Latest news with #humancentered
Khaleej Times
a day ago
- Business
- Khaleej Times
UAE: Office perfect for Instagram? Design spaces to aid work, not looks, say employees
UAE offices need to shift focus from being visually striking to being truly human-centered; that's the recurring message from HR professionals and workplace designers. This takeaway from Gensler's newly released 2025 Global Workplace Survey has prompted HR leaders and workplace experts to call for a shift: from picture-perfect setups to purpose-driven, human-centred design. The global architecture and design firm surveyed over 16,800 full-time office workers across 15 countries, including a deep sample from the UAE, to better understand what modern employees truly need from their workplaces. While UAE office workers acknowledge that their workplaces have improved since the pandemic, most believe their needs are still not met. Only 31 per cent of UAE employees strongly agree that their current work environment enables them to perform at their best, despite widespread office renovations and investments in workplace upgrades. Common challenges persist: noise, inefficient layouts, lack of meeting room availability, and insufficient quiet zones for focused work. Key employee priorities include better acoustics in shared spaces, access to informal collaboration zones, and dedicated areas for focused, undisturbed work. Need and design 'The UAE has become a global benchmark for ambition and adaptability. In cities like Dubai and Abu Dhabi, we are witnessing rapid shifts in how people live and work, and the workplace must evolve accordingly,' said Edith Eddy, Senior Interior Designer, Workplace, at Gensler Middle East. 'Our research reveals a clear gap between what employees need to thrive — flexibility, creativity, and connection — and what their current spaces provide. Bridging this gap will be essential for organisations aiming to attract talent, foster innovation, and design workplaces that truly support the future of work in the Emirates." The UAE currently ranks in the 'middle tier' globally when it comes to workplace satisfaction — performing better than France and Japan, but falling behind countries like the UK, India, and the United States." Key drivers Nicki Wilson, executive director of Genie Recruitment, highlighted how cultural and structural flexibility has transformed engagement in her firm. 'Now we finish early every Friday and the whole team works from home that day. We introduced a 'work from anywhere' policy where each team member can work remotely for a full week once a year with an extra allowance to support working from another country. This encourages travel, creativity and fresh perspective.' She added, 'Flexibility has increased accountability and engagement. There's a stronger sense of mutual trust. People feel empowered to own their time which means they show up more present and productive.' According to Wilson, UAE offices in 2025 need to prioritise 'human-centred' elements over aesthetics.' Design wise, UAE offices in 2025 need to focus less on just looking 'Instagrammable' and more on being human-centred. "That means quiet zones for focus, collaborative breakout areas, adjustable lighting, greenery and open air wherever possible. Movement-friendly layouts and high-quality ergonomic furniture are no longer optional, they're expected.' She also emphasised the need for a cultural shift. 'Culturally, the shift has to be toward outcome-based leadership. The 'bums on seats' mentality is outdated. Employees want autonomy, trust and purpose. That means leaders need to move from managing time to managing results and supporting mental wellbeing as a core business priority — not just a side perk.' Importantly, employee feedback loops need to be constant. A one-off survey doesn't cut it. Whether you run a 10-person business or a 1,000-person company, ask regularly: 'What would help you thrive here?' Then act on it.' Creative labs The survey also highlighted a mismatch between what employees experience and what they ideally want. Only 15 per cent described their ideal workplace as a formal 'business hub,' while 29 per cent said that label reflected their current office setup. In contrast, there's a growing appetite for 'creative labs' and 'nature retreats' — environments that promote creativity, calm, and purpose over rigid formality. Employees are asking for more than flashy amenities. Aws Ismail, a UAE-based professional, summed up what many feel is missing from modern offices. 'Honestly, I believe a lot of offices still feel quite disconnected from what employees need to thrive. Post-pandemic upgrades might look good on the surface, but many spaces don't encourage true collaboration, creativity, or even healthy competition. I think what's missing is an environment where people can learn from each other, be challenged, and feel part of something.' He added, "It's not just about comfortable chairs or a pool table, it's about the energy in the office, the leadership presence, and creating a culture that pushes people to perform at their best."
Forbes
3 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
The New Leadership Playbook For The Age Of AI
9th July 1981: A lone operator at work in the control room of Battersea Power Station in London. ... More The impressive building is due for closure in 1983 and an alternative plan to utilise the site has not yet been decided upon. (Photo by Ian Tyas/) Everyone agrees that artificial intelligence is changing the game for leadership. But what kind of leadership is actually needed in an AI-augmented world? And are most leaders ready? To cut through the buzzwords and blindspots, I asked three experts who've been watching this space closely: Mark Bloomfield, a leading authority on artificial intelligence and a fellow at Cambridge University's Judge Business School, Spencer Harrison, professor at INSEAD and researcher on creativity, work, and the future of leadership, and Liz Rider, a leadership strategist and executive coach with decades of experience inside global organizations. Their responses didn't point to a single silver bullet. But they did reveal a shift in mindset, skillset, and purpose that leaders will need to embrace. Here are three key insights: 1. Human-Centered Leadership Is No Longer Optional In a world where machines can draft emails, generate presentations, and automate entire workflows, the uniquely human elements of leadership (emotional intelligence, purpose, and presence) become not just differentiators, but essentials. 'I believe this is our opportunity to be truly human. Too often, I come across leaders who operate like robots—displaying low emotional intelligence, focusing solely on tasks and results, and treating people in a transactional way,' Rider told me. As more tasks become automatable, the leader's role needs to shift from 'directing traffic' to designing environments where people can thrive, collaborate meaningfully, and do their most creative work. This is an opportunity rather than a curse. As Rider put it, 'instead of spending your afternoon wrestling with another Excel sheet, try having a meaningful conversation with your team. Let AI handle the repetitive tasks while you focus on what only humans can deliver: purpose, support, and connection.' 2. Curiosity Is A Strategic Advantage In an AI-augmented workplace, leaders don't just need to execute—they need to explore. And that means treating curiosity not as a soft skill, but as a strategic one. Harrison told me, 'Leaders will need to continually adapt and learn. That means being able to turn confusion from a 'reset' (we have to learn something new) to an 'asset' (we get to learn something new).' In this framing, curiosity becomes the gateway to agility, innovation, and even empathy. It allows leaders to question AI output rather than accept it at face value, and to refine workflows that mix human and machine contributions. But curiosity isn't only about asking better questions—it's also about staying with uncertainty long enough to find better answers. 'No initial attempt at an AI-augmented workplace will work first go,' Harrison warns. 'Curious leaders will keep looking for surprises, points of confusion, and anomalies, and find ways to get the balance right.' Bloomfield agreed, emphasizing that leaders need to understand the problems before crafting AI solutions. 'Leaders need to nurture and support the understanding and evolution of problems then see how this might be solved. When you have the AI hammer everything can look like a nail,' he told me. In a world where many decisions are increasingly optimized by algorithms, the leaders who stay curious—about people, about systems, about what's missing—will be the ones who keep their teams not only relevant, but human. 3. Use The Productivity Gains Wisely One of the most compelling ideas Harrison raised was the moral opportunity of AI-driven productivity. If AI helps us get more done in less time, leaders have a choice: use that gain to squeeze out more work—or reinvest it in people. 'If AI can replace what workers do,' Harrison says, 'what if leaders redistributed that time to help people live fuller lives?' But there is a flip side to this. In redesigning organizations for increased productivity, Harrison warns, 'leaders need to be thoughtful about accidentally cutting 'useful waste' – the invisible work that actually makes some of the most important aspects of work–decision making, organizational change, and collaboration–possible.' A New Playbook, Rooted in Old Truths If there's a single takeaway from these conversations, it's this: AI doesn't erase the need for leadership—it raises the bar. Leaders who succeed won't be those with the most technical skills or slickest strategies. They'll be the ones who know themselves, care about others, and stay curious enough to keep learning, even when the machines seem to know everything. The tools may be new, but the calling is timeless: to help people do their best work, together. In the age of AI, that might be harder. But it also might be more important than ever.
