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Keys to consider in reopening your office Outlandish ideas can get the conversation started BY CURTIS LESH
erriam Webster defines plan as “a detailed formulation of a program of action.” As more and more businesses shift people back into the office, how do we create a safer workplace plan? As with any design problem, you consider all available information, generate ideas based on the data and conceive of and implement a specific action plan. First, look at the available information. There is a lot of it, from the CDC’s Interim Guidance for Businesses and Employers to the state’s “Reopening Tennessee Responsibly” publication. Local municipalities and profes-
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sional organizations have guidelines, suggestions and checklists, too, and they are being updated seemingly daily. Guidelines are a fundamental starting point but only get an organization so far. What is missing is the detail and how recommendations apply to your specific company. What may work well for a large tech company may not suffice for a small design firm, and vice versa. Based on available information, what ideas make our work places safer? No idea is too crazy but some are crazy. Outlandish ideas are often useful in getting the conversation started. How about having a completely virtual workplace and converting your building into an urban farm? Or use those stress-reducing office pets as mobile sanitation stations to encourage good hygiene. Ideas should also be inclusive. Use an open and equal forum to share. If it is not practical to have an office-wide brainstorming session, try an open-ended survey to give everyone a chance to contribute. Remember, the goal is to generate specific ideas of how to keep your work surfaces clean, maintain your employees’ social distance, improve your space’s indoor air quality, and so on. Building on the ideas generated from the available information, we are now ready to
implement a plan of action. This plan needs to be reasonable and implementable. Design has to be coupled with policy. One without the other is ineffective. Tuck-Hinton’s office has the benefit of multiple entries. One will be designated for visitors, the other for employees. Sanitation stations will be conveniently located at strategic high-touch areas. Clear, simple signage will be in place establishing room occupancy limits and encouraging hand-washing. We are using visual prompts created with flooring products to maintain proper distances and circulation paths. Our in-office schedules are also being coordinated to limit possible congestion in the office and to plan out seating assignments. By developing this detailed program of action, we are able to create a safer environment for our employees and guests. As the available data evolves, so too will our office work plan. By using this approach of analyzing information, generating ideas and implementing a specific strategy, you can create a plan that is appropriate for your business and help to improve the overall health and safety of everyone involved. Curtis Lesh is an associate and project manager at Tuck-Hinton in Nashville. www.tuckhinton.com
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