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Effective Spaces
New spaces can take our current people, technology, and resources and create a new realm of possibility and integration. These fresh combinations have two goals:
- Engaging our staff and stakeholders and increase their effectiveness and
- Empowering partners to grow from being a customer/constituent to a fan/evangelist.
Redefining spaces that invite and empower are important because everything within your organization is already segmented into spaces. From functional teams and work groups to processes (ie. that checklist of who cleaned the bathroom last) and systems (ie. how multiple departments collaborate to produce weekly digital communications)-- everything in our organizations is already defined somehow.
Each successful space in your organization will have three aspects: accessibility, integration, and potential.
Accessible spaces are those that are supported within the organization. Each space within the organization needs to be supported with policies, politics, and technology. Picture accessibility as the fireman's pole to your space. Is there a clear path for people to encounter your space?
Integrated spaces are built into the fabric of everyday life. Once established, your spaces should be as familiar as other workflow staples. These vary depending on the team, but might include your specific flavor of email, the gathering spot for small talk, or a traditional meeting or meeting time.
Finally, spaces need potential that is similar to that of the organization. Your space should have a rhythm of execution, implementation, and growth that mimics that of people's experiences within your organization. For example, a majority of the projects are completed within two weeks, your space should have cycles that are 1, 2, 4, 6, etc. week increments. Another example, if most people in your organization communicate fast using cell phones, text messaging, or email, your space must interact with people at the same speed.
Spaces that accessible, integrated, and full of potential will be highly effective.
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