In episode 355, host Mike Petrusky speaks with Adam Stoltz, a corporate real estate and workplace leader. Stoltz is a cofounder at the shared workspace The Idea Kitchen and has a passion for strategy, operations, and workplace experience. They chat about his career journey and his current focus on understanding the evolving workplace and how leaders can meet the needs of professionals. They also discuss how businesses can foster a culture of continuous improvement and adaptation while providing flexibility in their operations. Stoltz believes that empowering a diverse talent pool with different skill sets is essential for the future of the built environment, so he suggests looking beyond traditional industry boundaries to find people that can drive innovation. He also shares stories about the FM community and CRE leaders.
Agenda
- Discussion of the Idea Kitchen, a shared workspace that has been operational for nearly 5 years
- Exploration of the hub-home-spoke model and the role of suburban coworking spaces in the future of work
- Insights into the challenges and opportunities in facility management and operations
- Advice for professionals in the corporate real estate and facility management industry
What you need to know: Workplace takeaways
Takeaway 1: The evolving workplace requires a dynamic and flexible environment that can adapt to the diverse needs of employees
“Our offices have an opportunity to be much more dynamic and responsive and perhaps even a bit bespoke to what the needs of the day or that team or even that individual could be,” Stoltz states.
That means workspace adjustments that go beyond simple furniture changes. The design and planning approach should be comprehensive, Stoltz says. Organizations need to consider what they’re going to include and where it’s going.
“We’ve got to make sure that we’ve thought about from the design and planning side of things, the need for clearer front of house versus back of house arrangements so that if you’re talking about making furniture adjustments, you’ve got a place to put that furniture that isn’t the entry hall where somebody walks past it on their way into the room,” he explains.
He also stresses the importance of collaboration to ensure spaces can be easily reconfigured. “We need better partnership with our technology teams so that the technology set up in the room can come together and break down and come together again in a way that, frankly, trenching in concrete and wires may not necessarily allow,” Stoltz says.
Takeaway 2: To thrive in the future of work, organizations should seek talent and skills from diverse backgrounds and industries
Stoltz advocates for a broader approach to talent acquisition, suggesting that organizations should look beyond traditional sources to find individuals with unique experiences and capabilities. “Continue to look for talent and skill sets outside the sandbox, so to speak,” he advises. “If we are going to continue to pursue evolution, not revolution, but evolution in the world of work, we need people who have experiences, capabilities, and have applied thinking in ways that allow us to stretch and grow and develop.”
He encourages leaders to embrace a mindset of learning from other industries and applying the best practices. “So, we have to make sure that we’ve got staff on site who have the knowledge and the ability, the capability, to make these adjustments and changes happen,” Stoltz says. “That’s right, we’re talking about physical changes, not just to furniture, but to space itself.”
Takeaway 3: Building a strong professional network is crucial for addressing the challenges of the modern workplace and combating feelings of loneliness and isolation
Stoltz explains the importance of having a robust network of peers and colleagues to support and advise in a rapidly changing world of work. “Make sure that you find yourself a solid network of peers and others who can help you when you have even, you know, the mundane questions that come up and where you just need somebody to reach out and say, ‘Hey, anybody else dealing with this?’” he says.
Having those networks is important for both support and innovation. “It’s going to be essential as we navigate the future of the workplace together.”
Workplace management insights
- Organizations need to look for talent and skill sets outside traditional corporate real estate and facility management to foster innovation and growth
- Work patterns are becoming more flexible, making coworking spaces more important.
- Corporate offices can become more dynamic and responsive to individual and team needs.
- Better integration and planning for front of house versus back of house arrangements to facilitate smooth transitions in office setups.
- A strong network of peers helps address professional challenges and combat feelings of loneliness and disconnection.
Do a deep dive into more workplace insights by exploring all Workplace Innovator podcast episodes.
