Saturday, March 10, 2012
SmartPlanet's Top 10 videos of 2011
2011 was a banner year for science and technology innovation, and SmartPlanet was on hand to give you a first look. Here are our 10 most popular videos, as clicked on and watched by our viewers.
The office of tomorrow: How design impacts culture
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>> Sumi Das: Open airy work spaces, daylight shining through from the ceiling above, workers meeting face to face in high-tech rooms and via video conferencing. Welcome to the office of tomorrow, at least according to Santa Cruz based Plantronics, makers of wireless headsets.
>> We created the cooperative work spaces with the glass, so you can see and have the natural light come through. We made the use of color -- the primary colors add vibrancy, add energy. And you could see that sprinkled throughout the work space.
>> Sumi Das: Pat Waters, Plantronics' head of human resources, is spearheading the massive redesign of the company's aging facilities. She says the new spaces, in addition to being more habitable, are starting to create change within the company's culture.
>> The cubes are meant to be open, they're meant to be more transparent, they're meant to encourage collaboration and ease of connection. I want people to talk more, I want them exchange ideas more fluidly.
>> Sumi Das: This is what the old space looked like -- monotone, grey, and high cubes.
>> Looking at the before picture Plantronics, you will see the enclosed space, you won't be able to see far behind you, it's just a long hallway.
>> Sumi Das: Now workers can choose how they want to work, where, and whether to sit or stand at their desk.
>> So if you see over here, we have some folks sitting down, some folks standing up, some might start sitting down and realize, you know, I'm getting antsy, I'm in the throes of creativity, let me stand up a bit and I'll move my desk up and have more visibility that way.
>> Sumi Das: But that's only half the story for this 50-year old company. Plantronics is also encouraging its employees to telecommute. On any given day, 40% of its workforce is plugging in remotely. Employees can Skype or conference in to connect with other colleagues.
>> What we're trying to do is to enable you to work where you need to work. It's not about the office. So I'm teaching leaders how to lead remote teams.
>> Sumi Das: Jen Davis phonetic is one of the employees embracing this change. The Product Manager works three days at the office, and two days remotely.
>> I kind of determine where I'm going to work based upon the work I have to do. So if I kind of need that quiet time, I wouldn't necessarily want to be in the office, I'd do that at home. It's no longer about how many hours are you sitting in a chair in the office. It's all measured now really on what you can produce in a given timeframe. Hit your deadlines, it's great.
>> Sumi Das: Ultimately, Waters believes all the new changes will help the high-tech company both attract new talent, and stay on the cutting edge.
>> They like the vibe of a college university, the student center, the ability to connect anywhere at any time, and do peer-to-peer, and work remotely. So their technology savviness, their awareness of how they collaborate at any time, I need to bend for them.
>> Sumi Das: For Smart Planet, I'm Sumi Das.
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