Facilities lessons from times of crisis: September 11 taught us about evacuation protocols and design/ safety criteria to aid exiting without confusion. Hurricane Katrina taught us the need for business contingency plans and the risk of single location strategies. Superstorm Sandy taught us the need to be able to work remotely in times of crisis.…
Leadership will improve. Throughout a crisis, leadership is of vital importance. It has also become clear which leadership behaviors are most effective. In the toughest times, the leaders who excel are those who communicate clearly, stay calm and strong, demonstrate empathy, think long-term and take appropriate decisive action. Corporate leaders will become more effective overall…
Top markets for growth and digital service jobs, some predictable and some surprises.
First, you tear down the walls and dispense with the soulless cubicles. Then you put everyone at long tables, shoulder to shoulder, so that they can talk more easily. Ditch any remaining private offices, which only enforce the idea that some people are better than others, and seat your most senior employees in the mix.…
A contraction option is a fixed right in your lease to reduce the size of your premises at some future date, but prior to your lease expiration date. You can use it to downsize an office space prior to the lease’s scheduled expiration date. As you might expect, landlords (and their lenders) vigorously resist giving…
Over the years we have found that operating expenses (OE) are among the most misunderstood real estate cost component, particularly because there is no clear standard of how these costs are addressed in leases. OE pass throughs can easily grow over a lease term to significant levels, particularly given the “compounding” nature of how they…
There has been a ton of talk, and articles published on this subject. We all now are aware of what’s coming and when. Here is a concise summary of what you need to know and do to comply and get ahead of the curve. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Preparedness is the key The intent of the…
Perception is finally changing! Corporate real estate is not merely an operating necessity; it’s a strategic resource. It affects everyone – customers, employees, investors, regulators. Real estate is not easy to manage. In many organizations, real estate remains a reactive, second order staff function, focused on discrete projects and transactions rather than on the company’s…
ENABLE THE BUSINESS PLAN Develop and propose solutions proactively to build sustainable, trusted relationships with key business and functional stakeholders. It’s also an opportunity to add value consistently across the business cycle, rather than at the time of transactional or operational events. DON’T LIMIT YOUR FOCUS TO FACILITIES & REAL ESTATE Instead, focus first…
Historically, most corporations have analyzed the lease or purchase of office and warehouse space using standard financial analyses of the project’s direct impact on “bottom line” figures like net operating income or EBITDA. Cutting edge corporations today are applying better operational and quantitative views to determine the true impact on a broader and more meaningful…