| It is often said that moving home is one of the primary | | | | According to Moss, the move from closed-door |
| causes of stress in modern society. Whether we | | | | offices to an open-plan layout was welcomed. “By |
| spend hours planning it or just go with the flow, it | | | | the time the people walked into the new location, they |
| involves lots of emotional upheaval and significant | | | | were aware of what to expect and were given lots |
| change. Now considering that, according to the | | | | of training and encouragement to use the new facilities |
| International Stress Management Association, more | | | | and explore their new environment.” Meters and |
| than half of us experience stress at work and one in | | | | greeters ensured most people were fully operational |
| four take time off because of it, it doesn’t require a | | | | within an hour of arriving at the new offices. Over the |
| giant leap to appreciate how office moves can be an | | | | subsequent weeks, the communications team ran |
| extremely unsettling experience to a workforce. | | | | numerous orienteering sessions and various projects |
| So, when the rumor mill begins and people start to | | | | began to help the people utilize the new facilities as |
| hear the rumblings of an office move, a whole series | | | | effectively as possible. |
| of mixed emotions begin to appear. While there will be | | | | The moves programme has had some real |
| those who can’t wait to leave their current location, | | | | commercial benefits and, as Moss concludes: “Our |
| there are often many more who will need to be prized | | | | people say how much easier it is to working the |
| away. After many years at the same desk, creating a | | | | building. They can hold impromptu meetings and build |
| space which is comfortable and familiar, to be | | | | relationships far more effectively, which means an |
| suddenly told that all of this is going to change, can lead | | | | even better service to our clients.” |
| to a lot of uncertainty. It is no longer practical to impose | | | | What Ernst & Young recognized early on, is that |
| office moves on to people, as little is gained but | | | | by maintaining a regular level of engagement with |
| confusion, resentment and disengagement. However, if | | | | people, fear and uncertainty could be replaced with an |
| a move is handled well, it can create quite the opposite | | | | expectation of what was coming. Disruption in the |
| effect. | | | | outgoing offices was minimized and a smooth |
| By investing time and a little resource into managing | | | | transition was achieved at the incoming offices. People |
| the communication of a move, significant benefits can | | | | soon began feeling a sense of pride in their new |
| be achieved. Indeed, there are many examples of | | | | workplace. Removing the negative elements –for |
| high-profile office Switches where internal | | | | example the worry of the unknown and the stress of |
| communication has played a core role – from the | | | | change – can turn a potentially difficult time into a |
| various government department moves, through to the | | | | platform for positive change and means to |
| relocation of corporate HQs into, and out of, London. | | | | demonstrate real employee engagement. |
| One such move was undertaken by Ernst & | | | | Many organizations have used major moves as a |
| Young, one of the largest professional services firms in | | | | catalyst for general change. For the communicator, this |
| the UK. In 2003, Ernst & Young completed the | | | | can mean an opportunity to revisit existing |
| biggest move in its history, merging 13 offices in | | | | communication channels and a time to implement latest |
| London into two state-of-the-art locations. The new | | | | thinking. For example, at the new Ernst & Young |
| head office, 1 More London Place, was opened in the | | | | offices, a network of more than 50 plasma screens |
| autumn of that year and brought together more than | | | | was installed to facilitate regular and timely electronic |
| 3,000 people in a single location for the first time. | | | | internal communication messages. This could never |
| Jenny Moss, senior internal communications manager | | | | have been achieved in the existing offices due to the |
| and a member of the project move steam says: | | | | restrictions of the IT infrastructure and the cost. |
| “The building was significantly larger than any of the | | | | But employee engagement during a move is not the |
| previous offices in our estate and it required a | | | | reserve of the large corporate. A simple desk move |
| step-change in the way people used the facilities on | | | | of four people can quickly generate similar levels of |
| offer and, more importantly, real engagement before | | | | discomfort to people involved and those around them. |
| our people even set foot in it.”To achieve this, Ernst | | | | In fact, without adequate communication, the danger is |
| & Young put together a dedicated internal | | | | that the rumor mill will take over and, before you know |
| communications team, which led the program. The | | | | it, speculation is rife about the impending restructure of |
| team developed communication channels ranging from | | | | a department or the wholesale move to some |
| a moves intranet, through to regular site visits and | | | | obscure location. Consideration of the impact the |
| Q&A sessions. Most importantly, it began | | | | smallest move might make is just as relevant as that |
| engaging with the workforce more than a year before | | | | of moving the corporate HQ. Perhaps the amount of |
| their location, to give them time to ask questions, Visit | | | | time and resource allocated will be different, but the |
| the site and to fully understand what the move meant | | | | underlying reason for ensuring effective employee |
| and what changes would be required from them. | | | | engagement doesn’t change. |
