Samantha Julka: Stick to the basics to bring employees back
Our true motivation is knowing we will see our colleagues.
Samantha Julka
Articles
In the Workplace: Make 2022 the year of ‘we’ and collaboration
As we begin 2022, it’s important for all of us to reexamine the definition of the word “collaboration.” Not only is it the action of working together to create something, but it also includes making yourself a resource to your collaborators—your co-workers.
Samantha Julka: Draw conclusions, predictions from the unsaid
To make the best predictions possible, one skill we need to hone is seeing the unsaid.
In the workplace: Data is a commodity, but insight is gold
If you are embarking on that journey and wisely trying to include stakeholders in the process, make sure to work with a researcher who knows how to help you use your data for years to come by highlighting the insights.
In the workplace: Before allowing flexible work, clearly define it
A hot topic right now is the notion of employers offering employees a flexible work environment. However, it leaves a lot of us wondering: Just what does a “flexible work environment” mean, and how does it help us to be our best?
In the workplace: Trust will be imperative in hybrid work models
Organizations and teams who are successfully working hybrid have individuals and managers who trust each other.
In the workplace: Productivity is more than individual’s work output
What became clear was that most people think about the concept of productivity at the individual level.
Samantha Julka: Call the registrar, we’ve got a new course
Middle managers who work at an organization where robust remote work policies were not in place prior to the pandemic are increasingly the go-between for individual contributors and executive leaders—even more than they were in the past.
Samantha Julka: Remote work worsens communication delays
When you send an email, how long does it take to get a response? It can be frustrating to sit around, waiting to hear back.
Samantha Julka: Hybrids—great for cars, not for offices
Where the hybrid model breaks down is in efficiency. Based on the data we’ve collected, it is proven that it takes a significantly higher amount of energy for organizations to collaborate and strategize, as well as be more innovative and creative, when working in a hybrid model.
Samantha Julka: Too remote or not too remote? That is the question
One of our many discoveries has been how a person’s at-home set up affects his or her overall satisfaction. The most satisfied people were those who had a dedicated office space within their home.
JULKA: Workers’ views on returning to office were surprising
When we mapped how people felt about returning to the office, I foolishly thought the youngest folks would be the most ready.
Samantha Julka: An ode to my colleagues, whom I miss so much
What I miss most is actually my people. My sweet, sweet colleagues. The lack of this serendipitous community has left the biggest impact on my body—a hole in my heart.
Samantha Julka: We can do better. Let’s be designerly.
Simple is smart. Making something simple for other people is actually much harder than making something complex.
Sam Julka: Consolidating office space can have an element of fun
Incorporating things like having a masseuse on call, bringing puppies into the workplace, or setting up a desk purge with a garage-sale-style twist aren’t just trendy or ways to appease stressed-out employees, they are essential to setting the tone for the entire process.
Samantha Julka: We have to hold our yoga class outside!
You can learn a lot about your organization by asking a few questions about what people might add to their space.
Samantha Julka: In office spaces, loud is the new quiet
Loud doesn’t always mean what we think it means, and it’s definitely not always the enemy.
Samantha Julka: Want real answers? Talk to people
I’m a formally trained researcher specializing in qualitative research. What that means, and how the job is different from other types of researchers, fills many a book. In the following few hundred words, I’m not going to bother talking about the nuances of researchers because, well, boring. Instead, I’m going to talk about an approach […]
Samantha Julka: In workplace design, we say ‘generation shmeneration’
We summed up the generational differences for a client when we stated: It’s not about the generation; it’s about the individual. When designing future offices spaces, our research team at DORIS would say the smart money is on understanding your unique workforce and providing opportunities for choice and variation in your office.