Moving offices-- just like moving your home-- is a big choice, loaded with risks and headaches that can sap the resources of even the most prepared company.
We need to understand. Convene just recently moved our home office from 2 offices in Midtown Manhattan to a new flagship area in Lower Manhattan. It's a move of only 4 miles, but moving over 100 individuals, spread across numerous places, is never ever an easy task.
To facilitate this relocation, and ensure a smooth shift, the team here at Convene designated a relocation committee: a group of experts, selected for their specific understanding around problems we understood would develop with the big relocation. Consider them as our moving dream group-- the Office Move Avengers.
4 of these professionals were kind enough to share their ideas on the relocation-- what went well, what didn't, and how other business must prepare to relocate. Gain from our successes-- and mistakes.
Start with "Why?".
The most essential consideration our professionals shared was the importance of "Why?".
" Why are we moving workplaces?".
" Make sure everyone understands the 'why' of the move," states Slater. "People regard transparency. You require to outline whether it's going to be much better or even worse for them.".
Let's face it, business move for lots of reasons-- often good and sometimes not-so-good. Even if you have to move for an unfavorable reason, it's crucial to transparently communicate why the move is required.
When the team was significantly smaller, we moved into our old workplace back in 2010--.
Naturally, a lot of relocations included lots of great news too-- growing groups, broadening income, and new opportunities. Even when things are looking sunny and bright for your company, don't take the 'why' for approved. You're still asking individuals to change their regimens, which in many methods is more difficult in good times than bad.
" All interactions relating to the move should constantly end and begin with the crucial vision of why we're moving workplaces and why this is important," says Wollemann. "Even when it's just an email about logistics and timeline, it is very important to keep in mind the 'why' when you're asking people to alter a major part of their routine.".
" What remains in It for Me?".
Even the most selfless group player will have one huge issue about any workplace moving: "What remains in it for me?".
Transitions and routine modifications are difficult for everyone, and a few of the modifications may make life more difficult for a part of your group (longer commute, less familiar neighborhood). While you shouldn't belittle or overlook those concerns, make certain you're framing the move around the private advantages individuals can anticipate from the new digs.
Moving offices is a big (and costly) decision.
" If you're moving someplace with excellent amenities, it's a big message to people that our skill is the most important for us and we're going to take care of you," says Slater. "Whatever the benefit of your brand-new area is, hype that up for the team: more space, much better features, much better community, anything that frames up the necessary 'What's in it for me?'".
Choose Your Move Group Carefully.
Moving offices is a big choice-- an extremely costly choice. Make sure you're picking members of your move team carefully, and not just tossing any prepared volunteer into the mix.
Our team was purposefully picked based on their skillsets-- communications, modification know-how, style, strategy, and so on. Each individual had a role to play, and that function was important to a successful relocation. "Plan individuals's functions ahead of time on the move team," states Vassallo. "Ensure you have your needs covered.".
In spite of the accumulated talent, there were a few locations our team might've used some additional aid with (operations being a huge one). "Specific things I managed may have been better dealt with by an operations specialist. For instance, hiring the mover, collaborating all the boxes, what groups need what, and what example they own.".
" Having the right team of people to collaborate the move and divvying up duty is truly crucial," says Christophe. "We had an actually good group, that made it much easier.".
Communicate Early and Typically.
" Step one is creating an interactions plan, where you lay out the previously, throughout, and after the move, and ensure everybody knows about crucial dates," recommends Wollemann. The group set out a comprehensive timeline, with matching dates for when important items would require to be interacted to the company-- scrap cleansing days, last day to pack your box, last day in the old office, very first day in the brand-new office, and more.
When moving offices, make certain to thank those who made it happen!
Interacting early and typically applies beyond just your own company too-- make sure to verify with outdoors suppliers like the moving business months in advance. "When I contacted the moving company, they thought I was insane.".
Most commercial office buildings aren't going to let movers mess up their nice elevators with moving carts and heavy furniture. "What time people can come, using freight elevators, what time people can use the freight elevators, extra cost for moving after hours, then coordinating with the new building to have that all happen on the same day.".
Know Your Workers ... and Their 'Stuff'.
Not all departments in your business are produced equal-- each team has their own requirements and devices. The HR team needs a room with some personal privacy for interviews and other delicate conferences. And the financing team needs filing cabinets for accounting documentation.
Understanding what they'll require in the new location, be prepared to handle devices and other miscellaneous items that go unclaimed at the old workplace. "I discovered that a great deal of things weren't claimed by anybody, and somebody had to decide what to do with it. For instance, all the office supplies in the workplace that technically didn't come from any someone. Someone had to choose what gets tossed and what needs to come with us.".
Nail The First Day.
You never ever get a 2nd possibility to make a first impression. Day one get more info of a move will be hectic no matter what, but do everything you can to make it a celebratory environment and a smooth transition.
Producing a celebratory atmosphere on the first day was a critical part of our office relocation.
" It's easy to get lost in the logistics however when it comes down to it, individuals appreciate a few things that will affect them on the first day-- how do I get in the structure and where am I sitting?" says Wollemann.
The moving committee developed a welcome packet that had guidelines on all the basics of getting here to work on the very first day and paired that package with a live presentation a couple of weeks before the relocation letting individuals know what to anticipate-- where they would be sitting, how to get in and out, public transport choices, and more.
" You require to instruct individuals on how to prepare, and how to be successful in the new environment-- how to establish their desk, their tech, their chair, everything," says Slater. "Take some time to solve even the smallest of concerns and take care of the needs (not the desires) of people, either through innovation, style, or education.".
There were a couple of products the moving team, in retrospect, dreams were handled differently. Relocating to a brand-new office, for us, implied great deals of brand-new IT systems to implement-- new printers, brand-new docking stations for laptop computers, new building security, and more. The IT team set-up a war space where individuals might drop by for support on the spot, however lots of issues could've been avoided by possibly a team-by-team innovation orientation.
Regardless of that minor inconvenience, the team nailed the very check here first day experience. "We had a truly celebratory very first day (and week) at the brand-new workplace," states Wollemann. "There were swag bags, balloons, special treats, and more. Making people feel truly unique was a top priority.".
The Lunch Crunch.
Among the most unexpected elements of our relocation is simply how invested people would be in checking out the lunch spots in our brand-new area. Of all the regimens being altered for the folks in our office, lunch unequivocally elicited the most excitement and suffering.
" We put together an actually great welcome package that consisted of information about the area, but I wish we included more choices for lunch," says Christophe. "The alternatives we put in there were more special event kind of locations (i.e.-- more costly), and not every day lunch choices.".
Prepare individuals for their brand-new culinary surroundings. Search Yelp for the finest sandwiches, salads, tacos, and ramen, and make certain you interact that info to the team. Food is a huge deal, and you 'd be well served to set minds at ease about where your group can consume in their brand-new digs.
This action did generate a fun and creative option-- our team has now begun a shared spreadsheet where people can go into enjoyable, affordable lunch areas they've discovered with a brief review that anyone on the group can browse for some new options to try.
The Work's Refrained from doing After The first day.
At 5PM on day one, it's easy to breathe a sigh of relief and believe the relocation is over with.
Not so quick, says our relocation group.
" Individuals forget that the relocation and change isn't over on day one," says Slater. You require to constantly iterate and resolve problems the first month as individuals get used to the area and make modifications so that the space works successfully.".
The day one breakfast spread. However stay alert, the work's not even near to finished!
" The most significant obstacle is getting people to alter their behavior," states Wollemann. "One way to motivate that is actually to focus the communications. Even if the sole function is to communicate the date of something or action they require to take, always bring that communication back to why this change is going to more info be great for the future.".
Don't Forget to Make It Enjoyable.
Don't kid yourself-- moving workplaces can be a huge old pain-in-the-ass. Everybody knows it.
However you can make things more manageable by working in some fun. One way our group did that was by hosting several "purge celebrations." After spending years in one office, we had actually all accumulated a great deal of things that clearly didn't require to move to the brand-new area. Since no one truly likes cleansing, the team made it fun. Time was obstructed out on everybody's calendars for a "purge celebration," complete with tacos, beer, and music.
Big garbage and recycling cans were brought in and everyone in the business was motivated to let go of all the junk they've collected throughout the years. Old documentation was shredded, conference boodle contributed, and drawers loaded with napkins and plastic spoons from lunches past were tossed away.
Throughout the first week in the brand-new workplace, unique surprises were prepared, like afternoon cookies or catered lunch, together with unique welcome bags for every employee including novelty chocolate business cards-- including the brand-new address, of course.