JLL’s Article “The real workplace trends to steal from tech” explores how our workplace is changing. Since the physical office is no longer mandatory, employers are making it more appealing to be there, and easier than ever to collaborate.

But some emerging workplace trends are a bit eccentric unless you work in tech. How do you differentiate between a passing fad and lasting feature? Here are six trends to stand the test of time and deliver value for any company—no matter how traditional.

Read the pdf on JLL Slideshare http://bit.ly/1qrUsQB

1. TEAR DOWN THE WALLS

But only some of them.

Focus on the types of work that your employees are doing and build environments that cater to concentration, collaboration, touchdown spaces or working areas that can be reconfigured on the fly for short term company projects. Finding the right balance will allow your employees to be more productive and happy.

2. ZONE OUT IN A GOOD WAY

Not everyone works the same way. Even more obvious: not every task has matching constraints. The reason so many open offices flop is because they fail to account for different work styles between employees and among tasks.

Organize by function

Try shifting from an ownership to a membership model. The most productive workplaces are no longer one-person-per-desk, but, rather, they create non-territorial neighborhoods by function. Diverse settings support the different ways they work, whether that’s alone, in pairs or in groups of various sizes.

3. PLAN FOR THE FUTURE
Even if you can’t predict it
One of the best workspace investments you can make is in a setup that will grow (or contract) with you into the future. When designing the layout of your space, invest in the most flexible infrastructure you can, knowing that it’s going to change.

4. REMOVE BARRIERS TO TECHNOLOGY
There are plenty of hurdles to success and productivity, and technology shouldn’t be one of them. As it becomes more ingrained in our work lives, technology should be largely unnoticed. In fact, the more invisible, the better.

5. BE A BRAND AMBASSADOR
Leadership is most responsible for fostering a sense of connection at work, but your physical space can go a long way in setting the tone. The work environment’s configuration and expression are becoming critically important in communicating messages about a company’s culture and brand.

6. GO BEYOND RECYCLING
Until recently, “greening” the office and creating one where employees are inspired to do their best work were seen as different activities. Now we’re beginning to draw a direct line from “green” to “productive” through management practices and physical characteristics that contribute to both.