- Lauren Pollack
- 3 min read
In the "Anti-Plans Social Butterfly" series, we'll explore how workplace strategy can support the spontaneity and momentum, that drives human connection and innovation.
Not Every Watercooler Moment Is Magic, But They Still Matter
Serendipity is unexpected, meaningful, and in the workplace, it’s also opportunity.
While I haven’t walked away from every coffee machine chat with a breakthrough idea or game-changing insight, I’ve never left feeling disappointed. The power of these moments isn’t in constant productivity, but in laying the groundwork for connection and the potential for an inspiring conversation down the road. As we mentioned in our last article, these experiences are ideal for Anti-Plans Social Butterflies, who thrive on in-the-moment human connection and collaboration.
Designing for Connection
Visibility, proximity, and informal interactions create the trust and familiarity that make innovation possible, at the watercooler and in the meeting room. These are the moments that strengthen what sociologists call “weak ties,” the casual connections that support collaboration, happiness, and workforce cohesion.
As computer-based collaboration increases, those ties are more important than ever, but many office designs don’t make room for this kind of interaction to happen naturally. This creates a loss of momentum, which Anti-Plans Social Butterflies need to do their best collaborative and relational work.
Hold Over Designs of Traditional Offices
Too often, we see design concepts held over from a different era of technology and work styles. Spaces are optimized for individual work while neglecting the needs of impromptu connection. This results in fewer spontaneous run-ins, less variety in who you see, and nowhere to go when a conversation sparks something worth building on.
These Spaces Often Include:
Oversized and under-occupied meeting rooms with a standard boardroom layout.
Walls that are blank or bearing unrelated artwork with no open writable surfaces, no shared huddle spots, and lack of visual cues that tell employees, “It’s okay to collaborate here.”
Check the box lounge spaces that aren't designed for connection and collaboration.
The excitement of a good idea, followed by the need to schedule time in the future due to meeting room or calendar constraints.
With Anti-Plans Social Butterflies and others, when inspiration hits, scheduling a meeting to hash it out can dull the spark. The energy of momentum-led collaboration is delicate. It needs space and permission to flourish, not a scheduling manager. As we mentioned in the first article, an event looming on the calendar can create unneeded tension and formality around a dynamic process.
What if offices were designed to nurture momentum and Anti-Plans Social Butterflies?
Low-barrier spaces you can drop into for impromptu ideation.
Flexible tools like whiteboards and sketch surfaces that signal "collaboration welcome."
Dynamic furniture layouts that can adapt to different types of collaboration
In Part 1 of this series, we explored how Anti-Plans Social Butterflies thrive in spontaneous connection. This principle can be supported through design. When people, whether Anti-Plans Social Butterflies or not, are given the resources to act on their social or collaborative energy in the moment, connection feels natural, and ideas gain traction.
With a thoughtful workplace strategy, we can elevate both the frequency and the impact of these everyday moments. By removing friction and honoring the spark of momentum, we create a culture where ideas grow, teams connect, and collaboration happens when it’s most relevant. Not every watercooler moment has to be magic, but when the environment supports them, more of them can be.
CRUX Workplace
- Lauren Pollack
- 2 min read
In CRUX Workplace’s recent research, we found that monitoring utilization remains a top priority for employers. While some companies are leveraging sensors (11%) and exploring Wi-Fi monitoring (6%), the majority still rely on badge swipe data to track office attendance.
The tricky part is—badge data only tells us who entered the building, not how they use the space. To truly forecast workplace needs, we need employee insights to contextualize the data. That said, badge swipe data still holds valuable clues for workplace strategy!
Here are a few ways to leverage it effectively:
✅ Midweek Peak Mitigation – Are Wednesdays packed? Instead of assuming more space is needed, analyze team collaboration patterns to distribute office attendance more evenly across the week—reducing strain on meeting rooms, cafeterias, and parking.
✅ Events & Meetings – Identify which events drive higher attendance. This helps plan engaging team gatherings and ensures facilities teams are ready for high-occupancy days.
✅ Room Usage Trends – Overlay badge data with room scheduling systems (analog or digital) to see which spaces employees prefer, especially on low-occupancy days when they have more choice. This is great information to validate directly with employees to understand why they choose certain spaces.
✅ Peak Time of Day – Understanding arrival trends helps optimize culture-building initiatives and uncover potential barriers (e.g., caregiving responsibilities, time zone conflicts, or rush hour avoidance).
Badge data gives us a broad picture of utilization. By using it strategically, companies can optimize space planning—without immediate investment in new tech.
How is your organization leveraging workplace data for smarter decision-making? Let’s discuss in the comments! ⬇️
- Lauren Pollack
- 1 min read
"Cubicles are all we’ve ever known. You come in and you know you’re in finance. The fun factor is missing."
CRUX’s recent research highlights a growing challenge: lower satisfaction scores among employees in financial firms, as they struggle to find a balance between connection with colleagues and privacy.
While Activity-Based Working (ABW) has transformed workspaces in other industries—offering dynamic environments tailored to different tasks—many financial institutions remain cautious. The result? A workplace that doesn’t fully support engagement, creativity, or well-being.
Are financial firms missing an opportunity by sticking to tradition? Could a more strategic approach to ABW help retain top talent and boost morale?
Would love to hear your thoughts! Have you seen ABW work (or not work) in finance? 👇
CRUX Workplace