Alexander Pachulski
Co-founder of Talentsoft
"Helping everyone to fulfil their potential at work" is one of Talensoft's missions. What role do the offices play in this?
"The question all companies should be asking themselves today is "What are my offices for? Should we, at TalentSoft for example, divide our headquarters into several coworking spaces that are better distributed across the country, as some companies do? I'm not sure. Isn't a head office a coworking space in the strictest sense of the term, dedicated to collective intelligence? These are the questions I'm asking myself today. Be that as it may, what really counts is collective commitment, and the way in which we manage to find the right alchemy. A company's success can only come from the fulfilment of the individuals who make it up. If I don't feel good in my job, in my meeting room, I won't be as good. Covid hasn't changed that in the slightest, but with new practices, offices are going to have to adapt if they are to be attractive again, and encourage collaboration. These days, I don't have a single physical meeting without one of the participants being at a distance. So meeting spaces, for example, need to adapt.
What does this mean in practical terms?
I'm convinced that it will be harder if we don't see each other. Let's not forget that 70% of communication is non-verbal. Working remotely is of course possible on a day-to-day basis, but it becomes much trickier when there are complex projects to implement. There's no point in having nice offices and nice organisations if the teams aren't motivated. The workplace must foster this team spirit, because when things get tricky, that's what will help us get through them. Offices, management and the working environment must all serve a single purpose: to take account of and respect everyone's individual needs, without lapsing into individualism.
If you had to redesign your offices, where would you start?
It's a fascinating job. I would minimise individual spaces, but without eliminating them, because depending on whether you like working alone or not, whether you have young children at home, etc., you still need to be able to isolate yourself. On the other hand, I would create collective hubs centred on informal relationships, which are the places where the collective intelligence of an organisation is expressed. And, of course, more formal spaces, but not austere ones! Offices are still the most important spaces: when I see some companies leaving them to move into coworking spaces, I can't help but see it as a terrible admission of failure. We need to be able to express collaboration and creativity in our own spaces!
Are there any examples that set an example for you?
Surprisingly, at a time when we've never been so connected, at a time when we can draw inspiration from all cultures... we've never done so much the same. This applies to restaurants, hotels and offices alike. Whether you go to the United States or Denmark, you'll find the same sofas and the same coffee tables. Companies need to ask themselves what kind of workspace reflects who they are! Offices play a unifying role. I believe in working remotely, but only if a personal bond has been forged between employees beforehand. And that happens in the office. Once that bond has been forged, then distance becomes possible.
