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In an era marked in many ways by our ability to connect and live in increasingly expanding virtual spaces, the way we work is, too, evolving. 

Cal State Long Beach is capitalizing on the technological advancements of our time to reimagine our workplace for the better, strengthening employee connections and improving services for the students who depend on us.

Part of a multi-faceted project to rethink the future of work, ɫ��ɫ’s Beach Building Services teamed up with Beach 2030 to develop The Future of the Office: Best Practices and Space Standards — a guide to help ɫ��ɫ think strategically about physical space on campus. With easy-to-follow steps and practical tools to help implement space changes, this new project aims to be a resource for creating innovative, collaborative and productive workspaces in a hybrid environment. 

While hybrid schedules and remote capabilities have improved the way we work in many ways, they have also led to increased feelings of isolation, decreased collaboration among employees, and an overall perception of “emptiness” by students, co-workers, and other customers. By leveraging remote schedules to share space, there is an opportunity in this new era to create vibrant workspaces that foster connection and improve our service delivery.  

“This guide provides a practical framework for adapting to the evolving nature of work on our campus," said Mark Zakhour, associate vice president of Beach Building Services. "By leveraging these best practices, we can optimize our spaces to enhance collaboration, improve employee engagement, and deliver exceptional service to our students." 

The guide begins by leading teams through a process to determine whether some employees should engage in hybrid or “flexible” work schedules. Then, in step two, it introduces three strategies for leveraging shared space to maximize office potential. These factors are important in completing step three: determining the types of workspaces needed for a team and office. This includes hoteling, desk sharing, neighborhoods and traditional space. In many cases, a mix of these configurations could help teams optimize their space.  

With updated space guidelines and beautification strategies to enhance the look and feel of any workspace on campus, this process is also meant to help foster a stronger sense of belonging among both employees and the students who come to them for services.  

At each step, tools and resources are provided for successful implementation of each team’s space goals.  

Throughout the process, the strategy is guided by the “Five Cs” of modern work — key themes to consider when creating a successful workplace: connection, creation, collaboration, critical tasks, and culture. The potential to foster personal connections, inspire creativity, facilitate teamwork, ensure efficiency in essential tasks, and promote a positive work environment are integral to a team’s success.  

"What’s truly exciting is that these improvements can be achieved thoughtfully and creatively, without requiring significant financial investments," Zakhour said. "It’s about creating workspaces and a culture that are functional, empowering, and collaborative."

Read the full guide on the Campus Planning website.