How to Celebrate Your New Workspace

Here are a few things we’ve learned about including employees in a space reveal and how to celebrate your new digs. As you move into a new workspace or introduce a cool new feature, we think you’ll find these tips useful for getting your own people in the celebratory mindset!

Communicate frequently

This is the mantra of change management. Communicate early and often to both generate excitement and minimize fear. Fear is admittedly more of a concern when you’re changing employees’ workstations, not debuting an in-office coffee shop. Still, regular communication keeps them informed of what to expect and eager for the reveal.

Begin communicating several weeks in advance, including a calendar invite, email invitation and digital signage throughout the office. A 5-day countdown built anticipation for opening day and shared information on initiatives like a raffle, giveaways and special features to look forward to.

Find little ways to get people excited

You don’t need a grand gesture to win your employees’ attention. They’re probably naturally curious about the space already, so find small ways to keep them in the loop.

• Pre open house: Send status updates on the space or keep a photo stream of progress. Schedule a few walkthroughs closer to completion. Let people see where they’ll be working and hanging out so they can visualize their new work life sooner.
• Post open house: Supply everyone with a packet that details new features or destinations on the floor. On each day of the first week in your new space, schedule something special, like, Taco Tuesday, free bagels, social media giveaways or whatever suits your people and culture. Raffle off gift cards for local restaurants and businesses, or organize a scavenger hunt in the surrounding neighborhood. Anything that gets them to interact in the space and excited about showing up.

Include your people in the process

It’s nice to believe in the choices your leadership makes. It’s even better to be included in them. Change can be difficult, but involving your people in the process (either by giving them information or getting their input) can minimize apprehension.

Conduct employee surveys before, during and after a move. Use their input to inform your space decisions then make note of their feedback as you share the rationale behind your choices.

Enlist ambassadors to fuel the excitement

Select employees who are eager to educate and energize others about the new space. Depending on the size of your organization, you’ll need a network of ambassadors to act as touch points for questions and feedback—both at events and throughout the change management process.

You want your space to improve productivity and drive engagement. A strong kickoff helps set the stage for that transformation. Whether your new space is a coffee lounge, a Ping-Pong room or a brand new workplace altogether, you’re giving employees a better office experience and a sense of pride in where they work.

In fact, the key to celebrating your new space is really not to celebrate the space at all. You’re not celebrating aesthetics or even functionality. You’re celebrating your people. They may not remember the industrial light fixtures or the new-yet-worn leather that took you six swatches to land on, but they’ll remember how you made them feel: valued.

Learn more about the best way to design your new workplace.

Discover how to build an employee experience in your new space.

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