The “Why” behind a bold move
As I sit in a warm Studio on a wet autumn Sunday evening, after a day’s break spending time with my young family, I am going through a barrage of messages on this and other platforms. The support I have received in last few weeks from you all has been overwhelming. Some of you have said Work Transformers is the absolute right move for me to make, while some others have asked more details on where my thinking is at and what is the real ‘why’ behind Work Transformers. I will do my best to answer this question here.
Where it all began
My introduction to Workplace Strategy initiated in 2004 at University of Greenwich School of Architecture and Built Environment. At the time, I did not know what I was doing was recognised as Workplace Strategy, neither did my RIBA qualified professor. The professional bodies associated with Architecture at the time did not realise or recognise the value of a data led strategic approach of defining a brief. In my honest opinion, there is still a gap there but thats a topic for another post. While most of my colleagues were being taught to resolve world’s problems with their sketch-pens, I was doing research and collecting evidence to inform the brief.
All of this started coming into practice at Nightingale Associates and KPF where we dealt with complex briefs. An unorthodox approach was required to develop design thinking in detail, and I had the privilege of working with some of the best designers in the industry, whose form finding skills coupled with unique storytelling techniques convinced clients to do the right thing. This was in the run up to 2008/09 and then came the global financial crises. Every story needs a twist and this was mine.
Watching Lehman Brothers go down on BBC news was the beginning of a crisis moment for me, as much for rest of the world. But with great crisis moments come great opportunities. I went back to Greenwich School of Architecture, but this time as a tutor in one of post graduate units. We ran a unit of about 15 brilliant post grads who demonstrated an amazing level of maturity to solving complex problems, but this time with their strategic design thinking. Co-led by like-minded tutors and professors, we developed methodologies of developing a strategic brief which were commended by many industry professionals as unique and innovative. However, working in the context of Academia is one thing, and getting them mainstream in the real commercial world is another. Then came another turning point in the journey.
Temple of Workplace Strategy
I landed myself a role at DEGW, and some will perhaps call it the school of Workplace Strategy. DEGW was established in London in 1971 by Frank Duffy, Peter Eley, Luigi Giffone and John Worthington. The original partners were all educated as Architects, with Luigi Giffone also being an engineer. Francis Duffy, John Worthington and the late Peter Ely, studied together at the Architectural Association. DEGW’s approach to design placed an emphasis on research and they combined concepts from planning and business, such as ‘time budgeting’, ‘activity mapping’, ‘advocacy planning’ and the explicit use of scientific methods in building design. Their over-arching concern with time and management in architecture produced influential work on the differing life-cycles in buildings from structural core to interior fittings, the involvement of users in the design and management of their space, the emphasis on facilities management as key to the success of large-scale building, the use of pre- and post-occupancy surveys, workshops, strategic briefing and focus group techniques. Hey presto, I discovered the official name of the profession I had been practicing all this while – Workplace Strategy.
Over the next few years, I worked with a number of super talented individuals who have become life-long friends, supporters, alumni and mentors. Most importantly, I had the privilege of working with Frank directly on the strategic briefing of South Bank Centre, later leading to a series of projects at South Bank by appointment of known architecture firms. Our focus remained on translation of the Strategy to suitable design solutions, which became an integral part of what I became as a Workplace Strategy professional in years to come. But there was another twist to come.
DEGW was acquired by Davis Langdon, which was subsequently acquired by AECOM. A key to DEGW’s approach was the combination of consultancy and design work, each challenging the other. Since their takeover by Davis Langdon in summer 2009, and subsequent absorption into AECOM, design services were separated, concentrating on consultancy alone as part of Strategy Plus. There came a moment to explore pastures new.
Translating Strategy to Design and Construction
Hello Morgan Lovell! I joined ML in 2014 and worked closely with some of the greatest Design and Build professionals providing Workplace Consultancy services across the UK. ML supported me with a strong human centric culture and I relished my circa 4 years in the business. Following this when an opportunity came knocking at Unispace to work in a global role, influencing Workplace Strategies with CEO’s across the world, I had to go for it. My ML colleagues understood the reasons behind my move and with a heavy heart, but excitement for what maybe coming next, I took the plunge. Sometimes you have to trust your gut.
Unispace provided me with global exposure. I believe at one stage; I was working across a minimum of 3 countries across 3 continents on some of the best projects with an amazing team. Global exposures broadened my mind to a level I hadn’t expected earlier (positively offcourse!) – I learnt how ‘work’ as an activity is perceived differently by people from Australia, all the way to North America. UK and Europe were our ‘home’ grounds and our ‘aways’ were projects such as Woodside Energy where Unispace delivered a Future of Work in partnership with NASA, IBM and Tesla. We delivered business transformation to organisations like Boston Scientific and PMI through the virtue of Workplaces and worked with the most senior people rolling our sleeves. Unispace was acquired by a global PE firm ultimately and in total I spent around 6 years of my time in the firm.
Wuhan and Work
The global pandemic, as horrific it was, came with a silver lining for the world of work. For one, it made the workplace sector super interesting. The global shift to hybrid work to some degree, the growing importance of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors and the rapid adoption of new technologies have radically changed how we think about workplaces.
As someone who has spent over two decades immersed in workplace strategy, I’ve witnessed firsthand how the landscape of work has evolved. But I also couldn’t help noticing how sometimes the organisations and professionals who have tried to serve the same organisations have struggled to keep up. In the last 2 years alone, I came across several workplace strategy briefs which were sub-optimal. There were some big questions appearing – has Workplace Strategy been stuck in a rigid, one-method model? Are small, medium and large companies unknowingly relying on fragmented advice, re-cycled strategies, consultant bingo jargon and pre defined solutions that don’t adapt to the complexities of the modern world? The outcome – Workplaces that don’t fully reflect the needs of their people or the broader goals of the organisation.
Birth of a purpose
Our mission was centred on the view that Workplace Strategy can take more responsibility and here was a purposeful objective to embark upon. It became clear that a re-energised approach was required that can fill some noticeable gaps:
-
- Bridge Leadership disconnect: Provide tailormade approaches that can positively influence C-Suite in seeing the workplace as a crucial factor for business growth, employee engagement and productivity.
-
- Go long on partnership: Cut short advisory doesn’t fully account for the not-so-positive realities of hybrid work, leaving organisations struggling later to optimise management, space and costs. We will want to deliver sustainable change through a partnership model.
-
- Techniques that help align priorities: There’s often a disconnect between the need to reduce real estate costs and the importance of fostering employee experience and well-being. Not just expertise in data, but the capability to have a direct conversation with workstream leadership is critical.
-
- Focus on ESG and DEI: Sustainable growth is no longer optional—it’s a must. Many organisations are failing to integrate ESG into their workplace strategies. Our approach puts ESG and DEI at the centre of workplace thinking.
-
- Cross-collaboration: Strategy, Design and Construction often operate in silos, making it difficult to create cohesive, actionable strategies. Ability to translate Strategies into Design recommendations and the guardianship of same is what we want to offer.
Hello Work Transformers!
I strongly felt that my experience, strengths and support of talented strategists in our team were the perfect match to fill these gaps. Hence we gave birth to Work Transformers on 3rd October 2024 as a boutique organisation to address these client issues head-on. Work Transformers’ vision is to provide companies with an innovative, people-first approach to workplace strategy that adapts to the needs of today and tomorrow. We take a holistic view of the workplace, incorporating hybrid work models, ESG commitments, and seamless collaboration across departments to deliver strategies that create true value. A key part of our approach is that we focus on influencing leadership to see the workplace as a driver for employee engagement, productivity, and well-being. Only then can real transformation happen.
Why Now?
We’re at a critical moment in how we define workspaces. Initial client engagements are suggesting that outdated methods of delivering strategies aren’t really working in a world where employees expect flexibility, environmental responsibility and meaningful, experience driven spaces. I strongly believe that by addressing these challenges, we can unlock the full potential of workplaces, benefiting both people and the planet.
How can you help? Join the revolution!
If you have read this far, thank you! I must open up more – moving on from an institutional world of performance pressures and financial comforts, to initiating a start-up needing rounded knowledge and balance, requires going through a good degree of mental change. Some would even call it ‘uncomfortable change’. But isn’t that our core work everyday – deliver change? The mission and purpose above have provided me with immense guiding energy in every moment so far. I am grateful for the support I have received from you already. We need more people to join the revolution we have initiated, and I’ll be excited to work with like-minded Clients and CRE professionals who share this vision. Together, we can lead a movement toward smarter, more sustainable workplace strategies that benefit everyone.
If you’re interested in learning more or working with us, I invite you to explore www.worktransformers.com and let’s discuss how we can work for you to transform your future of work—together.