While the benefits are plentiful when changing to an agile work environment, it is a new way of working for most companies and therefore provides its own set of challenges. The pandemic has given us the opportunity to overcome one of the biggest obstacles, that being remote working. Employees have demonstrated that it can be done in an effective and productive way. 
To incorporate the other aspects of agile working into a company won’t happen with a few quick design changes around the office, it is a fundamental shift in company culture and so needs careful planning. We have highlighted some key challenges that might arise when changing to an agile work environment and how to overcome them; 
1. Unwillingness from Staff People find change hard! Especially when it comes to a way of working that someone might be used to for years, maybe their whole working life up to now. This is normal, however if you don’t change you don’t grow. So involve your staff from the beginning. Listen to what they need and get their buy in. Because of Covid, many people have been forced to change and adapt, demonstrating to themselves and their employer that they can do it, and do it well. So, with that in mind, now is the perfect time to implement changes and a new way of working. 2. Finding the Right Supplier There are so many considerations when adapting to an agile work environment, especially now because of the pandemic. You want someone who has experience and is trained in this area, who understands all the moving parts and can lead the project and can keep it on time and within budget, and also make it look great! 3. Thinking One Size Fits All This is a common one, you’ve read up everything there is to know about agile work methodology and are convinced you should implement all aspects of it into your business. But take a moment first, your business is unique and therefore the needs of your employees and your workspace are unique and may not benefit from all aspects of this approach. 
Develop a strategy for implementing this change, define your business needs and what areas can/can’t be updated. Start by talking and listening to your staff. Working with a professional helps at this stage too, as they have the experience to assess your workspace and the way it is used to help guide the plan. Linking in with a professional from concept stage right through to the fit out and furnishings will save you money and many headaches along the way. Moving to an agile work environment requires the marrying of practical, well-considered design with the right company culture shift. It is a process that needs the right strategy and pre-planning but in the end yields amazing results. Here at Think Contemporary we have designed and implemented amazing offices incorporating agile methodology into our designs. If you are interested in changing your office space please get in touch with our Director of Commercial Design, Anthony, now.
3 Main Challenges you could face when changing your office to agile workplace
