Office Of The Future Personal Pod
Perhaps a little dystopian. This is one of a number of entries for an Israeli competition for post-covid offices of tomorrow design ideas. 42 submissions have since been put up online.
‘Rubi&Gal Design Studio won third place and $2,500 for their versatile shared work capsules [above] equipped with smart screens with personalised pictures, and a work desk with all the necessary equipment.’
Themes apparently emerged throughout the entrants. Hybrid working seeming to get the vote as the upcoming few years’ dominant trend. Also, focus ‘for social interaction, to brainstorm and to use the communal open spaces’ and to ‘personalise flexible workstations’.
As funky as the pod pictured above may be, it feels a touch oppressive. I think I’d go spare in such a confined space.
Is it for shutting yourself off completely?
My trouble with open-plan is that I am noisy.
People near me can feel distracted when I’m on the phone or video.
My natural voice is expressive and unavoidable.
When cold-calling, I have to lock myself away.
If buddy-calling (simultaneous prospecting with a pal) then the cacophony can render wider team productivity stifled.
In the earliest days of my career I did this to great note. Winning prizes and priming the pump. But others felt affected.
Maybe this type of pod avoids all that?
Sit down for the classic 45-minute bursts. Then go off to one of the many ‘social, open spaces’ for your quarter-hour recharge.
I do though like the wall space decorations. Forget pics of loved ones and inspiration wall stylings. As relevant as they can be. Think process. What helps you succeed on a bid. Your repeatable, sustainable formula for success.
What continues to work for you. And what you are trying to refine, tweak or bring in across your funnel.
The cool thing about this multiscreen piece of Philip K. Dick-tion, is that for each call you can summon all that you need specifically on it.
Relative to that account, stage of your process, and your goal.
This suggested configuration means you may have as many as fifteen screens within view.
That’s a lot of intel you can have at your disposal.
I’d love to run the salesforce knowledge management that allows for them to be properly populated.
Key call questions, similar situation references, stories of people encountering matching problems, potential objection handling outlines, current political map, timeline past, timeline future, process positioning, quote breakdown, extra item suggestions, competitor trap alerts, industry hot topic slant, possible product specs, new product intel, delivery/implementation themes, whiteboard screenshare, main slide and imagery share ready, team diaries, account buying history, any core T&C text, order form.
There will be a day when all this appears at the single click of a button.
But for now, whether for phone or video calls, we all should think on how we can get as close and in as little time as possible to such a vaunted state around our current workspace.