This Week's Herman Trend Alert Purpose Emerging as Important Driver of Engagement

The Herman Trend Alert May 19, 1999 Comforts of Home Coming to Work 227 days until January 1, 2000 Should your organization offer some kind of "alternative work arrangement" for employees? Yes, if it wants to join the ranks of Proctor & Gamble, AT&T, IBM, Hewlett-Packard, Compaq, and other top-tired companies. A survey of 100 Fortune 500 companies (as reported by Sloan Management Review) found that almost 3 out of 10 of the companies had an alternative work arrangement, and 15% were considering similar programs. The main disadvantage is that it's hard on (some) manager's nerves -- managers who feel that, "If I can't see them, they aren't working." But home offices, "virtual officing," and "hoteling" (requiring employees to reserve a desk for their occasional visits to the office) will save money (by reducing the number of employees needing permanent desks), and will encourage workers to be more creative and to interact more freely with each other and with managers. But these new arrangements won't work unless these temporary offices are made user-friendly. "Food and drink -- particularly coffee -- is key to making the office seem like home. Andersen's downtown office has a 'town center,' where people meet and sip freshly brewed java, as well as 'satellite coffee bars' with bistro-like bar stools and refrigerators full of free goodies. Throughout the floor are small conference rooms for impromptu meetings, with designer chairs and with tables equipped with computer plug-ins." (Morris Newman, "Think There's No Place Like Home? Try The Office," Los Angeles Times 22 Dec 98) http://www.latimes.com We see a trend toward making office environments seem more like home environments. Included will be more "officescaping"-- using plants (real, plastic, silk) to decorate work areas and separate one area from another. Furniture changes will add couches, chairs, and throw pillows for common areas to encourage conversation and comfort. Lamps, decoration, and music will create a different mood to reduce stress while maintaining^×or increasing productivity. © Copyright 1998- by The Herman Group, Inc. -- reproduction for publication is encouraged, with the following attribution: From "The Herman Trend Alert," by Roger Herman and Joyce Gioia, Strategic Business Futurists. (800) 227-3566 or http://www.hermangroup.com. The Herman Trend Alert is a trademark of The Herman Group, Inc." WHO SENDS OUT YOUR NEWSLETTERS? We are convinced there is no better choice than ours! We have happily used DataBack Systems to deliver The Herman Trend Alert for over 10 years and. Visit their website (http://www.databack.com) or call Byron directly at 503.941.0427. You'll be glad you did. IS YOUR EMPLOYER AN EMPLOYER OF CHOICE®? Our effective, onsite seminars, workshops, and consulting can help you get there. We offer 1-, 2-, 3-hour, and full-day programs to help you communicate what it takes to become an Employer of Choice® and inspire your folks to get it done. In the future, being an Employer of Choice® will not be optional. Call Carol at 336-210-3547 to arrange a no-obligation conference call. Or order the electronic version of the Employer of Choice book on your desktop for only $17.80 @ http://hermangroup.com/store/books_all.html#2. STRUGGLING TO FIND THE PEOPLE YOU NEED? VETJOBS CAN HELP! Recently, hundreds of thousands of jobs remain unfilled due to a lack of capable people. If you are looking for qualified candidates, you need to hire a veteran using VFW-sponsored VetJobs, the largest military employment site on the Internet. Thousands of returning veterans are looking for good jobs now. Mention this ad in The Herman Trend Alert and receive a 10% discount on job postings. Call Ted Daywalt at 877-838-5627 or inquire at info@VetJobs.com. Herman Trend Alerts are produced by the Herman Group, strategic business futurists, Certified Management Consultants, authors, and professional speakers. New subscribers are welcome. There is no charge for this public service. The Herman Trend Alert is received by over 30,000 subscribers in 78 countries, in addition to other websites and printed magazines. Do you enjoy receiving this weekly e-mail update? Contact us about our co-branded Trend Alert service. Click here to sign up for the Herman Trend Alert. Subscribe or Unsubscribe to weekly Herman Trend Alert View this week's Herman Trend Alert Archived Weekly Herman Trend Alerts

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