Navigating Workplace Change: A Human-Centered Approach
DESIGN INVESTIGATIONS
Workplaces evolve for many reasons, including a move to a new building, a shift toward hybrid work, consolidation of multiple offices, or a desire to encourage collaboration. Whatever the impetus for a big change, one pattern holds true: most people find change to be challenging. Buildings can be updated overnight, but behavior, habits, and culture take time.
What is Change Management?
The discipline of change management exists to acknowledge the reality that workplaces evolve, and to chart a path forward. Change management is far more than a buzzword; itās the thoughtful practice of guiding people through transition with clarity, empathy, and consistency.
ALLY FINANCIAL CORPORATE CHARLOTTE CENTER CHARLOTTE, NC
Designing for Humans
Workplaces are composed of people. Change management helps organizations understand how their employees actually feel, not just how leaders hope they will react. Jessica Pearson, LS3Pās Commercial Planning Leader, has experienced this process firsthand through working with many clients on change management strategies. āPeople have very natural reactions to change,ā she says. āWe all tend to experience a predictable set of emotions around it.ā Her Association of Change Management Professionals (ACMP) accreditation underscores the notion that emotions around change are not obstacles; theyāre data. They tell us which behaviors need modeling, which questions need answering, and which longstanding routines may be harder to let go.
LINCOLN HARRIS OFFICE RENOVATION
CHARLOTTE, NC
Change management surfaces the āwhyā behind human behaviors and helps organizations transition smoothly to a new environment. Navigating the process can identify questions like, āwhat concerns about this move are keeping employees up at night?ā or āwhat rituals, habits, or comforts might people be reluctant to lose?ā One commonly overlooked question is, āhow prepared is leadership to model new ways of working?ā Understanding how people are thinking about change can be a key step towards an easier transition.
Why Change Management Matters in Workplace Projects
For workplace clients, the physical environment is only part of the story. The way people interact with the new environment depends in part on building an environment of trust and transparency through the change process. The way a change is communicated and implemented can impact how people collaborate, how people move through the space, and how they work together to build culture.
Senior Interior Designer Allison Gregory, a Prosci accredited change management practitioner, notes that leadership behavior is key to success āWhatever the desired change is, leaders have to model it. If they want their teams to embrace flexible seating options, leaders have to use the flexible seating options. If they want people to enjoy a new amenity or set a new norm for shared space behavior, they have to be seen enjoying the new amenity and behaving in the ways they want others to behave.ā
People have very natural reactions to change... we all tend to experience a predictable set of emotions around it.ā
Jessica Pearson, LS3P
Change Management in Action
Senior Interior Designer Wil Drennan has experienced the ins and outs of major workplace transitions, both as a designer for workplace projects at all scales and as an employee in LS3Pās Charlotte office. In addition to being integral to the design of LS3Pās new Charlotte office space, Wil led the change management process for the 100+ person office team. The team had occupied its former office space for over 20 years, so the move provided some opportunities to shake things up a bit. In addition to physical tasks such as purging two decadesā worth of archived paper files, the process required a shift in thinking about how and where work gets done.
The new office was designed to support flexibility, energy, and connection. Bringing this new vibe into the state-ofthe-art new space required changing some entrenched habits and invisible norms around personal space, movement, and collaboration. Wil spent a lot of time preparing people for the changes, memorializing the good times in the old space, and counting down the days to build excitement. (The countdown also provided important milestones for clearing clutter and handling logistics.)
Wil knew that this patient, iterative preparation process was integral to a smooth transition. āIf we give you a souped-up Audi and no oneās taught you how to drive stick, it might not be a smooth ride at first,ā he says. āWe needed to teach people how we expected the new space to work, and how we expected them to work in it.ā This applies to practical details such as putting dishes in the dishwasher and not the sink, but also the intangibles: is it really ok to leave my desk and to work on that sofa? (Yes!) Is it weird for us to be using the lobby as a collaboration space? (No, please do!) Itās these details and habits that shape culture, but they require some coaching.
A welcome packet was given to each team member before moving to their new office. It outlined everything from amenity location, to instructions on how to use the office furniture, helping to execute a smooth transition.
Count Down reminders were placed around the office for a month leading up to the move with helpful reminders that needed to be completed.
A detailed labeling system ensured the ease of moving materials from the old space into the correct area of the new space.
When to begin? Change Management strategies work best when integrated into the design and construction schedule at the beginning of a project.
PHASE 1
Programming
Evaluate organizational readiness
Formulate change management strategy
Develop change management plan Execute change management plan
Move In PHASE 2
Complete change management effort
PHASE 3
Is Change Management Worth the Investment?
Given everything at stake during major workplace transition, an investment in change management is absolutely worth making. Real estate, design, construction, furniture, equipment, and moving are all key elements, but the most important piece of the puzzle is maintaining trust with the people who will be impacted by the change, so that the change turns out to be a net positive in the long run. A wellstructured approach offers several benefits:
A smoother transition into a new workplace. Organizational shifts introduce questions about parking, technology, etiquette, routines, and even daily rituals. Even small logistical details can have an outsize impact on an employeeās routine. Everyone wants to know how all aspects of a change will affect themā¦ and will it be worth it? Will things be better, or worse once the dust settles? Proactive communication reduces anxiety and builds trust.
Stronger cultural alignment. The workplace can only function as designed if people adopt the behaviors that bring the design to life. A workplace change is a good time to set new norms and encourage people to embrace new habits and new spaces from Day 1 ā starting with leadership.
Better long-term utilization of space. Designing for flexibility is only effective when users understand what flexibility looks like day-to-day, and a shift in tone might be required. Instead of āI havenāt seen you at your desk lately,ā we can say, āgreat to see you! Where are your favorite work spots these days?ā
Engaged employees, instead of silent resistance. As Jessica explains, āDuring the change process, itās far better to have someone complaining than staying quiet. Complaints mean theyāre engaged! Silence means theyāre disinterested, or worse, thinking of leaving.ā
Because the long-term success of the project hinges on employee buy-in and excitement, the change management process is vital in paving the way for a smooth transition.
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES CAMPUS RALEIGH, NC
A proactive approach. Over time, people experience a predictable range of emotions when dealing with change. This diagram shows how people move from the current state to a desired future state with the support of change management.
Emotional journey over time
Current State
Future State
What Goes into a Change Management Tool Kit?
Change management strategies are tailored to the needs of each client for maximum impact. However, some tried-andtrue tools consistently prove valuable.
Leadership Workshops. For team members to feel comfortable with change, their leaders have to be confident in the process. Structured workshops help leaders understand how their language and behaviors can set the tone for success.
āChange Agentā Committees. Small groups of invested employees can be tapped to facilitate two-way conversations about the process. They can share updates from leadership, but also listen for and surface any concerns as they arise. This process fosters trust among peers and provides a conversational setting for questions. A commitment of just a couple of hours a month can transform communication during a transition.
Anonymous Question Portals. Having a way for people to ask questions (practical, emotional, or logistical) provides an outlet for any concerns. Leadership responding regularly shows care and transparency.
Opportunities for Engagement.
Creating experiences around the change can reduce anxiety and build excitement. Some favorite approaches include construction tours to help people āfeelā the new space, neighborhood scavenger hunts to explore a new area, furniture or mockup walkthroughs, or celebratory move-in moments.
Change Management tools are a combination of communications and experiences that engage people in the change and are often paired with Strategy scopes.
People are the heart of all change efforts. Town Halls, Change Agent Meetings, Focus groups, Interviews, Social events, and one-on-one conversations are tools we use to educate, inspire, and support people as they go through change.
Change Management offers everyone the chance to see, touch, and feel aspects of the new workplace environment with project tours, pilot spaces, mock ups, and design workshops.
Communications play an important role in an effective change management program and typically include FAQs, emails, newsletters, SharePoint, Information packets, and welcome guides.
The Bottom Line
A thoughtful change management approach shows up in a variety of ways. A 2024 study showed that change management strategies can reduce employee turnover by up to 34% during major workplace transitions. Given the high cost of recruiting and training talented team members, this impact is significant and measurable.
Beyond the value of employee retention, change management can facilitate:
ā¢ Smoother Day One transitions
ā¢ Higher adoption rates for new workplace behaviors
ā¢ Lower resistance to change
ā¢ Fewer costly misunderstandings, oversights, and mishaps
ā¢ Better alignment between design intent and daily use
ā¢ More confident, engaged, and supported teams
These outcomes mirror what we see in successful space utilization studies. When people understand the āwhyā and the āhow,ā they embrace change more readily and arrive at a ānew normalā more quickly.
600 S TRON CHARLOTTE, NC
TEN30 CAMPUS CHARLOTTE, NC
Looking Ahead: A Workplace That Works for Everyone
Workplace environments are evolving faster than ever, and with change comes opportunity. Organizations can use change management not only to transition teams from one building to another, but also to reinforce culture; build a culture of belonging; and promote healthier, more collaborative ways of working.
As Wil explains, āHelping people prepare for change requires strategy, empathy, structure, and clarity ā the same qualities that underpin great design.ā
What Certifications Tell Us About Expertise
Just as architects and designers rely on licensure and specialized training, change practitioners bring different strengths based on their credentials:
CCMPĀ® (Certified Change Management Professional)
ā¢ Rigorous, global, experiencebased credential
ā¢ Focused on organizational psychology, communication, and long-range change
ā¢ Signals a deep understanding of both strategy and human behavior
ProSciĀ® Certification
ā¢ Well-known, tool-driven program built around the ADKAR model
ā¢ Highly structured, widely recognized by corporate clients
ā¢ Ideal for project-based, repeatable change initiatives
Having both perspectives on a team supports clients holisticallyāfrom high-level organizational alignment to practical day to day rollout.
JELDWEN HEADQUARTERS
CHARLOTTE, NC
iZoe. āTalent Retention During Organizational Change.ā Noirwolf, October 25, 2024. https://www.noirwolf.com/post/ talent-retention-during-organizational-change
citations
Jessica Pearson is a Commercial Planning Leader in LS3Pās Raleigh office. With a strong background in space planning, she combines both quantitative and qualitative insights to inform thoughtful, human-centered design. A collaborative problem solver and detail-oriented strategist, Jessica is deeply committed to transforming workplace environments through research-driven design that serves the needs of staff and visitors alike.
As a design professional and licensed architect with over 30 years of experience, Jessica is known for leading workplace strategy, change management, real estate optimization, space management, and occupancy planning efforts with clients within Government, Healthcare, Higher Education, and Technology sectors. Her career has stretched beyond architecture into analytics, change management, consulting, and space management.
By gaining deep insight into each clientās mission, vision, and goals, Jessica works collaboratively with teams to develop creative solutions using qualitative and quantitative methods to transform the role of space in every client organization.
Allison Gregory, RID, NCIDQ is a Senior Interior Designer in LS3Pās Raleigh office. She has a Bachelor of Interior Architecture from Louisiana State University as well as being a Prosci certified Change Management practitioner. She brings 25+ years of experience helping define project vision and success for regional and national clients. She drives to create spaces that support organizational culture, occupant experience, and business objectives through focus groups, survey data analysis and programming.
In addition to strategy and programming, she has extensive experience with workplace guideline creation, commercial furniture specification, space planning and large scale furniture bid management.
Associate Principal William (Wil) Drennan is passionate about design excellence. In every project, Wil focuses on human-centric approaches to creating interior environments which elevate the experience of inhabiting a space. In his nearly 20 years as project manager and lead designer on a diverse portfolio of commercial, mixed-use, hospitality, K-12, civic, and other work, Wil has developed a comprehensive knowledge of design principles, practices, and aesthetics. He particularly enjoys the process of anticipatory thinking and proactive design solutions; he is also fascinated by the emerging research on the impact of lighting on human minds and bodies and how designers can deploy lighting to create better interior environments. Beyond his design acumen, however, Wil has also earned a reputation as an excellent colleague who enjoys the process of team building, storytelling, deep listening, authentic collaboration, and problem solving.