Guardian News and Media: Moving onwards and upwards
Guardian News and Media’s (GNM) previous office in Clerkenwell, London, had an historic standing that reflected old-world print journalism. But to stay ahead in an industry that’s drastically modernizing and becoming fiercely competitive, GNM needed to relocate to a new building that accommodated the latest technology, collaboration and creativity. Nicole Dempster describes the communication strategy for a move that was key to business performance.
by Nicole Dempster, Head of Internal Communication, Guardian News and Media
An office relocation can involve major change: losing the familiar and facing the unknown and, unless it’s handled well, can cause disruption, confusion and resentment. At Guardian News and Media, it was never an option for us to force the changes on our staff, but rather to involve them in every step of the office relocation.
We moved into our new offices in Kings Place, in the heart of the regeneration area of King’s Cross in London, just before Christmas 2008. The move was more than just a change of address for GNM, it was the start of a new chapter in our history, signifying a fundamental shift in the way we would work in the future. From a mainly UK focused print operation, we were transforming into a 24/7 international media business. And we weren’t just moving into an office block: Kings Place is a music and arts complex, with two concert halls, resident orchestras, art galleries, bars and restaurants – all open to the public.
GNM had a clear vision for its new offices: it would be a building that would not only support our new way of working, but would embody our values of innovation, transparency and openness; a building that would also support GNM’s ambition to be a leader on sustainability in the media industry, not just to be carbon neutral, but to be environmentally regenerative in our activities.
Most of all, we wanted employees to feel informed, engaged and supported throughout the process.
The challenges
As we're a media organization, the move needed to be seamless: the technology needed to work from day one, our journalists needed to publish news across all our platforms without interruption, and our operational departments needed to simply walk in and start working.
An almost bigger challenge was the sheer volume of books, paper and files within our organization. We were moving from offices where people had paperwork all around them, to offices with minimum clutter and flexible working across desks and departments. Simply packing up and moving all our files, books and clutter was not an option – we were embarking on a completely new way of working, and this would involve huge change for everyone.
We were spread across 23 floors in five buildings in our old offices, which didn’t allow us to work in the ways we would need to in the future. Collaboration was difficult, and working flexibly across teams near impossible.
The biggest challenge was for staff to understand – and share – the vision, to feel motivated by the move, to understand how their working environment would change and to understand the role they would play in the move. Most important of all, we wanted employees to feel informed, engaged and supported throughout the process.
Fig 1. GNM's old office in Farringdon, London
Planning and preparation
The move took three years of planning and preparation. Dedicated project groups were formed to oversee the planning, including an accommodation strategy group to prepare and oversee the strategy and a relocation group to manage the implementation. The entire project was managed by the chief operating officer, who had an overview and responsibility for all work streams. I had responsibility for creating and implementing the internal communication strategy for the move. As part of this, one of the most important things for me was to be part of the project team, and I sat on both the accommodation strategy and relocation groups, which meant I was aware of what was going on at every step of the process. The internal communication strategy had clearly defined priorities and objectives for each phase of the move preparation, with staff engagement at the heart of our communication plans.
A mix of engaging channels
Our intranet, Spike, (see Figure 2, below) was very popular with staff, but it became clear that it couldn’t support our aim of engaging staff in the move. We needed an intranet where we could show videos, allow staff to comment on stories, share ideas with each other, and use new collaborative tools. We set about developing a new intranet that introduced social media into GNM, which went on to play a central role in keeping staff informed about the move.
Fig 2. Homepage of GNM's intranet "Spike"
We wanted staff to have a say in helping create the space within our new offices so, before the plans for the interior fit out even started, we asked everyone what they liked and disliked about our current offices, and what they wanted from the new building. We also ran a series of workshops to further identify what people wanted.
The brief to the designers – which was informed by what staff told us – was for an office space that would provide a much better working environment for everyone, in which people wouldn’t just be sitting in front of computer screens at their desks. There would be a choice of areas to work from: desks which could be scaled up or down according to the number of people who used them, numerous break-out and soft-seating areas, and plenty of meeting rooms. We’re an innovative organization and we needed collaborative ways of working, backed up by the technology to support it. The entire building would be wi-fi, with laptops available for anyone who needed them. TV and multimedia content would be available on every desktop computer. Every employee would have the opportunity to work differently, and more collaboratively, where project teams could come together easily, all backed up by improved technology to support our new ways of working.
Staff forum
The next step in our engagement plan was to set up a staff forum, with representatives from each area of the company. Staff were invited to put their names forward as representatives, and were voted for by their colleagues. The forum met each month and, where possible, the members were decision makers, with them choosing the furniture and our catering suppliers.
The forum had its own section on Spike, with photos of each representative, their contact details, and the areas of GNM they represented. The minutes from each meeting were posted up each month, along with the questions put forward at the meetings, as well as the answers.
As soon as we could, we started taking staff on tours of the new building. so they could see for themselves how work was progressing.
We needed to start a major de-cluttering and recycling operation. To help with this, move champions were elected from all areas of GNM.
Move champions
Having involved employees in the planning for our new offices, we now needed their help in preparing for the physical move. This was a huge challenge, because of the amount of paperwork on all of our floors. We needed to start a major de-cluttering and recycling operation. To help with this, move champions were elected from all areas of GNM.
The “Move Champs” were responsible for preparing their teams for the move. They met on a weekly basis and were taken through the week’s priorities and discussed any issues or problems. The Move Champs had their own section on Spike, where the minutes from each meeting were posted, and where they shared ideas and tips for the move.
They were kept informed at every step of the process. They were taken on tours of the nearly completed building, so they could see for themselves how it looked and worked; they were trained on how to use the new telephones, and helped make decisions about many of the practical issues around the move. They played an incredibly important role in the preparation for the move, which wouldn’t have gone as well as it did without their energy, support and commitment.
Our neighbors and community
We might have been moving into brand new, offices, but we were also moving into an area that is undergoing one of the largest urban regeneration projects in Europe.
A key priority for GNM was that we should integrate into the local community and we wanted to start doing this before the move. Our Sustainable Development team started to develop a community engagement program, and began talking to local schools, youth centers, the charity Age Concern, a nature park and Pentonville Prison about ways in which we, both as a company and as individuals, could work more closely with the community. Staff started to get involved in local projects as a means of getting to know our neighbors, and our senior management team met with local charities to see first hand how we could get to know – and support – our new community.
Six months to go
With six months to go before the move, we stepped up our communication and engagement with a “Kings Place Week”, during which everyone was given an update on progress, and could see for the first time what our new offices would look like. We held an all staff briefing to show everyone how the vision we’d been talking about had been brought to life.
The new intranet, which could now use social media, went live the very next day, launching with a major new “Kings Place” section that took over the homepage, and stayed there right up to the move. This gave staff access to all the details they needed to know about the new building, with information updated almost daily. The site included a video walk through the new building, latest photos, frequently asked questions and the chance to post their own questions.
We also held an online Q&A session during the Kings Place Week, where staff could put questions to senior management.
We also held an online Q&A session during the Kings Place Week, where staff could put questions to senior management.
That same week we also created a typical Kings Place work space in our staff restaurant, so that everyone could see and experience for themselves what the desks, furniture and technology looked and felt like, with members of the accommodation project and technology teams on hand to answer questions from staff.
Kings Place had, by now, officially opened its doors as a concert venue, with a five-day festival of music. All GNM staff were given a free ticket to attend one of the concerts, which also gave everyone the opportunity to look around the public areas of the building and, for those who hadn’t been on a formal tour of our new offices, a chance for a glimpse at the work in progress.
Three months to go
With three months to go before the move, we needed to address the practical issues around the actual move. The next phase of the communication plan focused on changing engagement into action, and getting everyone ready for the physical move. This is where the Move Champs really came into their own. Their first job was to get their teams to de-clutter before we could even start to think about packing. We recycled everything we possibly could, and the Move Champs instilled a sense of energy and urgency into their teams.
One month to go
One month before the move, the focus was on the detailed planning for the final phase of our move, with the aim of further increasing the engagement in our new ways of working in Kings Place. We also started to communicate what everyone needed to do in preparation for the move – with the emphasis on personal responsibility.
We held another all-staff briefing in the concert hall at Kings Place, when everyone heard in detail the practicalities around the move, and were given a full guide to the building and our new community and neighborhood in King’s Cross. (See Figure 3. below)Employees were taken through the likely move dates for each department, and told what actions they needed to take. The briefing also focused on practical issues for our new offices, such as how to get started at your desk, and where the bathrooms were.
Fig 3. Guides to the new offices
As people left the briefing, they were given a guide to King’s Cross, which contained details about the local area, including transport links and places to eat, drink, take exercise or simply sit in a green space.
On returning to their desks, staff found all the information from the briefing, along with interactive floor plans, an interactive map of King’s Cross, plus an extended online version of the King’s Cross guide they received at the briefing. There were also details of what everyone needed to do in preparation for the move, along with deadline dates. This was followed up by weekly bulletins sent out by the Move Champs.
Fig 4. Poster campaign counting down the move
We also started a poster campaign – “Get cracking with your packing” – which gave a countdown to the move. The posters (see Figure 4, left) and messages changed each week, with each poster focusing on the week’s priorities. The move was to be phased over three weeks, and detailed communication plans were prepared for each department.
One week to go
In the week before the move, everyone received a personal move pack, giving clear instructions about the remaining preparation work to be done and details of what they needed to pack. People knew when their personal crates would arrive, and when they needed to be packed up by. To help speed entry into the building on day one, employees were given their new security passes with their move packs.
Despite the challenges of working in offices that we’d long since outgrown, some staff became incredibly nostalgic about our old, rather rundown building and posted photos and videos of our old building on Spike as a way of saying goodbye.
Fig 5. GNM's new office in King's place
First day in our new home
On the first day in the new offices, meeters and greeters helped everyone find their way to their new desk, and plenty of floorwalkers were on hand to answer questions. They, along with the Move Champions, wore different colored T-shirts so they were easily identifiable. Each employee was given a welcome breakfast on arrival and, once at their desks, found a welcome goody box and a guide to help them get started at their new desk. Once staff had logged on to their computers, the homepage of Spike gave them all the information they needed to start their day. Employees also received an email from the MD, welcoming them to the building, and asking for their patience with any teething problems they may encounter. He explained that we’d be carrying out a post-occupancy survey three months into the move, to help us address anything we needed to change.
Measurement of our success
The post-occupancy survey, sent to all staff, showed that, on the whole, our new offices lived up to expectations. Questions on how well staff felt the move had been communicated to them, and if they felt they’d been provided with the necessary information to prepare for the move came joint highest in terms of satisfaction.
We’re also making inroads in integrating into the local community. The Guardian’s staff choir, have partnered with a local charity, New Horizon, which helps young vulnerable people get a start in life. The choir has so far raised over £3,000 through performing concerts in aid of the charity, with the young people from New Horizon joining in the performances. Our entire sales and sales support team – nearly 300 people – recently took part in projects working with local community groups.
The move gave the internal communications team the opportunity to take a fresh look at our existing channels of communication. As a media organization, the expectations of our internal audience are always extremely high, and we need to constantly be a step ahead.
The social media introduced on Spike, which played such an important role in keeping staff engaged, continues to go from strength to strength, with regular traffic to the site up by almost 100 percent since the new site launched. We now have a network of plasma screens around our new offices, which can publish messages, promote internal events and activities and highlight news stories that appear on Spike.
All of the careful planning and preparation had paid off; by involving staff in the move, and maintaining regular engagement, there was minimum disruption throughout the move, employees quickly settled into our new way of working, and are now busy getting involved in the local community. It’s as if we’ve always been here.
Have your say
Have you been through an office relocation that has had implications other than just a physical change? That has improved ways of working and the organizational culture? Have you gone from using traditional channels to using more innovative, modern media within internal communications?
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