And yet many leaders still sit in corner offices. Such an office should be something of the past. It is just as outdated as rigid top-down power structures.
An article on the management-issues.com website describes the findings of research based on human-centred design.
How executives work today
- Privacy is necessary, but they must be reachable: Managers very often deal with sensitive and confidential information; nonetheless, they must try to remain accessible and open to subordinates and colleagues.
- Influence must be protected: As the number of both internal and external relationships grows, today's leaders are constantly striving to manage and protect their network and sustain their influence.
- Too much information: It is impossible to digest the vast amounts of information that are available today. Leaders cannot know the details of everything, so instead they often rely on a network of experts to supply up-to-date information.
- Demanding schedules: Schedules have become very fragmented, which is why managers risk losing the connection with their teams. Leaders are also spending more time out of the office since they need to ease the massive flow of information. However, such a nomadic approach may add more stress and result in their feeling overburdened.
- Assistants are vital: As schedules are increasingly packed and there is too much information, leaders are ever more dependent on their assistants. Without them, they would be unable to manage their workload.
-jk-