Reimagining the workplace through hospitality design

LM: The line between a ‘third space’ and the workplace have become increasingly blurred in recent years - how is this trend changing our perceptions of the role the workplace plays in our lives?

DD: The answer to that question hinges on ‘who’ you are talking to and ‘when’ you are talking to them. The reality is that each company breaks down into a series of personas, and that each persona looks to the workplace to fulfil a different need. For certain personas, “third spaces” are the ideal workplaces, while for others the office is ideal, and for others home is ideal. That can also change depending on the phase of life you are in - it can also change based on what day of the week it is. As we look at where trends are heading in the near future, a vocal minority of companies will demand inflexible all in-person policies, while the quiet majority of companies will opt for social contract based on flexibility, so long as the employee gets their work done. Nick Bloom out of Stanford does the best research that illustrates this trend through data. 

LM: We often find in mobility environments, that authentic emotional connection to customers and employees gives brands a leading edge. Do you think that this hospitality-style mindset is something workplaces need to start adopting for their teams and in the way they are designed?

DD: Yes, given the terms described above. I’ll give you a specific example. Yesterday I was having lunch with a person who manages employee experiences at one of the largest insurance companies in America. We were talking about both hospitality and also the company’s sense of purpose. We imagined a scenario where not only did they offer a really nice meal on the day you came in, but they also invited their customers to meals at their HQ, so as an employee you would share a meal with one of your customers and learn about their experience with your company. Maybe their house burned down and your company rebuilt it. Maybe they got in a car accident and you replaced their car. Hearing those stories directly from someone who your company serves would be very powerful and, potentially, overshadow the importance of the food alone. 

There is another critical aspect to approaching hospitality in workplaces, which is choice. In a project we did for ActiveCampaign in Chicago we really thought about the office as an ecosystem of different space types, which supported the client's culture of allowing people to discover a place to work where they felt the most comfortable. 

LM: In traditional hospitality contexts, the lasting impression of a particular experience often comes down to the interactions and connection they had with staff. In a similar way, how can employers create a deeper emotional connection with employees - that nurtures an environment of fulfilment, productivity and creativity?

DD: The staff are the key. However, in an office environment, you don’t typically have many employees whose primary role is to serve others within the organisation. That’s why I believe this spirit of hospitality needs to be more deeply embedded in the culture, particularly among management. Phil Kirschner has one of my favourite comments on this, that the job of managers in a knowledge work context should include three things: 1) Make my day, 2) Inspire me to stay, 3) Get out of my way. There is a huge amount of hospitality-style thinking involved in how you achieve these three points. The reality, in my experience of the workplace, is that an act of hospitality that leads to deeper emotional connection is situational and requires creativity applied to unique knowledge you have about a team or person.

LM: Let’s say I’m someone reading this who is inspired to go down the path of imbedding authentic and generous hospitality experiences into their workplace. Where do they begin?

DD: At its core, hospitality is about human connection. When you think about the icons of workplace culture over the past couple of decades, what comes to mind? Often, it’s satirical portrayals like The Office or Office Space. Otherwise you think of technologies like Gmail, Teams, Slack and now ChatGPT. These examples either expose a lack of human connection, or a technology that does as much to stymie real human connection as it does to create meaningful moments of connection. Going down the path of hospitality-driven workplace first of all takes enthusiasm, courage, intentionality, creativity and humility. Guidara’s book is probably the best primer on the subject I’m aware of. I’ll include a link to my substack summary of this book in case you haven’t read it. Then, find a design team to work with who understands the art and science of creating great experiences. In other words, CALL LUKE MILES!