Try before you buy (and sell!)

Have you ever engaged a consultant that is telling you what you need to do without having done it themselves?

Don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of theories and methodologies out there that are tried and tested (and I’m not saying don’t work).  But have they ever lay awake at night thinking about the things that keep you from sleeping?

The future of work is among us. And while there is a lot of research out there and even organisations that are ahead of the game, what better way to talk to our clients about best (or next!) practice then by experiencing it first-hand. As many of you would have seen, wattsnext are embarking on a journey to test the boundaries of the future of work, a big part of this is about being able to share with our clients what we learnt along the way.

Our team have long been working in third spaces, and I myself have been working from a “remote” office for the past year, so I guess you could say I’ve got a bit of a head start. But we, as a team, are about to embark on a journey to really ramp it up.

One of the biggest things I’ve learnt in the last 12 months being dispersed from the wider team is that you create your own reality and that each individual should take ownership in driving ideas for increased connectedness (beyond the structure put in place by the business).

As we know, every individual and their needs are different, and while we, as leaders and business owners, need to do our part to lead the way in building team connectedness, we also have to recognise that the individual has a part to play in enhancing their experience. Of course, we need to create a culture that is open to ideas and encourages employee ownership (which I think will be a big part of #ProjectFOW).

There are a lot of exciting learnings (and wins) ahead of the wattsnext team, and I for one am looking forward to being part of a real life case study and sharing these with our clients. After all, most of the best I’ve advice I’ve ever received is from people who have been there and done it themselves!