Home / Blogs / Understanding the scope of the change

Understanding the scope of the change

Share with

Blog

Workplace Principle 5: Insights Through Participation

Participation is key in any workplace change. By encouraging employee participation early on, a workplace strategist or those managing the change can gain valuable insights into the company (more on that here). But on an emotional level, it can allow for a better understanding of how a change in the way of working could impact employees.

^{It is important for leadership and employees to understand the scope of the transformation and how it will affect different parts of the business.}

Determining the scope

Change can be significant and require radical behavioural shifts, or it can be small and pretty insignificant. Applying a change to increase flexibility can have different scopes for different organisations or for an organisation’s different functions.

The scope can be determined by how much of the existing behaviour needs to change and the significance of the change for the individual.

For example, someone working in sales will probably have an easier time adapting to a flexible way of working than a lawyer, as he or she is already used to working from different places, tends to be less reliant on paper, and has more contact with other people. A lawyer may rely more on physical reference books and documents, and have a greater need for privacy, all of which could be considered roadblocks to flexible working. This is why it’s important to understand the scope of the change for different parts of the business.

Understand the emotional toll

Further, a change might seem small and insignificant from the outside, but feel intrusive on the individual level. This could be related to emotional reasons and a sense of comfort, and it can be difficult to prepare for.

These types of emotional reactions are stronger and more common when someone doesn’t see the benefit in the change, when the goal isn’t desirable, or when an employee doesn’t have faith that the result will be as intended. These feelings often lead to resistance and attempts to slow down or hinder the change.

Create a roadmap

When working on a transformation, it can be wise to lay out what the intended change will imply for different groups within the business. For those with a longer journey ahead, you can evaluate specific efforts for simplifying the process.

First things first, you need to focus on initiatives that facilitate the journey itself and create a feeling of comfort with the way of working. Efforts aimed at communicating how great the change will be can miss the mark if employees feel like concrete challenges aren’t being addressed.

Next step Debates about office layout often get stuck in the choice between open and enclosed space. The research points to a more useful conclusion. Productivity is not shaped mainly by the label on the layout, but by how well the office environment matches the work patterns, concentration needs, and collaboration demands the organisation actually […]

weoffice-row-117-kontorsbuller-fokusarbete-akustik-featured

Office Noise Is Still Undermining Focus. Why Acoustics Has Become a Decision Issue

Next step Office noise is still often treated as a comfort issue that can be fixed later. That is the wrong frame. New data summarised by OFFICE ROXX suggests that acoustic disturbance affects concentration, stress, and the practical ability to use the office for focused work, which makes acoustics directly relevant to workplace strategy, zoning, […]

Office Fit-Out Costs 2026: What Actually Drives the Budget Before Design Starts

JLL’s global guide to office fit-out costs describes a market where cost pressure has not disappeared, even if conditions have stabilised somewhat. The most important lesson for project sponsors is that the budget is shaped early, long before finishes and material selections are fully drawn. Costs are no longer spiralling, but they are not simple […]

Whole-Life Carbon Starts Before Design: What the EU Guidance Means for Office Decisions

Whole-life carbon is no longer a reporting issue. It is a decision issue. The European Commission’s new guidance makes clear that reuse, refurbishment depth, flexibility, and future change need to be assessed far earlier in office projects, alongside workplace need, business value, and long-term asset performance. Why this changes office projects The key shift in […]

Headquarters Strategy in Hybrid Work: Why Purpose Matters More Than Size

Headquarters are no longer defined by size. They are defined by function. CBRE’s latest update shows more intrametro moves, smaller and more flexible headquarters, and a stronger need to define what the central office is actually for before location, space, and design decisions are locked. What is changing CBRE describes how headquarters relocation activity accelerated […]

Applying the Tools from the WeOffice Certified Workplace Strategist Programme in Your Daily Work

Creating a high-performing workplace requires more than intuition. It demands a structured workplace strategy, thorough workplace analysis, and tools that translate research into action. The WeOffice Certified Workplace Strategist Programme provides exactly that – evidence-based, practical methods that professionals can apply immediately within their own organisations. This two-day programme combines leading research, workplace strategy principles, […]

Comparison of workplace strategy support and benchmarking

Leesman vs WeOffice: Which Should You Choose – and When Might It Make Sense to Combine Both?

Organisations working with workplace strategy often need a strong foundation for understanding how well the workplace supports the business. In that context, both Leesman and WeOffice are relevant options. Both can provide valuable insights into how the workplace is performing. The biggest difference is that Leesman’s clearest strength lies in its benchmark across many organisations, […]

See all posts