Moving workplaces-- much like moving your home-- is a big choice, loaded with mistakes and headaches that can sap the resources of even the most prepared business.
We need to know. Convene recently moved our corporate headquarters from 2 workplaces in Midtown Manhattan to a brand-new flagship area in Lower Manhattan. It's a relocation of just 4 miles, however moving over 100 individuals, spread across multiple places, is never an easy task.
To facilitate this move, and guarantee a smooth transition, the team here at Convene designated a move committee: a team of experts, picked for their specific understanding around issues we understood would arise with the huge move. Think of them as our moving all-star team-- the Office Move Avengers.
Four of these experts were kind enough to share their ideas on the relocation-- what worked out, what didn't, and how other companies ought to prepare to relocate. Gain from our successes-- and errors.
Start with "Why?".
The most crucial factor to consider our professionals shared was the significance of "Why?".
" Why are we moving offices?".
" Make certain everyone understands the 'why' of the move," says Slater. "Individuals respect transparency. You require to lay out whether it's going to be better or worse for them.".
Let's face it, business move for lots of reasons-- in some cases excellent and sometimes not-so-good. Even if you have to move for an unfavorable factor, it's important to transparently communicate why the move is required.
When the group was substantially smaller sized, we moved into our old office back in 2010--.
Of course, lots of relocations featured great deals of excellent news too-- growing teams, expanding income, and brand-new chances. Even when things are looking bright and intense for your company, don't take the 'why' for approved. You're still asking individuals to alter their regimens, which in numerous methods is more difficult in excellent times than bad.
" All interactions relating to the relocation must constantly start and end with the key vision of why we're moving offices and why this is necessary," states Wollemann. "Even when it's just an e-mail about logistics and timeline, it is very important to keep in mind the 'why' when you're asking individuals to change a major part of their regimen.".
" What remains in It for Me?".
Even the most selfless team gamer will have one huge concern about any office moving: "What remains in it for me?".
Transitions and routine modifications are difficult for everyone, and some of the modifications might make life harder for a portion of your group (longer commute, less familiar community). While you shouldn't belittle or ignore those issues, ensure you're framing the move around the specific benefits individuals can get out of the new digs.
Moving workplaces is a big (and pricey) choice.
" If you're moving someplace with top notch facilities, it's a big message to individuals that our talent is the most crucial for us and we're going to take care of you," states Slater. "Whatever the benefit of your brand-new space is, buzz that up for the team: more area, better facilities, better community, anything that frames up the all-important 'What remains in it for me?'".
Choose Your Move Team Carefully.
Moving offices is a huge decision-- a really costly choice. Make sure you're selecting members of your move team sensibly, and not simply throwing any prepared volunteer into the mix.
Our group was purposefully chosen based upon their skillsets-- communications, modification proficiency, design, method, and so on. Each person had a role to play, which function was vital to a successful relocation. "Strategy individuals's functions ahead of time on the move team," says Vassallo. "Ensure you have your requirements covered.".
In spite of the accumulated skill, there were a couple of locations our group might've utilized some additional aid with (operations being a huge one). "Specific things I managed may have been better handled by an operations specialist. Employing the mover, coordinating all the boxes, what teams require what, and what kind of things they own.".
" Having the ideal group of people to coordinate the relocation and divvying up duty is truly essential," states Christophe. "We had an actually good group, that made it much easier.".
Communicate Early and Often.
" Step one is creating an interactions plan, where you describe the before, throughout, and after the move, and make certain everybody knows about key dates," advises Wollemann. The team set out a comprehensive timeline, with corresponding dates for when crucial items would require to be interacted to the company-- scrap cleaning days, last day to load your box, last day in the old office, very first day in the new workplace, and more.
When moving offices, make certain to thank those who made it occur!
Interacting early and typically applies beyond just your own business too-- make sure to validate with outside vendors like the moving company months in advance. "When I got in touch with the moving business, they thought I was crazy.".
That opts for the structure (really structures) included too. The majority of commercial office buildings aren't going to let movers screw up their great elevators with moving carts and heavy furnishings. "You likewise need to coordinate with the building (both buildings) a lot," says Vassallo. "What time people can come, using freight elevators, what time people can use the freight elevators, extra cost for moving after hours, then collaborating with the new building to have that all occur on the exact same day.".
Know Your Employees ... and Their 'Things'.
Not all read more departments in your business are developed equivalent-- each group has their own needs and devices. The HR team requires a room with some personal privacy for interviews and other sensitive conferences. And the finance group needs filing cabinets for accounting documentation.
Understanding what they'll require in the brand-new area, be prepared to handle equipment and other miscellaneous products that go unclaimed at the old workplace. All the workplace supplies in the office that technically didn't belong to any one individual.
Nail The First Day.
You never ever get a 2nd chance to make a first impression. Day one of a move will be busy no matter what, however do whatever you can to make it a smooth shift and a celebratory environment.
Creating a celebratory atmosphere on day one was a critical component of our office move.
" It's easy to get lost in the logistics but when it comes down to it, individuals appreciate a couple of things that will affect them on the very first day-- how do I get in the building and where am I sitting?" says Wollemann.
The moving committee created a welcome packet that had instructions on all the basics of arriving to deal with the very first day and paired that package with a live presentation a few weeks prior to the relocation letting people know what to anticipate-- where they would be sitting, how to get in and out, public transport choices, and more.
" You need to advise people on how to prepare, and how to be successful in the brand-new environment-- how to set up their desk, their tech, their chair, everything," states Slater. "Take some time to resolve even the tiniest of concerns and take care of the requirements (not the desires) of people, either through education, technology, or design.".
There were a couple of items the moving group, in retrospect, wishes were dealt with differently. Relocating to a new workplace, for us, implied great deals of new IT systems to carry out-- new printers, brand-new docking stations for laptops, new structure security, and more. The IT team set-up a war space where people could come by for support on the area, but lots of concerns could've been prevented by maybe a team-by-team technology orientation.
Regardless of that small inconvenience, the team nailed the very first day experience. "We had an actually celebratory very first day (and week) at the brand-new office," states Wollemann.
The Lunch Crunch.
Among the most unexpected elements of our relocation is simply how invested people would be in exploring the lunch spots in our new community. Of all the routines being changed for the folks in our office, lunch unequivocally generated the many enjoyment and suffering.
" We create an actually great welcome package that consisted of details about the area, but I wish we included more choices for lunch," says Christophe. "The choices we put in there were more special occasion type of locations (i.e.-- more pricey), and not every day lunch alternatives.".
Prepare individuals for their new culinary environments. Search Yelp for the finest sandwiches, salads, tacos, and ramen, and ensure you communicate website that details to the group. Food is a big deal, and you 'd be well served to set minds at ease about where your group can consume in their new digs.
This response did generate a fun and creative option-- our group has now begun a shared spreadsheet where people can enter enjoyable, inexpensive lunch areas they've found with a short review that anybody on the team can search for some new alternatives to try.
The Work's Refrained from doing After Day One.
At 5PM on the first day, it's easy to breathe a sigh of relief and believe the move is over with.
Not so quickly, says our relocation team.
" People forget that the relocation and modification isn't over on day one," says Slater. You need to continuously repeat and address issues the first month as individuals get used to the space and make modifications so that the area works successfully.".
The day one breakfast spread. Remain alert, the work's not even close to finished!
" The biggest difficulty is getting people to change their behavior," says Wollemann. "One way to encourage that is truly to focus the communications. Even if the sole purpose is to communicate the date of something or action they need to take, always bring that communication back to why this change is going to be great for the future.".
Do Not Forget to Make It Enjoyable.
Don't kid yourself-- moving offices can be a huge old pain-in-the-ass. Everyone understands it.
However you can make things more bearable by working in some fun. One method our team did that was by hosting several "purge parties." After investing years in one workplace, we had all accumulated a lot of things that plainly didn't need to move to the brand-new area. But since nobody truly likes cleaning, the group made it enjoyable. Time was shut out on everybody's calendars for a website "purge celebration," complete with tacos, beer, and music.
Big trash and recycling cans were generated and everyone in the business was encouraged to let go of all the scrap they've built up over the years. Old documentation was shredded, conference swag contributed, and drawers loaded with napkins and plastic spoons from lunches previous were discarded.
Throughout the first week in the brand-new workplace, special surprises were prepared, like afternoon cookies or catered lunch, along with special welcome bags for every single employee including novelty chocolate business cards-- featuring the brand-new address, naturally.