- Lauren Pollack
- 1 min read
"The next big trend is going to fix everything!"
Proportionality bias often leads us to overlook solutions that don’t feel “big enough” to match the scale of our frustration. Instead, we chase after the next shiny method, cycling through trend after trend without ever addressing the core issues.
In recent years, workplace strategy clickbait has only fed this bias. Faced with “unprecedented times,” many clients assume radical challenges demand radical solutions. Often clients are surprised and occasionally unwilling to hear that there are evidence-based solutions to navigate today's workplace design.
The success of a workplace's design often comes not from what’s visible, but from the work that takes place behind the scenes to develop the strategy. An intentional and informed process ensures the workplace truly supports the work people are doing, that employees have been meaningfully included in the process to build stronger buy-in, and that the space aligns with the organization’s future vision.
Uncovering this kind of insight may seem deceptively simple. The final solution might not involve dramatic office overhauls or attention-grabbing changes — but the impact can be profound. When you're focused on searching for the next big trend or following what everyone else is doing, you risk overlooking the tried-and-true approaches that can actually take you where you need to go.
CRUX Workplace
- Lauren Pollack
- 2 min read
As workplace teams increasingly move under HR leadership, many HR leaders are finding themselves responsible for workplace strategy and real estate decisions—areas that may feel unfamiliar. But here’s the good news: this shift actually makes a lot of sense for where the future of work is headed.
At its core, the workplace is about people—connection, culture, collaboration, well-being, and performance. These are areas HR understands deeply.
When workplace and facilities teams sit within HR, it creates an opportunity to lead with empathy and intention, ensuring that space design supports real human needs. It also opens the door to more engagement-driven strategies—designing with employees, not just for them.
That said, balance is key. HR’s historic focus can create a bias to prioritize what people say they want—like holding onto private offices or dedicated desks—which can unintentionally limit how well the space supports what people need to do. That’s where your partnership with workplace experts becomes essential.
Here are ways HR leaders can support their transition into this expanded role:
Collaborate with workplace experts.
Lean into their knowledge of spatial strategy, utilization data, and design trends. They’ll help translate business goals into environments that truly work. Workplace experts care deeply about how space supports people and may challenge outdated practices that might hinder long-term success.
Engage employees early and often.
Involve employees throughout the process, listen actively, and show how their feedback is shaping outcomes. It builds trust and creates shared ownership.
Innovate how employees are supported during workplace change.
Adapting to a new way of working takes empathy and guidance. Change management, clear communication, and hands-on training help people feel informed and supported.
Shape how culture is expressed through space.
Co-creating etiquette and behavioral expectations helps teams understand how to navigate new environments and collaborate with clarity. Team agreements—an approach that naturally bridges workplace and HR—can help groups collaborate more effectively as ways of working continue to evolve.
Stay curious.
You don’t need all the answers—just a willingness to learn, ask questions, collaborate, and lead with people at the center.
This is an opportunity for HR to support the development of a human-centered and adaptable workplace that aligns with the evolving nature of work. You’ve got this.
CRUX Workplace
- Lauren Pollack
- 2 min read
Struggling to keep a project on track through a reorg?
These days, reorganizations are happening more often—and when workplace teams shift under new leadership or departments, the continuity of a project can be at risk. This is especially true as organizations explore new directions in their workplace strategy and design.
So how do you preserve the ethos of a project when everything around it is shifting?
🌱 Start with a shared vision.
When a project’s vision is siloed within one department, it can be easily lost or redefined during leadership changes—leading to inefficient use of time and funds. But when the vision is co-created—with input from executive leadership and voices across the business—it becomes stronger and more resilient. A shared vision gives everyone a common purpose to rally around, even as teams and reporting lines evolve.
🌼 Onboard new leadership with care.
Take time to understand a new leader’s lens, experience, and potential knowledge gaps—not just related to this project, but to workplace design and construction overall. When we create space for mutual learning, we build trust and set the foundation for productive collaboration.
🌷 Keep governance and documentation clear.
Good documentation and open communication make it easier for new leaders to step in, get up to speed, and feel like valued members of the team—not outsiders. It also helps preserve the history and decisions that have shaped the project so far.
🌿 Support adaptive alignment.
New leaders can support momentum by learning from what came before, staying open to insights, and aligning with and building on the original vision set at project kickoff.
As reorgs and staff changes become more common, setting your project up to weather transitions helps reduce friction and keeps progress moving forward. Staying aligned to an original, shared vision —without veering off into new directions with each shift— not only maintains clarity and momentum but also saves valuable time and resources that might otherwise be spent revisiting decisions or duplicating efforts.