- 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.
- 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
- 3 min read
Over the past two articles in CRUX Workplace's Workplace Culture series, I've explored What’s Keeping Talent Engaged and How Leaders Are Building a Positive Workplace Culture. In this final installment, we shift our focus to employees and the impact they have on shaping workplace culture.
Employees are instrumental in defining and fostering workplace culture, often citing it as a key reason they choose to stay with an organization. But what steps are culture-minded employees taking to actively cultivate and strengthen a positive work environment?
The professionals we spoke to influence their workplace culture naturally and intentionally in their daily actions, choices, and interactions, contributing to an environment where collaboration, innovation, and connection can flourish.
Here’s how employees are making an impact:
Creating Intentional In-Person Interactions
Culture-minded employees infuse connections into their office days with a focus on relationship-building, brainstorming sessions, and spontaneous collaboration. Many of the professionals we spoke to were holding time in the office for face-to-face interactions by scheduling designated time blocks without virtual calls. This approach ensured that when employees were in the office, they can be fully present for connections with their team or cross-functional interactions.
Instead of becoming siloed within their teams, the professionals we spoke to were reaching across departments to share knowledge and solve problems together. Many of these connections began in shared spaces like cafeterias and coffee points, where impromptu conversations led to unexpected ideas, solutions, and friendships. Thoughtful workplace strategy—ensuring meaningful adjacencies for cross-functional teams with overlapping or shared spaces—can support these interactions. This cross-functional mindset fosters stronger relationships and a more interconnected workplace.
Organizing Social Events and Collaboration
We heard employees take a nostalgic tone as they spoke about social interactions and events of the past. Bringing the "fun" back to work was shared as a top desire for many employees. The professionals we spoke to were contributing to campus-wide events, team celebrations, and informal get-togethers, making space in their schedules for connection. While some took the initiative to organize their own events to recognize team milestones, others made an impact by participating in company-wide gatherings—even if just for a quick stop to show support. These moments of celebration and collaboration strengthen camaraderie and enhance workplace culture.
Celebration is collaboration with its party hat on—the most successful teams embrace collaboration as a core value. Even in teams that did not have shared projects, employees found ways to connect and collaborate on shared issues and processes. These connected teams prioritized peer reviews, whiteboarding sessions, and open dialogue to drive innovation and problem-solving. By creating an environment where ideas can be shared, celebrated, and refined collectively, employees contribute to a workplace culture that values creativity and continuous improvement.
Mentoring and Insight-Sharing
Mentor relationships are inspiring and educational for both the mentee and the mentor. The professionals we spoke to expressed a strong desire to support their new teammates by sharing expertise, offering guidance, and creating opportunities for skill development—sustaining a culture of growth and support within the organization. Learning from employee insights in this way fosters continued success and enhances the capabilities of each role.
Employees hold a wealth of knowledge about their roles, the organization, and the spaces and equipment necessary to optimize their output. Employee engagement serves as a powerful lens into an organization's culture. By contributing to opportunities for sharing employee insights and team best practices—whether through mentorship or employee listening exercises—these professionals help their companies shape a culture that builds on what already works while integrating new, intentional practices.
Empowering Employees to Shape Workplace Culture
Workplace culture isn’t solely shaped by leadership— it’s reinforced daily by employees who bring it to life. When employees actively foster collaboration, build relationships, and create moments of connection, they cultivate a workplace that is engaging, inclusive, and innovative. By prioritizing in-person interactions, cross-functional collaboration, and mentorship, employees strengthen a culture that supports both individual and team success. As organizations evolve, recognizing and amplifying these employee-driven contributions will be key to maintaining a thriving, resilient culture.
Enhancing workplace culture requires a strategic approach that aligns employee behaviors with organizational goals. Workplace consultants help organizations gain deeper insights by assessing engagement patterns, collaboration dynamics, and space utilization. By leveraging employee feedback and best practices, they design and optimize environments that foster collaboration, organic interactions, and meaningful connections. Whether through reimagining office layouts, creating flexible workspaces, or implementing engagement tools, consultants ensure the physical space actively supports and strengthens company culture.