‍We’re so pleased to welcome Danielle Adler to our team of workplace consultants. Danielle brings a wealth of experience in people-focused change initiatives and helps clients deliver meaningful workplace transformations seamlessly. We sat down to get to know each other better in this welcome Q&A...

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Danielle, welcome to the TSK team! Can you tell us a bit about your background and career journey so far? 

I’ve always been fascinated by human behaviour and understanding why people do what they do. I studied psychology at university, and this interest has stayed with me throughout my career. 

I worked for Arup as a consultant – evaluating how buildings work for users. I’ve also worked for an independent workplace consultancy, developing workplace and change management strategies. Essentially, I helped organisations from all around the world connect the dots between their visions, cultures and workplaces. 

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What will your role at TSK look like – and what aspects are you most looking forward to?

It’s my job to understand what organisations, teams and individuals need from their workplaces and create a strategy that delivers on their visions and objectives. I’ll support clients with strategic occupancy planning and ensure we respond to any changes within the business.

I’m looking forward to providing a seamless transition between strategy, design and build, ensuring the workplaces we deliver not only have that wow factor but also enable people to reach their highest potential. It’s about combining the best of both function and form.

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What do you love most about this industry?

The workplace landscape is always changing, which means that as workplace consultants, we’re always embracing new insights and methodologies. I’m passionate about making sure the physical space can evolve and enhance the way people work. 

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In your opinion, what makes an incredible workplace?

Organisations that achieve successful transformations consider the purpose and impact of every element, from aesthetics to sustainability, technology and culture. Every decision has to align with the organisation’s goals and empower users to perform at their best. The workplace should offer a unique experience that sets it apart.

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Why is ‘people engagement’ such an important part of workplace change?

Often, a workplace transformation goes beyond redesigning the physical space. It represents a behavioural shift. To help people adapt, it’s important to involve staff throughout the journey. This means listening to their feedback, addressing concerns and providing relevant support and training. We can do this through surveys, training and selecting a team of Change Champions to help lead the way.

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Can you tell us a bit more about the role Change Champions play in the process?

Change Champions are a diverse team of advocates who represent different departments across an organisation and are involved with every stage of the transformation journey. Their role is to help drive workplace change initiatives by providing feedback, raising concerns, influencing decisions and communicating information to their colleagues.

Significant workplace changes, such as relocating or transitioning from allocated desks to shared workspaces, mean employees have to adopt new behaviours. This adjustment can trigger resistance. Identifying potential barriers to change presents an opportunity to help people overcome them before they become an issue.

Change Champions represent the voice of many, so we know what matters to staff. It’s all about creating a more transparent and open process.

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If an organisation is considering a workplace transformation, what’s the first piece of advice you’d offer?

Start by nailing down your business objectives and guiding principles. To do that, I’d recommend getting your senior leadership team together to see where their alignment – and misalignment – is. Where are you now and where do you want to be? What culture do you want to create? Answering these fundamental questions will then feed into your workplace strategy.

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Thanks, Danielle. Let’s end with a couple of quickfire questions.

Firstly, what do you enjoy doing in your free time?

In my free time you’ll usually find me walking my black Lab, Olly, swimming (preferably outdoors), reading and trying new restaurants.

‍And finally – what’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

Keep things in perspective. Perspective plays a huge role in how we feel, which in turn informs the way we think and act.

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Let's talk change management...

Our team is always happy to discuss strategies for implementing a smooth change management programme. If you’d like advice from our team, fill in this form, and we’ll get in touch.