate dance of human interaction.
As we navigate this new world of hybrid work, with the need to nurture human interaction in a meaningful manner, we must acknowledge that connection isn’t a ‘nice-to-have’ – it’s the very lifeblood of a thriving workspace.
Connection as the Elixir of Productivity
The essential need for human interaction and connection is not a fluffy ethereal concept – there is ample research to link this directly to productivity. Gallup, for instance, has been a long-time champion of the “best friend at work” concept. Their research and business intelligence provide irrefutable evidence that employees with strong workplace friendships are more engaged, more productive, and more innovative. They’re the ones driving your business forward, not just filling a seat.
It’s not just about productivity, though (and the jury is still out about how to accurately define productivity in the world of knowledge work anyway) - It's also about well-being. The US Surgeon General has warned of an epidemic of loneliness, and as we know the workplace can be either a remedy or, conversely, a breeding ground.
Strong social connections act as a buffer against stress, anxiety, and even physical ailments.
The opposite is true where a toxic culture pervades (and I could draw a line between toxic cultures and RTO mandates here, but that would send me off track….).
As much as we talk about ROI, can we afford to ignore the ROH – the Return on Humanity?
Then there’s the concept of workspace hospitality, a favourite topic of mine, and something that should be top of the agenda for anyone in the office, CRE and related sectors. This is about creating an environment where employees feel valued, cared for, and hosted in your space in the way that they would be hosted in a great restaurant or hotel. It’s an idea that seems blindingly obvious, yet is so often overlooked. When we prioritise hospitality, comfort, and a sense of belonging, the benefits ripple outwards – increased retention, a magnetic employer brand (or indeed landlord brand if owners get this right), and a workforce ready to go the extra mile.
The Shadow Side. The Sterile Workspace and Isolation
The consequences of neglecting connection can be dire, and we have all heard a range of horror stories. The soulless, sterile, workspace; absent leadership; the feeling of being a cog in a machine (or perhaps a headcount in a cubicle). In these environments, isolation breeds like a virus. Engagement plummets, creativity withers, and employees vote with their feet.
It's a stark reminder – people are naturally gregarious, and we are not designed to work in isolation, nor in silos. We crave interaction, recognition, a sense of community. When the workspace fails to provide that, it fails on a fundamental level, irrespective of how many awards the interior designer may have won.
The Psychology of Belonging
There's a beautiful simplicity to the Self-Determination Theory:
Autonomy, Competence, and Relatedness.
Give people control, help them feel skilled, and foster a sense of belonging – and watch them flourish. That third pillar, relatedness, is where the magic of connection truly lives. We are, after all, social creatures. We yearn to be part of something larger than ourselves. The workspace, when done right, provides that 'something'.
The Workspace as a Human Habitat
So, let’s lay the hybrid-remote-RTO debate aside for a moment.
Let’s stop obsessing over square metres and cost-cutting. The real questions we should be asking are:
How do we design workspaces and workspace hospitality that nourish the human spirit?
How do we create environments where people don’t just work, but connect, collaborate, and thrive?
The answer, I believe, lies in embracing the power of connection.
It’s time to focus the workspace as a habitat for humans and not as a machine for productivity. As I see it, if we get that right, the rest will take care of itself.
Because in the end, it’s not just about where we work — it’s about how we feel when we get there.
#futureofwork
Loved this!