In this episode, we are joined by Andrea Diieso, Director of Workplace Experience at Rapid7. Andrea digs into how her education in Facilities Management paved her interest in creating purposeful workplaces, as well as her journey in shifting Rapid7 from an assigned seating model to unassigned neighborhoods. She shares the employee to desk ratio that works for her office, and explains how occupancy data helps in determining these metrics. We'll also get a first-hand listen at how all of these principles and metrics and translated in Rapid7's latest build out.

Andrea is also a strong proponent of workplace experiments, and shares a step-by-step approach into how to prototype, roll out, and validate or disprove your hypothesis in this world of inconsistent occupancy.

In this episode, we chat with Simon Davis— Founder and CEO of Purposeful Intent— about what the future of work will look like. Simon delves into the importance of considering the next generation when making workplace decisions, and challenging our traditional workplace norms in the face of what the data is truly telling us. He explains how remote work has revolutionized connection, rather than taken away from it, with people being able to host online events with thousands of participants— something that would be challenging to organize in the physical workplace.

Simon expands on this dimension of inclusivity and sustainability that were previously impossible in the office, and provides tips on how to overcome the greatest obstacle to innovation— a lack of curiosity.

In this episode, we're joined by Eric Kerr, Workplace Strategist at DoorDash, to discuss the importance of embodying local flavor in global offices and the role culture plays in defining what our spaces actually look like. Eric also shares their “blank canvas” approach to building out DoorDash’s Seattle office where flexibility and customizability were paramount.

How can we make spaces consistent enough so users aren’t overwhelmed as they go to different offices? How can workplace leaders give employees the opportunity to own their space? How do you define culture in a remote/hybrid context? Come explore these questions and more with our guest and hosts, all with a side of theater and laughter.

In this episode Peter Mostien, Strategic Real Estate Manager at ING, and Remco Van Riet, Innovation Manager at ING, share their approach to ING's hybrid strategy. From examining cultural nuances to balancing qualitative data with quantitive data, hear how ING developed a multifaceted approach to their hybrid strategy.

In this episode we’re digging in with Corinne Murray, founder of Agate, on “ways of working” and how the ways we engage in our jobs impact culture. As workplaces continue to change, it’s more important than ever to establish a set of thoughtful principles that help teams get together and accomplish their goals. What are the pros/cons of recurring meetings? How do teams maximize their time to be more creative and innovative? How should companies approach asynchronous work? What should be in-person vs. not?

Rather than just letting ways of working just happen on auto-pilot, Corinne will teach us how we can be more intentional and deploy methods of work that truly drive impact for organizations.

In this episode we’re talking to innovation and strategy manager Remco Van Riet about his new book “Innolation” and how teams can enable themselves to be more innovative and adaptive to change as well as what might be holding them back. How does the added flexibility of remote work impact individuals? How should managers/leaders adapt with increased employee flexibility in the workplace? How can we increase cooperation vs. competition with our colleagues?

The role of the office has completely changed. In this episode we’re talking to Omar Ramirez, global workplace leader, co-founder of Collective, and also our lovely co-host, about how workplace teams are evolving as a result of the past 3 years of change.

Sid van Wijk, Head of the EBC Program, and José Subero, Global Lead Design & Innovation, from Miro share how they’re adopting a flexibility-first mindset in all their spaces and leveraging experiments to better understand what works for their organization in a world of hybrid meetings and dynamic ways of work. Tune in and hear all the considerations the Miro team went through in designing out Miro’s executive briefing center, and the power behind “everything on wheels”.

José Subero, Global Lead Design & Innovation, from Miro shares how they are creating adapting spaces - specifically through designing explorative environments instead of perspective ones. Tune in and find out how José and his team tackled the challenge of building out their dynamic headquarters in a historical building that didn’t allow for any major construction (wall removals etc.) and key learnings from their build out and design process. 

True Understanding is a podcast that dives deep into workplace transformations. You’ll tune into in-depth conversations with some of the most innovative workplace leaders as we explore the strategies shaping the workplaces of tomorrow.

We’ll peel back the layers and get to the core of how workplace leaders approach the real-world problems we’re all facing today.

Leave every episode with real stories and practical tips for how to create remarkable workplace experiences.

Let’s unlock the potential of every space to foster connection, inspiration, and sustainability