Julie Whelan and the CBRE research team delivered the updated 2024 edition of the US Office Occupier Sentiment Survey. This marks the third consecutive year we’ve had Julie on to share the findings and some of the insights behind the numbers.

For the first time since Covid, according to Julie, the survey feels somewhat ‘normal,’ reflecting a significant shift in sentiment regarding organizations ‘shedding’ space. While the past few years focused on downsizing and adapting to hybrid work models, companies are now reaching a "steady state" where office space utilization is stabilizing, and some organizations are even considering expanding their space.

Please join me in welcoming Julie Whelan back to Work 20XX.

We covered a range of topics, including the difference between measuring efficiency vs. effectiveness. We reviewed the latest on technology investments, from video conferencing and space scheduling to occupancy sensors and more. We also explored some innovative ways companies are using flexible and shared spaces to accommodate peak days when most employees are in the office, while still maintaining ‘vibrancy’ on days with fewer people present.

With New York’s Local Law 97 coming into play, we discussed the role of sustainability, net-zero goals, office conversions, and the capital markets adjustments that will reset a number of properties that no longer meet today’s standards.

These topics and more make for another highly engaging conversation with Julie, who has her finger on the pulse of the office market from a national perspective.

YouTube - Click Here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2khvxe9CcQY&list=PLZURvMqWbYjmmJlwGj0L0jWbWdCej1Jlt&ab_channel=TurntheLenswithJeffFrick

Transcript and Show Notes - Click Here
https://www.work20xx.com/episode/julie-whelan-v3-sentiment-shift-location-vibrancy-work-20xx-ep31

Evan Benway, a musician and the child of musicians, has been immersed in the creation and study of music since his earliest days. Through his deep appreciation for the evocative power and joy of sound, Evan understands how profoundly music can affect mood and emotions. However, in his professional journey, he discovered a stark contrast: sound is often considered a major distraction in traditional knowledge worker environments, especially in open floor plans filled with sound-reflecting materials like concrete and glass. Even in the most cutting-edge offices, unmanaged noise—particularly from people talking—can overwhelm other positive design elements. Evan experienced this firsthand and was struck by how unproductive such environments could be due to a poorly managed soundscape.

Traditional methods of sound management—absorbing, blocking, and covering, known as the ABCs of acoustics—are increasingly inadequate in modern office designs where sound sensitivity is high, and conventional solutions like carpets and acoustic tiles are less practical.

There had to be a better way.

Join me in welcoming Evan Benway to Work 20XX.

Evan founded Moodsonic to transform sound from a negative element into a positive force that enhances productivity, mood, and well-being. Moodsonic uses science-backed, biophilic sounds to create contextually relevant, dynamically generated soundscapes (with no loops) for built environments. Starting with offices and expanding into healthcare and educational markets, Moodsonic's approach brings the power of nature-inspired sound into these spaces.

Evan and his team are pioneering the use of dynamic soundscapes to improve people's experiences in built environments, leveraging the deep-seated biological impact of sound on attention, health, productivity, and well-being. At the same time, they carefully design these soundscapes to avoid the many pitfalls that poorly designed audio environments can bring.

In this episode of Work 20XX, we dive into the details, science, methods, and results of creating intentional soundscape designs that work in harmony with visual and other design elements to create better workplace experiences.

YouTube - Click Here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OqytQDMf80&list=PLZURvMqWbYjmmJlwGj0L0jWbWdCej1Jlt&index=1

Eposide page with transcript and show notes - Click Here
https://www.work20xx.com/episode/evan-benway-dynamic-sound-positive-well-being-work-20xx-ep30

Tony Jamous started Oyster in January 2020 to use the power of software to address the disequilibrium between the tens of millions of un-filled knowledge worker jobs in the West, with the Billion plus new knowledge workers coming on line in the next 10 years in the developing world.

Connecting the supply to demand, without making people leave their home countries. Making hiring global as easy as hiring local. Bringing amazing job opportunities to people around the world, while making it easy for employers and employees, regardless of their location in the world. A Professional Employment Organization (PEO) on a planetary scale, delivering hundreds of millions of dollars of direct investment to in the form of wages and taxes, to workers in over 180 countries around the world.

Please join me in welcoming Tony Jamous to Work 20XX

After a series of successful startups, including going public and acquisition, Tony found himself financially successful, but felt there was still something missing. Tony took a year to heal himself, to get better, to get healthier. He wanted to create a new organization, hyper diverse, and hyper distributed, using the latest technology to enable people to hire talent from anywhere in the world, and that talent to perform their jobs without having to leave their home communities and move..

Tony describes his leadership style as ‘Sustainable Leadership,’ a human-centric approach, taking care of self first, and your people, which results in a stronger organization, increased engagement, and 100% remote organization of about 600 people living in 70 countries.

In this episode, we dive into the opportunity, the logistics, and the management philosophy Tony is using to create a very unique culture to address one of the largest market miss matches of the next several decades. I am absolutely thrilled to share Tony’s story with you.

YouTube - Click Here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8eUlGJVCd4&list=PLZURvMqWbYjmmJlwGj0L0jWbWdCej1Jlt

Episode page with transcript and show notes - Click Here
https://www.work20xx.com/episode/tony-jamous-global-talent-sustainable-unreactive-work-20xx-ep29