I N T R O

The workplace of the future is adapting to the demands of a worker who

has always known col laborative technology, and physical location is no

longer a barr ier to connection. Employees expect a work environment

where they have a myriad of options for gett ing things done. The move

to a connected workspace isn’t just for cool tech companies, as companies

everywhere look into what their people need to excel. Research f irm

Workplace Trends predicts that gett ing serious about off ice design

and using it as a way to increase col laboration and attract top talent

wil l be a major theme this year.

What does it real ly mean to be connected in today’s workplace?

In this ebook, experts from the leading design f irms, workplace

researchers, employee engagement innovators, and businesses that are

already introducing col laborative environments share their thoughts on the

steps an off ice can take to better connect its greatest assets — its

employees.

W H O W E A R E A N D W H Y W EP U T T H I S E - B O O K T O G E T H E R

LivePerson is one of the few tech companies to be founded in the '90s and

survive the dot-com crash. We even boast having our founder and CEO, Rob

LoCascio, st i l l at the helm. Rob’s passion for cult ivating strong core values

to see the business through the years manifested in 2010, when he f lew

the entire company to our technology hub in Israel for a days-long workshop

to formalize the core values: Be an owner and help others .

After this momentous event , LivePerson employees quickly real ized that

physical ly , our tradit ional off ice space, with cubicles in the middle and

management off ices along the windows, was a barr ier to l iv ing out the

culture. We establ ished a col laborative design process between LivePersons

— everyone from lawyers to developers to accountants to creatives — and

architects to design a space that al lowed our culture to come to l i fe. This

experience was so successful i t has since been repl icated in our off ices

around the globe.

Customers and partners often ask us how they can create a culture-driven

workplace, so we compiled our thoughts on the process — along with

insights from workplace and employee engagement experts — in this guide.

GREG BESNERC U L T U R E I Q

WHEN INDOUBT, ASKYOUR TEAM

T w i t t e r @ g r e g n y c

Leaders are faced with hundreds of decisions when

shaping and maintaining a healthy workplace. The

goal is to create an environment that encourages

collaboration, productivity, and happiness. At the end

of the day, your team knows what works best for

them. Therefore, I recommend collecting employee

feedback before, during, and after making decisions

about the workplace. At CultureIQ, we've seen clients

survey their team about what changes would make

the office more comfortable and productive. Putting

employee feedback at the center of the process

has three main benefits: (1) You are able to make

informed decisions with employees’ best interests

in mind; (2) The space becomes collaborative both

in function and in development; and (3) Employees

feel ownership over and respect for the space, which

translates into loyalty and pride for the company.

""

JACOB MORGANT H E F U T U R E O R G A N I Z A T I O N

T w i t t e r @ J a c o b M

NO SECRETFORMULA HERE:GO TALK TO YOUREMPLOYEES!

Building a collaborative workspace is one aspect of designing

an employee experience. Where most organizations fall short is

designing something for employees instead of designing something

with employees. This isn’t about coming up with ideas and then

pushing them out. This is about understanding how employees work

and why they work, then designing spaces based on understanding

these things. So what’s the simplest way to do this? Just ask. Have

conversations with employees about their physical space and what

they like and don’t like. Get to know them and how they work and

involve them in the design process to get their feedback.

Another big mistake that organizations make is trying to design

a single type of workspace. Don’t focus on open floor plans versus

cubicles. Instead, focus on creating multiples modes of working,

so if an employee wants some alone time, they can have it. If they

want collaboration time in an open environment, they can have that,

too. A collaborative workplace is more than just having a

collaborative workspace. Simply giving everyone a giant open

room with whiteboards won’t solve your collaboration challenges.

"

LISA JACKSONC O R P O R A T E C U L T U R E P R O S

THE BEST ENVIRONMENTSAT WORK REFLECT THEFEELING YOU WANTEMPLOYEES TO HAVEAT WORK.

T w i t t e r @ c o r p o r a t e c u l t u r

All collaboration in business is supported by two premises: (1) a

common, shared goal, which is a priority for the leader; and (2) tapping

a representative group of employees across functions to achieve it.

If a culture of collaboration is desired, the environment must support

feelings of tribal unity. The spaces must fulfill diverse needs — sitting,

standing, quiet, small meeting spaces (people gravitate to these more

naturally), and informal interactions (common areas). Ask your "inside

design team" to come up with creative ideas versus relying on an

outside expert.

According to Gensler's 2013 Workplace Design research, "individual

focus" was the most significant factor in workplace effectiveness. If

this factor is supported, collaboration, learning, and social interaction

increase, and if ignored, all decrease.

Make sure you’re providing the tools and a work environment in which

people can do their best work, set goals that require collaboration,

and let employees tell you how to change the workplace environment

to support them.

"

TAREK PERTEWU N C U B E D

WE ASKEVERYONETO PROVIDEFEEDBACK.

T w i t t e r @ t a r e k p

At Uncubed, we have a weekly homework assignment that

involves familiarizing oneself with work from a particular

business unit and, collectively, sharing feedback. This

ensures that no single business unit runs away with all

the plaudits while folks who may be relatively silo in their

roles get consistent exposure to other areas of the business.

For example, we have three relatively prominent business

units: Uncubed.com, our employer-branding SaaS platform;

Wakefield, our editorial arm; and events, including our well-

established digital skills and careers conference, NYC

Uncubed. At the start of the week, we may ask everyone to

watch a recently created class on Uncubed.com and come

to our Friday Town Hall prepared to provide feedback on

what they liked and what could be improved. This allows the

team to have their voice heard and provides an opportunity

to accelerate product improvements, keeps the team well

informed on progress across all units, and creates a more

collaborative and united workplace.

"

PERRY TIMMSM E D I A Z O O

BRING YOUR OWNDESIGN.

T w i t t e r @ P T i m m s e s c u

I think we could build more workplaces where

the people who occupy them are able to shape their

environment much more than we see now. "Want a

desk? Want it in white or white with a grey pedestal?

Oh, and a colored bean bag nearby." That’s about

the extent of most design considerations. Yet quiet

space, a booth, a kitchen table, a standing desk, or a

variety of all these — a blank canvas built up by each

one of us — is surely now a feasible way to create a

space where people feel they belong rather than a

space where they are "corporatized." And, yes, create

a collaborative exercise where the team shapes and

reshapes as they see fit. "Bring your own design"

could stop us working from home and make

workplaces more homey.

"

COLIN BRICEM A P O S

THE TOTAL IS ALWAYSGREATERTHAN THESUM OFITS PARTS.

At Mapos, we have found two critical drivers to creating a connected

workplace. The first is behavioral: Include all stakeholders in the

design process. We invite as many decision-makers as possible to

participate in team games, workshops, and brainstorming sessions

from the very beginning of each project. These activities not only

leverage the actual end user’s intelligence and insights for the

benefit of the design (which is invaluable) but also set the stage

for how people will be interacting, sharing, and co-creating their

everyday work experience. At move-in, everyone is already

accustomed to working together! The second is urban: Design the

workplace like a small city. Like citizens of any proud community,

the people sharing a workplace act, react, and move through their

environment in different ways. There are places of privacy and

repose for focused work and rejuvenation, there are small collection

points for group work and open discussion, and there are large town

squares for public activities, presentations, and celebrations.

The right mix of these ensures everyone will be using and sharing

the spaces over the course of any given day or week.

"

ERICA STOKESP O P P I N

CULTUREIS A LIVING, BREATHINGTHING.

CULTUREIS A LIVING, BREATHINGTHING.

T w i t t e r @ e r i c a s t o k e s _ n y

With hiring, we try to lead by example. In any company, there

are influencers throughout the organization — whether it's your

head of marketing, tenured salespeople, or founders. Regardless

of level, those are the types of people to include in the interview

process. Culture is not about finding someone you can go to

happy hour with; it's about finding the person who will work

scrappily alongside your team. It’s important to identify who

your influencers are and make sure they too are portraying your

core values and evangelizing the culture. At Poppin, we’re very

transparent about the type of culture we support during the

interview process. When candidates come through our door,

they're welcomed by at least two or three employees. They’ll see

teams huddled up to collaborate in shared spaces, over standing

tables, or in our showroom. A candidate interviewing later in the

day might catch a round of ping pong, hear music playing, or see

dogs running across the hallway. For us, the physical design of

our office and the various incentives we offer are huge selling

points in attracting and retaining the right people.

"

HUNG PHAMC U L T U R E S U M M I T

THE BESTTHINGS HAPPENWHEN PEOPLEARE RUNNINGINTO EACHOTHER ANDSHARING IDEAS.

T w i t t e r @ C u l t u r e S u m m i t S F

An open workspace environment doesn’t necessarily

equate to more collaboration. You could have an open

workspace and still have a very silo culture, which is

common in older enterprise companies. Removing silos

and increasing engagement begins with a shift in mindset

that has to come from leadership at the top. Leaders must

create opportunities for employees to engage, connect,

and collaborate with each other to make the open

workspace effective. For example, at Zappos, they are

always looking for new and innovative ways to get people

to run into each other more. At its headquarters in Las

Vegas, there are exits on all four sides of the building, but

all of them are locked except one. Although inconvenient,

this enables people to connect with each other more

by making what Zappos calls “meaningful collisions.”

"

T w i t t e r @ c o r p o r a t e c u l t u r

KRISTY SUNDJAJAL I V E P E R S O N

IT'S IMPORTANTTO KNOW ANDEXHIBIT WHATYOU STAND FORAS A COMPANY.

T w i t t e r @ L i v e P e r s o n

LivePerson has a culture built on our core values of “Be

an Owner” and "Help Others" and our space reflects that.

We involved our employees in designing our office so

the look, feel, and functionality would be truly authentic.

Collaborative aspects include a vast Town Hall area and

open kitchen, as these are the heart of where people

connect casually. We have monitors that display

pertinent company news, wins, and photos of our

colleagues across the world in these common areas to

forge a sense of community despite the many miles

between us. You can write on pretty much anything in

our office, allowing for on-the-fly meetings or capturing

notes on tables and walls whenever an idea strikes. Our

open seating plan — even the founder and CEO sits in

the open — allows LivePersons to better connect and

collaborate with their teammates and hear what’s going

on with other teams, supporting our core value of

helping others. It also eliminates the forced hierarchy

that is inevitable when individuals are in personal

offices.

"

BOB FOXW O R K D E S I G N M A G A Z I N E

COLLABORATIONDOES NOTJUST HAPPEN.

T w i t t e r @ w o r k d e s i g n m a g

Connecting with people and enabling collaboration

in the workplace is about communication. Modern

workspaces impute behavior, and the space itself

defines what we can and can’t do. From reception

areas to meeting places to our own workstations,

our behavior is defined by those spaces. As a result,

our workspaces set the context for the culture of the

organization. When someone walks into your space,

you have the ability to shape what he or she perceives

and feels. You have an opportunity to communicate

a message, to influence how someone feels, and to

create a story about your organization and its purpose

in how your design your space. Collaboration doesn't

just happen: It’s about the successful communication

and sharing of ideas. Like most other behaviors, it has

to be carefully nurtured, reinforced, and supported

by your workspace.

"

M A G N E T I C

MYKE MANSBERGER

I WANT YOUTO LEAVE OUROFFICE WITH A GREATIMPRESSION.

T w i t t e r @ M y k e T V

It is absolutely crucial to involve team representatives

when making changes to our spaces. From large projects

such as full build-outs to small changes like seating

assignments, it's important to give a well-represented

committee a voice in the process. From a facilities

aspect, the execution of a project becomes collaborative

and painless for the employees who are impacted.

Combining a well-thought-out experience with technology

can be a key component to wowing office visitors.

Whether you're the food delivery guy or a job candidate,

I want you to leave our office with a great impression.

Something as simple as an iPad check-in system allows

a visitor to notify their host directly, so rather than

chasing someone down, the front-desk staff can focus

on making your visitor feel welcomed and engage in

conversation until the host arrives.

"

STEPHANIE KRIEGH R C U L T U R E C L U B

EVERY OFFICETELLS A STORY.

T w i t t e r @ H R C u l t u r e C l u b

The trick is to make sure your office is telling your

company’s story. You want your employees to feel

like a team and guests to know about your culture

from the moment they enter. Consider displaying your

mission statement and values visually on the walls.

Not only is this energizing, but it helps foster a unified

culture, too. Or instead of painting the walls all one

color, get creative with their coverings. You could hire

a local artist to leave their mark on your walls. Another

option is to use chalkboard paint, whiteboard paint,

word scrambles, or even scratch-and-sniff wallpaper

(it exists!) to enhance your company culture. When

you have an office design that goes beyond beige,

consider hosting office tours. It’s a great way to find

people who not only love your creative office but

people who would also love to work with you!

"

AMANDA SOL PERALTAL I V E I N T H E G R E Y

KICK THINGSOFF WITH AN ICEBREAKER.

T w i t t e r @ a m n d s l

Collaboration is becoming an essential way we do business.

It enables our teams to be more creative, impactful, and even

fun to be a part of. Yet it doesn’t happen on its own, and there

are preconditions for true collaboration to happen. One

crucial precondition we’ve identified at Live in the Grey is

trust. If team members don’t feel a sense of psychological

safety with each other, they’ll never be comfortable sharing

stupid ideas (which lead to great ideas) or giving honest

feedback. One way to build trust and psychological safety is

to establish a practice of starting meetings with sharing. You

can start off easy (“What was your most memorable night in

the past week?") and evolve toward deeper topics (“What’s

really going on in your life?”) as time goes on. By making

personal topics okay to share, your team dynamic opens up.

Suddenly, it’s not so hard to suggest a wild addition to a

product offering or share your honest reactions in a meeting.

Suddenly, collaboration starts living up to its potential.

"

W H A T L I V E P E R S O N D O E S( W H E N W E ’ R E N O T C R E A T I N G A W E S O M E O F F I C E S P A C E S )

LivePerson is a leading provider of mobile and onl ine messaging, enabling

a meaningful connection between brands and consumers. LiveEngage,

the company's enterprise-class, cloud-based platform, empowers consumers

to stop wasting t ime on hold with 1-800 numbers and, instead, message

their favorite brands just as they do with fr iends and family. More than

18,000 businesses, including Adobe, Cit ibank, EE, HSBC, IBM, Orbitz , PNC,

The Home Depot, and Disney, rely on the unparal leled intel l igence, security ,

and scalabi l i ty of LiveEngage to reduce costs, increase l i fet ime value,

and create meaningful connections with consumers. (NASDAQ: LPSN)

C O N N E C T W I T H U S

H o l l i e E l l i s o nC u l t u r e C o m m u n i c a t i o n s

W e ’ d l o v e t o h e a r y o u r t h o u g h t s

o n h o w t o c r e a t e a c o l l a b o r a t i v e

w o r k s p a c e t o i n c l u d e i n o u r f u t u r e

e d i t i o n s ! S e n d t h e m t o H o l l i e E l l i s o n

a t h e l l i s o n @ l i v e p e r s o n . c o m .