WRIGHT Management is highly regarded as a trusted advisor in commercial real estate project and facility management, and I have had the pleasure of knowing the team for several years. Our entrepreneurial approach assists corporations, building owners and developers with delivering the best culture for their tenants and employees. Bringing my workplace strategy knowledge and experience to the table will enhance our firm's ability to collaborate with architecture and design firms, strategically plan every square foot of our customer's valuable space, stay on message throughout the design and construction process, and ultimately, provide them with the greatest return on their investment.

GlobeSt.com: How do architecture and design firms create workplaces that are both unique and universal enough to appeal to the expectations of today's office tenants and employees?

Aitken: To some degree, unique is the new universal. Many elements of the creative workplace, which were once considered unique, have morphed into universality. Workplace elements that continue to appeal to the expectations of today's user groups include amenities such as open kitchen-break areas with well stocked pantries, event space, ready access to gyms and showers, collaborative and effective meeting places, more quiet spaces, ample window line, glazing and natural daylight. We see that employee-centric workplace design continues to flourish, adapting space to the needs of individuals. Architecture and design firms who ask employees to participate in conversations about how their workspace can best support them are pivotal to the successful outcome of newly designed or retrofitted space. Combining this with helping them understand their delivered space and providing thoughtful workplace orientation will make for a successful experience and a solid payback.

GlobeSt.com: What does not work when designing these spaces?

Aitken: Often, the focus when designing spaces is to increase space efficiency and lower costs, while at the same time increase communication and collaboration, but there can be a disconnect. Tearing down walls and partitions, increasing density and pushing for greater employee interaction doesn't always result in a more collaborative work environment. There can be shortfalls to the open-office model if workplace strategies are not approached holistically.

GlobeSt.com: What should our readers know about the future of workplace strategy?

Aitken: Workplace strategy is here to stay, which is a good thing, particularly as the pendulum will swing again. And change—technology including artificial intelligence, economics, workforce dynamics and diversity—will continue to drive the need for workspace strategy. Insofar as the term “workplace strategies” has become part of our daily lexicon, it is a far more complex “ecosystem,” an opinion shared by many national and international expert workplace strategists. Just wait until Millennials want their own offices.