In episode 403, host Mike Petrusky speaks with Lisa Copland, Managing Director and Founder of Presynct, an Australian consultancy that helps organizations align workplace strategy, portfolio decisions, and behavioral change. Drawing on her background in psychology and large-scale transformation work, Lisa explains that effective workplace strategy starts by connecting directly to the business itself. Together, Mike and Lisa explore why workplace transformation works best when business strategy, workplace experience, spatial design, technology, and change management are treated as an integrated system. Lisa also shares how AI and data are enabling more responsive, dynamic workplaces and why organizations need to rethink when and how they make real estate decisions if they want long-term flexibility.
Agenda
- How workplace strategy aligns with business outcomes
- How design, behavior, and technology function as one system
- How AI and data enable dynamic space optimization
- Why challenging workplace norms unlocks new perspectives
- Where to optimize existing space before changing the portfolio
What you need to know: Workplace takeaways
Takeaway 1: Start with strategy before making property decisions
Many organizations still anchor workplace change to lease events, but Lisa argues that this sequence limits long-term success and often locks teams into decisions that are difficult and costly to unwind. Instead, she emphasizes that organizations should start with the strategy, not the lease, and that leaders need to be clear on how the workplace and portfolio support the broader business strategy before making property decisions.
Timing plays a critical role here. “Your property decision shouldn’t be considered at the point of the lease event — it needs to be considered well in advance,” Lisa explains. Taking a forward-looking approach gives organizations the space to test assumptions, model different scenarios, and align decisions with business priorities rather than external deadlines.
By flipping the sequence to strategy first, real estate second, organizations move away from reactive decision-making and toward a more deliberate, insight-led approach that supports performance, adaptability, and change over time.
Takeaway 2: Integrating design, behavior, and technology drives real transformation
Lisa describes workplace transformation as a system made up of multiple, interdependent elements. Too often, organizations pull one lever, for example redesigning a space or rolling out new technology, without aligning the others. When that happens, the impact rarely matches the investment.
Real progress, she explains, happens when design, behavior, technology, and change management are working together. “When those three or four things marry up, it’s beautiful,” she says. “It just creates an unbelievable workplace experience that is truly transformational for the organization.”
Alignment creates consistency between what the business needs, how people actually work, and how the workplace supports those behaviors day to day. It also requires organizations to think more holistically, using insight into work patterns to guide decisions across space, tools, and change strategy, so each element reinforces the same outcomes.
Takeaway 3: AI and integration are shifting workplaces from static to dynamic
While many companies already have the right tools in place, Lisa notes that the real value comes from integration that brings those tools together into a cohesive, responsive ecosystem.
She highlights how this is already playing out, explaining that “AI can now auto-stack buildings based on planned and actual attendance, and then dynamically group teams together.” Capabilities like this allow organizations to respond to how work is happening, rather than relying on assumptions baked into older planning models.
With more flexible, data-driven environments, organizations can reduce friction, improve collaboration, and continuously refine how space supports performance.
Takeaway 4: Innovation comes from different perspectives and a willingness to challenge norms
Lisa explains how her non-traditional background strongly influences how she approaches workplace strategy, and she encourages leaders to look beyond established industry thinking when developing new solutions. Innovation, she suggests, often comes from applying ideas and disciplines that sit outside the typical workplace lens.
“A different lens is really valuable,” she says, “and it’s encouraged me to speak up, share ideas, and challenge the norms.” That willingness to question assumptions makes it easier to rethink long-standing models around space, occupancy, and how teams interact.
She also emphasizes the mindset behind innovation, explaining that having a willingness to stay curious and look at things differently is often where the most meaningful innovations really come from. Organizations that actively create room for curiosity and experimentation are better positioned to develop more adaptive, future-ready ways of working.
Takeaway 5: Optimize existing space before changing the portfolio
Before committing to new space or major portfolio changes, organizations should focus on improving their current environments. Using data, technology, and behavioral change to unlock existing value can often deliver meaningful results without triggering a lease event or capital investment.
“It could even start with optimizing how people work within the existing space,” Lisa explains. “It doesn’t need to start with an event.”
She also highlights a common challenge she sees in practice. “Too often I’m brought in to retrofit a way of working into a workplace after an organization has either committed to too much or too little space.” When decisions are made too early, flexibility is lost and outcomes become harder to achieve.
Workplace management insights
- Workplace strategy should guide property and lease decisions
- Early portfolio planning creates flexibility and reduces long-term constraints
- Integration across design, behavior, and technology drives stronger outcomes
- Alignment between business goals and workplace experience improves performance
- Connected systems unlock more value than standalone tools
- Diverse perspectives help unlock meaningful innovation
- Challenging established models leads to more adaptive workplace strategies
- Optimizing existing space reduces risk before portfolio changes
- Sequencing decisions correctly improves both outcomes and organizational agility
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