There's an old theory that life partners start to take on resemblances of each other over time, that even pets and owners start mimicking each other to show a resemblance. Is this also true in business? Will your people become a mirror image of your leadership style over time? Over my career, it has always fascinated me how organizations from the very large to the medium and the small take on the shape of their leadership. This applies as much to entire organizations as it does to individual teams, and through self-reflection and conscious leadership, we can all understand how our traits, behaviors, and our actions can impact the shape and personalities of our teams, and how they behave themselves. This isn’t an article about which is right and wrong because, at the end of the day, different circumstances may need different styles to get the job done. In some cases, the urgency to achieve is far greater than in others, and for example, the leadership actions on the field of battle may be very different from those needed to make long-term cultural changes in a long-standing institution such as a university by means of drawing a contrast. For several years in my career, I worked with schools and colleges, and it always fascinated me that over time I could get a sense of the quality of the school, its organization, and its educational standards from the moment I walked in the front door. Then, upon meeting the headmaster, usually, in their office, it seemed that this was like a window into the organizational soul of the school. My observations around the grounds, the approach, the signage, the greeting from the receptionist all helped me form a point of view. Whilst waiting, I would look around the varying degrees of displays in the reception area – It was like a snapshot of what was going on in the school, how curated it was (or otherwise), focus on the students, the teachers, or the parents, also gave me an indication of who really was in charge. Then in the headmaster’s office itself, the level of formality, or otherwise. The tidiness organized or disheveled, (and yes, I encountered plenty of the latter), all clues to the leadership style and influence of the leader before me. I also observed over time how with the interchange of leadership, also the personality of the entire school would change. Working with all sizes of businesses, I have encountered a similar experience. I recall working with a large, international iconic organization whose CEO was allocated their own table in the restaurant each day, set out with cutlery and his favorite daily newspaper, and how this multi-billion-dollar organization seemed somewhat reluctant to make sometimes even the smallest decision without their say so, his presence was felt if he was in the business or not. Similarly, a huge, high-tech manufacturer slowed down with one person making all the decisions. I have worked with family businesses and witnessed how very personal relationships can get in the way of important and sometimes critical decisions. With owner-managed businesses with 'bottleneck decision making' that actually can paralyze the organization. In the corporate world, I have seen all sorts of examples of leadership styles and the impacts that these can have on the people below and around them, and more importantly how those leadership styles not only impact culture but critically what behaviors they drive. Here are my musings on some of those styles I have witnessed told in the context of the animal world, which ones do you recognize? THE OWL We link the owl with wisdom and that may well be true, however, the Owl is also very purposeful, and that can often get in the way of progress. The Owl tends to be a more reclusive character, hierarchically conscious, and not the most sociable, or sometimes likable of leaders. The Owl's level of knowledge and wisdom wins confidence in the people around them and gets things done, right, but often more slowly than sometimes hoped for. THE GOAT The Goat looks at the world differently - they have goals to achieve, and they don’t care too much about what obstacles get in their way. Instead of working around them, they will often charge right through them, not too concerned about what impact it may have on others. Like many leadership styles, goats tend to stick with their own, in smaller groups, less about choice but the willingness of others to join them. THE PENGUIN Penguins are highly sociable animals, they like to be a part of the Colony, the Rookery, or the Waddle. The Penguin thrives from the social interaction but also the safety of being in the team as opposed to being in front of it. Consensus is the keyword for this leadership style, being brave, courageous, and decisive are not the traits to be expected of this team player who yearns for acceptance. THE ELEPHANT The Elephant has been around for a very long time and has a long memory. They’re part of the furnishings of the organization and carry weight and respect that is enduring – they’re in it for the long term. Steady and reliable and often highly influential, but they don’t encourage or accept change readily preferring old traditions over new-fangled ideas and ways of doing things. THE LION As in the animal kingdom, the Lion is King, at least during his reign. In the Pride, there is always a group of younger lions competing and challenging to one day become King, and that is what can drive the Lion to take decisive action to survive. He (or she) is a brave and courageous leader but often puts themselves first when it comes to survival. Whilst the Lion is head of the Pride, he is King but quickly declines when he is no longer. THE ANGRY BIRD Every organization or team has one. The Angry Bird has a sense of utmost urgency to get things done and an equal sense of frustration with others that don’t see the same level of urgency. Frustration can turn into anger, and in the short term may achieve the desired results often at a cost. Over time, they lose their audience, 'followship', and loyalty and create bottlenecks of decision making where no one wants to make decisions in the fear that it’s the wrong thing and facing the wrath of the Angry Bird. THE RHINOCEROS Similar to the Elephant in many ways, and to the Goat too, however, the Rhino is more purposeful than the former and more powerful than the latter - the Rhino can get through the most impassable obstacles, sometimes even on their own, clearing the way for the rest of the team to follow, which they often do. Although appreciated by the team, the Rhino is also a loner as a combination of their singular focus, and the team’s standoffish respect. THE SPIDER Nothing happens in the Spider's web of influence and control without them knowing about it. They make it their business to know everything that’s in their world, every tiny movement, the slightest change in air pressure. When they see something they don’t like, or which threatens them or appeals to their appetite, they take decisive and deliberate action. The Spider is the ultimate micro-manager, their team fears them and is afraid to put even a toenail out of place. I am sure there are many other analogies that can be drawn between leadership styles including the political and sly Cunning Fox, the busy body Beaver with their hand in everything, and of course the perfect but elusive Unicorn. Whichever singular characterization, how can you create the right balance of leadership that drives the desired reaction, culture, and behaviors that’s right for the aims and objectives for your business? Each one can drive loyalty, as “birds of a feather flock together” and over time create a herd effect but with negative traits that can magnetize and become destructive, but with positive traits can build the momentum that can create movements, seismic change, and big impact for you, your team, your customers, and stakeholders. Tony Johnson, Chief Customer Experience Officer at 4xi teaches some of these principles in his Ignite Your Service workshops and how specifically a CX culture both internally and externally can really impact overall cultural performance in a business. Georgina Miranda, 4xi’s Explorer in Residence coaches Conscious Leadership and helps leaders and organizations through cultural transformation aligned to businesses' long-term strategies and aspirations. 4xi’s proprietary methodology, TRUE NORTH© talks to the importance of deep self-reflection in all aspects of the business – strengths, weaknesses, comparison to the competition, and how to retain and win better business. The starting point should be self-reflection and how your leadership style shapes the culture and behaviors of the team around you, and therefore how your organization is perceived internally and by others. Would love to get your perspective on these musings and feedback on what leader you are today and what you want your people to be tomorrow. Simon Elliot is Managing Partner of 4xi Global Consulting & Solutions, is a Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development (CIPD), Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM), and a Fellow of the Institute of Directors (IoD). He is also passionate about the world of work experience and is Chair of the WORKTECH Academy for North America. Inspiring the future, together. 4xi Global Workplace Consulting & Solutions provides a range of services to support Corporations, Service Providers, Innovators, and Accelerators to navigate the world of work. Inspiring the future of work, together. 4xi is proud to be Chair of WORKTECH Academy for North America and a member of its Leadership Advisory Board. 4xi is a Global Ambassador for WORKTECH Academy. San Francisco | New York | Orlando | North Carolina | Santiago | London | Porto | Tokyo

Welcome to Skip the Line, a podcast from Mashgin that will look at the various ways technology impacts how people purchase from start to finish. Host Daniel Litwin spoke to two guests regarding workplace structures and amenities post-COVID. First is Prentiss Hall, President, and Co-founder of LifeWorks Restaurant Group, a provider of immersive culinary experiences for companies. Second is Barbara Boden, a Managing Partner at 4xi Global Consulting. Boden consults with businesses about the future of work. Prentiss spoke about how experiences through amenities are critical to a thriving workplace. With businesses now bringing people back on-site, a hybrid approach is expected. “People want to go back to the office, but not every day. The delivery of experience will be different, and innovation and creativity will be important,” said Hall. “Working from home was easier in some ways, so companies need to create places that make employees want to come to work,” Boden said. “We were never good at work-life balance, and there was a lot of stress just getting to work before. Now, we have to look at work-life integration, and technology will play a big role,” Prentiss added. Regarding amenities, both guests agree that they have to be functional, experiential, and technology-backed, with the biggest amenity being food. “Food is the glue and gives people the right to take a break, but it has to be accessible with mobile and contactless options,” Boden explained. Prentiss talked about the changes to food amenities, as well, noting that sending food to employees at home is one way to keep them connected. Boden remarked that companies need to make shifts because the “War for talent will come back.” “Companies that listen to employees and get it right will win. That means making life easier in their actual workspace and amenities offered.” Listen to the podcast HERE Inspiring the future, together. 4xi Global Workplace Consulting & Solutions provides a range of services to support Corporations, Service Providers, Innovators, and Accelerators to navigate the world of work. Inspiring the future of work, together. 4xi is proud to be Chair of WORKTECH Academy for North America and a member of its Leadership Advisory Board. 4xi is a Global Ambassador for WORKTECH Academy. San Francisco | New York | Orlando | North Carolina | Santiago | London | Porto | Tokyo

Effectively managing geographically dispersed locations and delivering high value to clients and customers means you need to know what’s going right (…and what’s not), before it costs you business. But with so many locations and such little time, how do you see what’s really happening at each site and make sense of it all? MyFieldAudits’ mission is to give operators clear visibility into their onsite businesses while delivering the “Need-to-know” to make informed, impactful decisions. To do this, we’ve developed a powerful suite of robust tools that engage onsite teams, leadership and clients to provide a real-time window into the soul of your business. Simple, clear dashboards and benchmarking reports help you and your clients know exactly where each facility stands. Whether it’s brand compliance, safety and training or real-estate and facility management MyFieldAudits makes it easy for your entire team to own quality and ensure it’s delivered. A better way to manage… At 4xi, and through our Explorers Innovation Directory, we we are committed to curating a portfolio of innovations, technologies, products, and services that advance our clients and partners operations, and ultimately the ability to drive the best possible client and consumer experiences. MyFieldAudits is a tool that allows operators of dispersed locations to see more than ever before and gain real time insights into business and visibility at all levels of your operations and organization. To learn more about MyFieldAudits contact us today and we can set up an introductory exploration and you can learn why we believe this can add significant value - whether you're in food service, retail, remote site operations, or just want to gain real visibility into your operations today. Either DOWNLOAD an introduction to MyFieldAudits or contact us today to learn more: Hello@4xiconsulting.com Inspiring the future, together. 4xi Global Workplace Consulting & Solutions provides a range of services to support Corporations, Service Providers, Innovators, and Accelerators to navigate the world of work. Inspiring the future of work, together. 4xi is proud to be Chair of WORKTECH Academy for North America and a member of its Leadership Advisory Board. 4xi is a Global Ambassador for WORKTECH Academy. San Francisco | New York | Orlando | North Carolina | Santiago | London | Porto | Tokyo

COVID-19 has fundamentally changed our lives, the world economy, the world of work, and commercial real estate is no exception. How do you build consumer confidence for re-entry to the physical space is the dilemma on many business leaders right now. For the past year or so, every business essentially ran a forced experiment on working remotely. As we slowly emerge from the pandemic, topics like hybrid work policies and flex spaces are reshaping how we think about the workplace. While the “future workplace” and how to manage it is still being defined, the vital role of how technology can play a part in providing this confidence is in the spotlight now, more than ever before. Consumer confidence upon re-entry and beyond will be a critical factor. How safe the buildings, the environment, and the people around them are will be key pieces of information, as will the knowledge and proof points that the buildings are clean, sanitary, and safe. These factors are critical as business leaders and property owner reopen across the world. A recent webinar by JLL Technologies on the impact of COVID on Facilities Management showed that in many cases, the spend increase for cleaning facilities is more than 50 percent. A similar observation was made by other market leaders in the facility management space. The industry is looking to new technological innovations for achieving data-driven, just-in-time cleaning and maintenance that can help mitigate these increasing costs, and make buildings safer for the occupants. In a post-COVID world, many aspects of the traditional, fixed schedule-based cleaning processes will not be scalable. In fact, that is the core of the problem leading to the cost increase. Facilities will need data driven processes to tackle a multitude of new challenges, including: 1. High touch, high usage areas will need more frequent and deeper cleaning, making it critical to understand usage patterns within the building and how they change over time. 2. Cleaning crews previously trained to maintain a clean and fresh appearance for the facility while remaining “invisible” now need to do the exact opposite. Cleaning now must become extremely visible to building occupants, so that they feel reassured, comfortable, and safe. 3. Building occupants will start playing a key role in the cleaning and disinfection process. Cleaning processes and schedules, previously the purview of the facility maintenance company alone, will have a much broader scope, and visibility to consumers. 4. Due to increased need for deep cleaning in common areas like conference rooms, it is important to optimize the cleaning resources by using data-driven cleaning to keep the expenses in check. These are fundamental changes to the cleaning process in a post-COVID world, and they show how imperative open technology platforms with distributed, actionable recommendations will be to successfully execute these changes. Zan Compute is one such innovator, leading the way with IoT harvested data in various verticals including airports, commercial office spaces, campuses, health care facilities, and stadiums. Given the diverse nature of cleaning requirements, most facilities employ a variety of point solutions to meet their needs. This, however, increases the risk of data silos which limit the potential of a data-driven cleaning process. “In order to truly move into a data-driven future, facilities will need open platforms that facilitate information flow across systems, and AI to aggregate and analyze the data for actionable recommendations.” Zan Compute has structured their platform with a construct based on value creation – the 3 C’s: Create, Curate, and Circulate: CREATE the source data on how a facility is being used. This can include a nearly infinite range of data points about a building, including: - Digital records of tasks performed by the cleaning crew. - Washroom sensors to monitor resource usage. - Expected facility traffic information (classes, flights, events etc.). - Sensors, for privacy-focused tracking, space occupancy, usage patterns. CURATE the data to extract insights and recommendations. Zan Compute has machine learning algorithms that can fuse all the various data sources across a building to provide both just-in-time and longitudinal recommendations. For example: - Knowing when there ad-hoc incidents requiring immediate attention. - Where to invest in more frequent cleaning based on usage patterns. - Leveraging data and Artificial Intelligence that drive efficiency. - Drive better service, and deliver significant savings simultaneously. CIRCULATE recommendations to the right people, in the right places, at the right time. Getting the data in to the hands of decision-makers and service workers at the right time is a critical step to enable quick action and is ultimately crucial to understanding the realization of the value from the AI recommendations through the use of: - Readily accessible dashboards for rapid access to data, and action. - Tailored data views for different stakeholders in the organization. - Straight to the actionable data without sifting through silos. - Information and insights that is immediately translatable to action. Zan Compute has shown savings of up to 30 percent in resource utilization and over 50 percent reduction in material wastage. In fact, their solution typically has an ROI of less than one year. "In response to the new requirements in a COVID-19 environment, Zan launched their 4th C: Cleansparency (Cleaning Transparency)." For the first time Cleansparency closes the loop between building occupants and the cleaning crew. It not only allows the building occupants to provide feedback, but also captures detailed records of cleaning tasks performed in any given area and provides that information directly to building occupants. This two-way information flow is critical in the post COVID-19 world. COVID-19 has undeniably affected every aspect of our personal and professional lives. Its has somehow stress tested the issues that existed before and accentuated them. It has forced us to think about even mundane, day-to-day things differently. The cleanliness and sanitary condition of the buildings we enter is no exception. The past year or so has forces building owners, corporate real estate, and operators to track and act on these accentuated requirements in a more data-driven manner, thus accelerating the digital transformation in front of us today. Technology providers architecting this transformation must consider the need for open systems to share data, data analysis and AI, and how their solution can coexist within a technology ecosystem to provide value that is more than the sum of its parts. Such an ecosystem will not only allow for the ability to tackle the current challenges, but also provides a better tool chain to tackle future challenges, pandemics or otherwise. How are you planning to building consumer confidence for re-entry to the physical space? Please visit our Explorers Innovation Directory to learn more about Zan Compute and their facility maintenance platform or contact us at hello@4xiconsulting.com to set up an introductory call or demo. Inspiring the future, together. 4xi Global Workplace Consulting & Solutions provides a range of services to support Corporations, Service Providers, Innovators, and Accelerators to navigate the world of work. Inspiring the future of work, together. 4xi is proud to be Chair of WORKTECH Academy for North America and a member of its Leadership Advisory Board. 4xi is a Global Ambassador for WORKTECH Academy. San Francisco | New York | Orlando | North Carolina | Santiago | London | Porto | Tokyo

Unleashing the untapped power in women. We are good for the world! 4xi is proud to partner with She Ventures and this years She Ventures Summit - a global virtual gathering of visionaries, entrepreneurs, business leaders, and change-makers shaping the future of tomorrow - where women thrive everyday. Join us on Tuesday April 20th from 9.00 am to1:15 PM PST. We believe EVERYDAY is an opportunity to work towards a more equal world and one where women and girls thrive. Today and Every Day! Hear from incredible speakers from Ellevest, 1% for the Planet, MOBOT, Six Senses Hotels Resorts & Spas, 4xi Global Consulting, and many more to be announced shortly. The event is Free to Register and I hope to see you there! Tag someone you want to invite. REGISTER HERE NOW Join us for a global gathering of visionaries, entrepreneurs, business leaders, and change-makers shaping the future of tomorrow. Meet our Hosts: Georgina Miranda, Event Host Georgina is CEO of She Ventures and Explorer in Residence at 4xi Global Consulting & Solutions. She is a mountaineer athlete, a speaker, an author, and an activist. Barbara Boden, Event Host Barbara is Managing Partner & Co-founder at 4xi Global Consulting & Solutions. Formerly she led the global amenities program at JP Morgan Chase & Co. And our speakers: Emily Warne is the Director of the US Office of Panzi Hospital and Foundations (Panzi), a non-governmental organization that provides survivors of sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo with access to compassionate, holistic care. Marisela García Márquez Founder of Global Women in Venture Initiative, building a global pipeline for women in venture capital to increase the representation of women leading investment firms. Lani Cooper Founder. Wellness Practitioner. Brain Injury Survivor. Australian businesswoman, stand up comedian, and purpose driven entrepreneur, Lani is the Founder and CEO at MOBOT, a revolutionary fitness company, the first to patent the combined foam roller and a reusable, environmentally sustainable water bottle. Tianna Collins Founder. Yogini. Photographer. Artist. Community Builder. Founder of CARDYoga - a practice for everyone. Living in the moment and taking the time for self care is important for the mind, body and soul. Kate Williams is CEO of 1% for the Planet, a global movement that inspires action and commitment so that our planet and future generations thrive. 1% for the Planet’s global network of thousands of businesses and individuals have given $100s of millions to environmental partners to date. Marianna Jamadi is a Founder, Travel Photographer, and Host. Marianna is the founder of Oh Good Grief– an online platform aimed at changing the conversation around grief. After the loss of both her parents, she launched Oh Good Grief in 2020 in hopes of creating community and healing for those on their personal grief journeys. Brandi DiCarli Social entrepreneur, Explorer’s Club 50 Member, Tedx Speaker. Founding Partner of Farm from a Box, a cleantech powered infrastructure for community-based local food production. Check out full list of speakers and their profiles HERE. Thank you for joining us for our She Ventures Summit! We are thrilled to share knowledge and wisdom with our global community. The world thrives when ALL women thrive. The potential of our power and impact is infinite. We look forward to seeing you there! Why Join? Hear from today's rising leaders driving meaningful change around the world. Learn best practices in your own journey as a leader, entrepreneur, and change-maker. Get inspired as we dive into why investing in women and our planet are essential to our future. Be a part of shaping a better future that is more equitable and sustainable for the greater collective. We live in a world where the pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on women. In the US alone, over 2.2 million women have left the workforce. Violence against women and girls, particularly domestic violence, has intensified across the world as a result. Although both women and men in healthcare have been exposed to the virus, women have been potentially more at risk of infection because they make up the majority (76 %) of healthcare workers in the EU alone. “Employment for women may not recover to pre-pandemic levels until 2024—two full years after a recovery for men.” - Fortune Empowering women and girls is central to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals, which includes the protection of our planet. Summit Agenda: LIVE Virtual Event 20th April 2021 9.00 AM- 1.15 PM PST Summit Agenda Welcome Being the CEO of Your Life Ultimate Resilience: Founders and Wellbeing VC Roundtable: Investing in Women Matters Women of Impact: UN Sustainable Development Goals and B-Corps Abundance: Financial Wisdom + Wellbeing in a Changing World Health is Wealth: Shifting a Paradigm 4xi Global Consulting & Solutions Inspiring the future, together. 4xi Global Workplace Consulting & Solutions provides a range of services to support Corporations, Service Providers, Innovators, and Accelerators to navigate the world of work. Inspiring the future of work, together. 4xi is proud to be Chair of WORKTECH Academy for North America and a member of its Leadership Advisory Board. 4xi is a Global Ambassador for WORKTECH Academy. San Francisco | New York | Orlando | North Carolina | Santiago | London | Porto | Tokyo

Raphael House is celebrating 50 years of family-centered solutions to homelessness due to economic hardship! Their mission to support families on their journey towards achieving long-term housing and financial stability means a lot to me. Please join me in making a donation to ensure their critical services can continue for decades to come. Inspiring families. Illuminating hope. Since 1971, Raphael House has been at the forefront of providing homeless and low-income families in the San Francisco Bay Area personalized family-centered solutions to build brighter, independent futures. Raphael House is a 100% community-supported organization. Their success rate is unmatched: more than 85% of all Raphael House families go on to achieve long-term stable housing and financial independence. I am so honored and delighted to support this very worthy cause and I hope you will join me in supporting Raphael House. I first got involved a number of years ago when I was on the Board of the British American Business Council and again as community lead with Aramark. I was truly inspired by the work they do around #inspiringfamilies and #illuminatinghope for families who find themselves homeless due to economic hardship. For their 50th Anniversary, I am hoping to raise $5,000 and I hope that you can help me- from as little as $1 to whatever you can afford. Please visit my Just Giving Page and donate whatever you can - every $ counts and makes such a difference to the families and the children. I do hope that you can help in any small way and I thank you in advance of your support. 4xi Global Consulting & Solutions Inspiring the future, together. 4xi Global Workplace Consulting & Solutions provides a range of services to support Corporations, Service Providers, Innovators, and Accelerators to navigate the world of work. Inspiring the future of work, together. 4xi is proud to be Chair of WORKTECH Academy for North America and a member of its Leadership Advisory Board. 4xi is a Global Ambassador for WORKTECH Academy. San Francisco | New York | Orlando | North Carolina | Santiago | London | Porto | Tokyo

Barbara Boden, Managing Partner and co-founder of 4xi Global Consulting & Solutions shares some of her insights on how workplace design can shape the future of collaboration in the future of work. In this latest 4xi Podcast, Barbara shares some of her insights and experiences from her 18 year career as global leader for employee amenities at JP Morgan Chase & Co, and previously with Aramark - leadership, future of workplace, operations, amenity design, and work experience. Boden talks about her experience of building programs and amenities that drive engagement, collaboration, community, and ultimately delivers a great employee experience. How there is going to be a greater focus in the future on health, safety, and employee confidence as people re-enter the physical workplace. "Food is the heart of all amenities, it is where people gather and at work in particular it's a place where people feel its acceptable to take a break, socialize, connect, and collaborate." Turning spaces into places where people choose to be is the key as employers consider how to "magnetize" the workplace of the future. Johnson highlights the importance of not making assumptions on what people want but utilizing tools like Rungway to understand what people really think, and ART Health Solutions that provides data backed by science that provides the insights to design an employee experience that resonates, and succeeds in achieving the corporations ability to thrive and achieve long term strategic imperatives. Boden predicts how the "War for Talent" will come back in a big way and how this moment in time represents an opportunity for organizations to design and re-set in how they think about the design of not just the work experience in the physical space but wherever that may be into the future. "Companies that have the best engagement have 21% better profitability, 40% lift in productivity when employees are truly engaged." In the Quick Fire Round, Barbara reveals her favorite hobby, her favorite brand, and her favorite food. Listen to the Podcast with Barbara Boden, hosted by Customer Experience Leader Tony Johnson, HERE Barbara Boden is Co-founder and Managing Partner of 4xi Global Consulting. Barbara assists companies with workplace solutions focusing on Amenity Design Strategy, Employee and Client Experience and Operational Improvements. 4XI bridges the gap between the architect, kitchen consultants, and operators to ensure the clients workplaces are designed and reimagined from the start. Inspiring the future of work, together. 4xi Global Workplace Consulting & Solutions provides a range of services to support Corporations, Service Providers, Innovators, and Accelerators to navigate the world of work. Inspiring the future of work, together. 4xi is proud to be Chair of WORKTECH Academy for North America and a member of its Leadership Advisory Board. 4xi is a Global Ambassador for WORKTECH Academy. San Francisco | New York | Orlando | North Carolina | Santiago | London | Porto | Tokyo

4xi Innovation Partner, Rungway talks about their most recent report and insights into how employees are really feeling during lockdown and as we contemplate the re-entry to the physical workplace. In the post-COVID, fragmented working environment and at a time of heightened diversity sensitivity, organizations need new ways to understand and engage with their employees. Empowering people to speak up, raise sensitive topics and share their diverse perspectives creates a psychologically safe organizational culture, a prerequisite for business success and a requirement for many regulated companies. According to new data from 4xi's partner Rungway, colleagues of color receive 53% more answers when asking questions anonymously, rather than revealing their name or photo. This fact should make us all reflect on the culture work leaders and businesses need to do this year. How do you ensure these voices are being heard and included? In a time where leaders can no longer “walk the corridors'' as they once could, how do you know what people are really thinking or feeling, and whether they are bringing their whole-selves to work? Organizations have to be more agile than ever before. As organizations transition into the “next normal”, there is an opportunity for inclusive practices to be embedded into every layer of new processes and designs. Greater demands will be placed on the capabilities of organizations, and leadership in particular, to listen harder to what employees want to tell them. This is where a platform like Rungway comes in. Rungway empowers employees to get advice, ask questions, raise issues, and voice their opinions without fear of judgment or negative consequences. Through the option of anonymity, colleagues can safely reach management, peers and specialists to get help when they need it and harness the wisdom of the entire organization. Thanks to this ongoing and unbiased communication between employees, middle management and leadership, Rungway surfaces powerful Inclusion and Diversity themes and career development or well-being issues - all of which are critical drivers of employee motivation and productivity. The platform is safe for management too - sensitive questions are discreetly routed to nominated escalation contacts or subject matter experts to provide the opportunity of a qualified first response. Alerts can also be set for particular topics of interest and focus areas to ensure management can have as big an impact with their time as possible. Through Rungway, management gets access to employee-led, authentic exchanges and earlier sight of issues and hotspots. Want to know what your employees are really thinking and feeling? Get in touch with us to find out more and get a copy of Rungway’s report: Hello@4xiconsulting.com Do you have an innovation, a technology, a product, or service that impacts the world of work? Come talk to us and explore how you can join 4xi's Innovation Directory and access our eco-system and progress in the world of work. Inspiring the future of work, together. 4xi Global Workplace Consulting & Solutions provides a range of services to support Corporations, Service Providers, Innovators, and Accelerators to navigate the world of work. Inspiring the future of work, together. 4xi is proud to be Chair of WORKTECH Academy for North America and a member of its Leadership Advisory Board. 4xi is a Global Ambassador for WORKTECH Academy. San Francisco | New York | Orlando | North Carolina | Santiago | London | Porto | Tokyo

Vaccine roll-out is gaining traction, the world is hopeful, and people are starting to dream about, and even plan, their next adventure. This is exciting news given we just past the one-year mark since total lockdown, although it seems longer. Having a light at the end of the tunnel is exciting and optimism is finally returning to many of us! So, what about work? Are you going back? Are you working from home? Will you be doing a little of both? And if you do go back, what will the office look like and will it be fit for purpose given the world has changed? What type of technology do we need? These are the questions being asked and companies are trying to focus on the answers. Whether it is a full return, hybrid approach, or work from home, the experience will be different. A new type of workplace has emerged. What does it look like? Health and Safety is top of mind, especially at the beginning of the return, and you will see this engrained in every culture, for the employee and companies. There are those that are implementing barriers and other social distancing practices, but is this the right way to move forward? We are seeing a wide range of approaches including back to work at close to “normal levels”, a heavy wellbeing focus, and tech enabled shifts into the future, or a combination of all of the above. In the US, we expect that we will hit herd immunity later this year and we may not be in a place where everyone must wear a mask all the time. Should we then be thinking of the longer-term plan and looking at our workplace accordingly? We have proven that heads down work can be done at home and arguably with more focus. But we are truly missing the casual conversations and water cooler meet ups that spark meaningful ideas and innovation. These cannot be scheduled all the time and businesses need to create these opportunities to thrive. This is not about planning for work groups to come back on the same day and at the same time, although that can be useful, but rather creating places that encourage casual collisions and collaboration among many. Companies were already working on this approach pre-pandemic and now the practice will be accelerated as planning moves to the next phase. How do we bring people together? The main glue is food and beverage, of course! This is the one area that drives all employees to a space and gives them accepted time to meet, collaborate and bump into others. This can be in the coffee shop, the employee restaurant, the meeting space, or even the pantry. The key is to give each amenity area purpose that includes the right seating, a menu that employees enjoy, a cool factor that rivals what they can get outside, at a price that makes sense. Allocating more space, in the right location will be key to give employees a reason to want to come to the office and the opportunity to build meaningful connections – a term we call, “magnetizing the workplace experience”. There are other areas that have emerged and should be considered in any amenity design for the new workplace. Health and wellness spaces include a relaxion and mindful focus as well as exercise. This does not have to be a typical “gym” but can be a place that has exercise options that are independent, or group focused. Quiet spaces for reflection and peace. Meeting and in person training spaces built with the latest technology and flexibility. Making everything easy and accessible for your employees will drive their productivity and engagement. Imagine if childcare and retail can be incorporated into the building design? What about meditation, yoga, or fun zones? This is the reimagined future workplace. "With less people coming in daily it makes sense to repurpose space to create community and function that can act as a draw for people to want to come, turning spaces into places where people choose to be. In this new workplace technology and new apps are very important." Making life easier and safer is key and all this needs to be threaded and simplified. Having a workplace app that connects the dots and allows you to think about your end-to-end experience will be the differentiator. Looking at it in a similar way to high-end resort management, where your every need has been anticipated, considered, and planned for in the overall experience. In the workplace, this includes your desk reservation, transportation, parking, building entry and warm welcome, food and beverage ordering, meeting room reservations, health club and spa treatments, your afternoon coffee and picking up a few necessities before departing. Sounds simple? Maybe, but planning for the full experience, design functionality and the operations takes innovation and openness to change. Are you ready? Barbara Boden is Co-Owner and Managing Partner of 4xi Global Consulting. Barbara assists companies with workplace solutions focusing on Amenity Design Strategy, Employee and Client Experience and Operational Improvements.4XI bridges the gap between the architect, kitchen consultants, and operators to ensure the clients workplaces are designed or reimagined from the start. Download an Introduction to Hospitality=Experience HERE, or Email Barbara directly: barbaraboden@4xiconsulting.com Inspiring the future, together. 4xi Global Workplace Consulting & Solutions provides a range of services to support Corporations, Service Providers, Innovators, and Accelerators to navigate the world of work. Inspiring the future of work, together. 4xi is proud to be Chair of WORKTECH Academy for North America and a member of its Leadership Advisory Board. 4xi is a Global Ambassador for WORKTECH Academy. San Francisco | New York | Orlando | North Carolina | Santiago | London | Porto | Tokyo

Operating dispersed locations, consistently and with the highest standards, is one of the hardest areas of management to properly facilitate. From a distance how do I know my operations are following the trained processes and procedures? Are they fulfilling brand standards, exceeding customer expectations, and operating efficiently? So many of us hire an army of auditors, mystery shoppers, or rely on the District Manager to visit way too many sites, setting them and the company up for failure. MyFieldAudits recognized this business problem and as such built their groundbreaking platform allowing businesses to see what is happening at every location, regardless of the size of the portfolio, or how far apart they are located. How do they do it? Through a customizable set of protocols that facilitates the collection of data from the front line in every area of the business. All tailored to your precise operational goals, and brand requirements. Opening routines, team huddles, daily best practices, sharing of visual examples of standards of operation, key performance data - all rolled up in real time to give the executive leadership visibility, to every location across the country or the globe. Further promoting their mission of visibility, MyFieldAudits has developed a Remote Inspection tool that has changed the way their clients do site visits - through the pandemic and beyond. The tool gives leadership and subject matter experts a seamless, structured way to tour facilities remotely while providing critical guidance and coaching to onsite teams. While many attempted similar processes by pulling together multiple software applications, the simplicity and ease of MyFieldAudits is set to revolutionize the way multi-site operators do business. As the present (and future) landscape demands greater oversight from more limited teams, the tool has proved an invaluable window into what’s really driving business. “This heightened level of visibility allows insights across the portfolio, the DM can reduce their site visitation, reduce travel cost and improve standards, control, and operational outcomes. Organizations can create a top to front line visibility in real time enabling them to make quick decisions and drive a positive culture of success.” The solution utilizes the experience across a wide range of clients, tried and tested functionality, audits and reports, but at the same time accommodates customization so the solution fits your own operations. Imagine a window into your business, no matter where your operations are located: Dashboards that provide critical compliance data, performance metrics, customer satisfaction and a leaderboard that you can course correct or celebrate while continuing to build your brands success. Whether in food service, the restaurant business, retail, or any dispersed customer centric business operation, MyFieldAudits can help you better manage your operations performance with less time and expense. We can set up a demo of MyFieldAudits so you can begin operating your business from real time information and allow you to continually improve and transform your business operations. Accessing the window to your businesses, in real time, and with full visibility has long been the nirvana for many business leaders - contact us now to learn more about how MyFieldAudits is revolutionizing the possibilities of managing dispersed operations today. Contact us to learn more: hello@4xiconsulting.com Let’s stay in touch, keep on sharing, helping and progressing and inspiring the future, together. 4xi Global Workplace Consulting & Solutions provides a range of services to support Corporations, Service Providers, Innovators, and Accelerators to ultimately impact the consumer and employee experience. 4xi is proud to be Chair of WORKTECH Academy for North America and a member of its Leadership Advisory Board. 4xi is a Global Ambassador for WORKTECH Academy. Inspiring the future, together. San Francisco | New York | Orlando | North Carolina | Santiago | London | Porto | Tokyo

We talked to some of the most progressive leaders in the world of onsite food service and in the facilities management sector to get their insights into what is next as we navigate our way through the pandemic and towards the new normal. Uncertainty remains the status quo; however, these leaders and their organizations, their insights, and experience are forging ahead to address and drive the future, whatever that might look like. The global pandemic has brought to the forefront underling issues that already existed, it has accentuated them, magnified them, and in some cases accelerated them. Elsewhere, prior to the pandemic, bricks and mortar retail had long been under pressure. Restaurants with historically the highest failure rate of any industry with wafer thin margins with the slightest misfire threatening its survival. And now during a global pandemic, airlines, and hotels, both heavily reliant on the business traveler as their bread and butter are struggling. Whole regions, cities, even countries counting on tourism are missing those much-needed revenues. Like with any adversity, there are winners and losers, and some organizations have sustained and, in some cases, thrived. Apple continue to sell their devices and services. Grocery stores have replaced some of the out-of-home spend. Amazon has grown with more home deliveries than ever before. And, according to many reports, including CBS, plastic surgery has seen a boom of more than 60% during the pandemic apparently due in part to the “Zoom Effect”! There may be still many uncertainties, and never has the saying been so true as it is today: “Change is the only constant in life.” - Heraclitus Heraclitus was a Greek philosopher who lived over 500 years BC and his words resonate as much today as they have done for the past 2,500 years. It is recognizing this, embracing, and adapting to change which will characterize those who survive and thrive beyond 2021. Just like the famous Marine Corps mantra, we must adapt, improvise, and overcome. We talked to some of the most progressive, and forward-thinking leaders on what is coming around the corner in the world of on-site services across People, Place, Culture, Design, and Innovation: Notwithstanding the 100+ million Coronavirus cases, nearly 2.5 million deaths worldwide so far, the global pandemic has resulted in the disruption of the lives of billions, with furlough’s, layoffs, and unemployment for many millions. COVID-19 has had a huge impact and immeasurable hardship on many levels for people all around the world. Pritchard Industries is on the front line of not only making buildings safer and cleaner for re-occupancy, but also and critically, providing confidence for those returning to the physical space whether in schools, hospitals, public places, or back to work. Jay Leyden, Pritchard’s President and Chief Executive, shared his thoughts: “COVID-19 has hit our nation and the world in ways we never could have imagined. The pandemic has shed light on a very important shift in building cleaning - where it once was more focused on aesthetics, cleaning now means delivering safety and peace of mind for all stakeholders. All organizations need a comprehensive plan to protect building owners and all occupants." Leyden goes on to highlight the importance of focusing on 3 key areas: 1.) Delivering solutions that create peace of mind for their people 2.) Refining post-COVID processes to enhance healthy outcomes, and 3.) Innovative new solutions that drive health and safety. All good advice for those looking to the future as folks start to trickle back to the office. Hospitality, tourism, restaurants, and food service have been hit hard with many venues closed, less people travelling, dining out, or going to stadiums, schools, or to work – but beyond the human pain and suffering and economic hardship, what are organizations doing to manage the morale, health, wellness, and well-being of both existing and former employees? Rungway is an employee experience app that helps organizations to understand what their people really think. In contrast to top-down surveys, Rungway surfaces employee led thoughts and concerns. This has always been important but never more so than during these unprecedented times. With more people working from home than ever before, how do you really understand what they need and how they are feeling for you to help them address the diverse issues most important to them? Without these interventions, you risk a drop in morale, motivation, and productivity. “Companies are utilizing their Rungway data to shape their return-to-office and hybrid workplace planning. Very few organizations expect to return to their pre-pandemic ways of working and this poses some major challenges. How do you prevent cultural fraying over time? Are your benefits and policies fit for purpose anymore? How will new joiners and junior colleagues learn? How can you be sure your managers are leading inclusively in a fragmented environment at a time when DEI has heightened importance?” Paul Smith, Chief Strategy Officer at ART Health Solutions describes how their scientific approach to employee health helps organizations understand the real and tangible impact on human health, and as importantly how these insights can better inform strategy for future work experience design, “Our data clearly demonstrates how employee wellbeing and performance is effected by multiple factors, both within and outside of the workplace, that organizations must do more to positively impact on a long-term basis. Future work strategies need to consider the specific wellbeing needs of different employees’ types to develop an effective approach that allows employees to feel and perform at their best more often, no matter where they are located.” Smith goes on to point out that such a strategy must be underpinned by objective data that provides an accurate assessment of the current landscape, informs future direction & decision making and can be used to measure how effective such changes have been. An example of an organization thinking about the consumer, the employee, is LifeWorks Restaurant Group, a division of global giant Aramark. LifeWorks is focused on providing hospitality experiences in the workplace and they have come up with a unique and fun way to engage with employees no matter where they are. MunchMail is a neat solution that allows employers, managers, colleagues to send “home comforts”, delicacies, your favorite tea, coffee, snack items right to your front door – making them feel more connected and to put a smile on their faces. Another food service provider, Epicurean Group based in San Francisco and the Bay Area is busy making sense of the post COVID world. Mary Clark-Bartlett is the CEO and founder of the independent boutique food service company. “COVID has definitely changed the way we look at the future of the food experience. We transformed traditional cafes to a new and exciting service offering including online pre-order, pre-pay system that not only drives a better consumer experience but removes friction and allows our customers a heightened level of hygiene and safety, and convenience too.” Epicurean, a business founded on fresh, local, honest food and experiences two decades ago has now added their Safety Pledge on the list of their proud achievements to date and reassurances to their clients and consumers – the Safety Pledge, a commitment from all Epicurean team members and their focus to the highest possible levels of safety and service. Clark-Bartlett goes on to say, “The pandemic has changed the future of work and that work from home is here to stay in some capacity, but we also know our clients, and we think they will eventually be back in their offices and cafes. There is something special about being together and sharing delicious food and ideas. And that is something we are all currently missing from our lives. A sense of belonging, spontaneity, and ability to connect over a healthy and tasty meal while discovering new solutions and ideas.” It’s not just the delicious food and company that we’re missing right now, the current times are leading to issues such as concerns around mental health and wellbeing, corporate loneliness, isolation, and in some cases, despair is rising to the top of employers concerns and traversing high up the list of priorities. It’s not just about those employees that remain either, but what about the leaders who have had the responsibility to lay-off sometimes long-standing colleagues, associates, and friends, how do you look after them too? And what about those who are no longer with you, does your responsibility end when you cut them loose, how do colleagues support those who have lost their jobs? There has never been a better time for conscious leadership and giving back to our people and communities. There has been a great rise in community support for the restaurant business for example, where people have emotional connections and want to help and support in any way that they can. There have been several initiatives launched during these times based around supporting communities, and as once uttered from a CEO talking about a particularly large and ambitious project, “We may not be able to solve world hunger tomorrow but what we can do is give the person next door a sandwich and if we can all do that every day then it goes a long way to solving the problem.” Doing Good Team is taking that same approach and assembling a team of like-minded folks to help those impacted through job loss or economic hardship, one person at a time. That might be help with someone’s resume, clothing, or travel for an interview, leveraging connections to make introductions to opportunities, or making connections within our own organizations or outside to secure long-term employment. The idea is to grow the network so the many can help the few who need it the most. Over the past 12 months, for the most part, we have proven that the actual work itself can be done from almost anywhere. Transcending from the co-working hubs and coffee shops to the home office (if you are lucky), the kitchen table, or the spare bedroom. Although an element of fatigue has set in, there will need to be a significant lure to tempt, especially knowledge workers, back to the physical workplace post pandemic, 5 days a week. According to research by the University College London, it takes just 66 days to form new habits, we have been in this for a year already, so it’s safe to say, for at least some, habits have changed, and in some cases, changed for good. But have they changed for the better? Some would say that is so. With self-health certification, temperature checks, even permits to enter the physical spaces of the future, whatever that might look like, the concern over safety will be an important first step to winning the confidence of the consumers of space – whether in education, in care, at leisure, or at work. The basic precautions such as mask wearing, social distancing, self-awareness of your symptoms and of others may be here to stay for some time but beyond these, how do we attract people back to the physical space? “The physical workplace of the future will need to be somewhere where people choose to be and not have to be. Real estate leaders will need to make investments in the experience from the point of leaving home, arrival, occupancy and back home again.” A hospitality mindset for the future work experience will be the one that succeeds in this regard – likely smaller footprints, higher levels of emotional connection to the company culture, a heightened level of hospitality from the commute, arrival, reception, the amenities available, food, beverage, the space, the people, the entire experience. Contemplating the return of the physical space, George Collado, Founder and CEO of MyFieldAudits, an app that brings visibility to dispersed operations shared, “A wider adoption of the Flextime concept coupled with clear communication of expectations can be a powerful incentive for employees going forward. Employers who can create a framework where productivity not hours worked is recognized and rewarded, will win. Highest productivity gets the most flexibility.” This concept, like many, certainly is nothing new, but the world has changed like never before, and the conditions are riper now to challenge the norms and resistance of the past to explore and adopt new ways of working. Collado goes on to say, “In our rush to woo employees back to the office, let’s not forget a major motivator for high performing individuals; being challenged and recognized amongst their peers! And this will be hard to duplicate for employees working from home. I believe high performers will be some of the first to return to the office.” According to some, the future of the workplace will be a higher investment per capita, to fewer occupants, but a far superior experience. 4xi likens this vision of the future to that of an executive lounge of an airport, or a lobby of a 5-star hotel, even resort management and all that comes with that end-to-end experience. Claudia Scotty Baker, Founder of global consulting firm, Envision Strategies specializing in Higher Education and Business & Industry and advising on some of the most preeminent and high-profile projects globally shared, “One thing I think will change is employee expectations for the size and spaciousness of their workspace given that social distancing is now part of the culture. I doubt too many people will be enthusiastic about returning to the “cube” model where they are crammed in like sardines. I think it’s at least possible that real estate footprints will not shrink as much as the pundits predict; instead, the same footprint may be reconfigured to provide more space per employee for a smaller population.” Scotty goes on to talk about her observations on how companies are increasingly intent on bringing their employees back to the office because they believe that in-person collaboration is critical to innovation. It will be interesting to see how companies simultaneously coax and mandate return to the workplace. It’s true that a lot of folks are predicting that many employees will work from home, period. While this will be true for some, it’s also likely that a hybrid approach will be common – an employee works from home three days per week and in the office for two. Seems like this could result in more job sharing and more hot desking, Scotty Baker observes. “With regard to corporate dining, if onsite populations become significantly smaller, those with large employee dining operations will need to find creative ways to scale them back or subsidy levels will inevitably increase.” Hospitality Consultant, Russ Benson of Day One Hospitality offered his commentary, “We WILL return to the office, albeit in somewhat fewer numbers. However, humans need each other as a means to learn and grow. We feel food will play a huge role as the “raison d’etre” to return to the workplace. We crave personal interaction and breaking bread will be significant to amplifying the workplace amenity experience”. Food has been the cornerstone of societies and community since the beginning of humankind. From the campfire to the kitchen at home, communities and families gather around food to meet, communicate, to share, discuss, to explore and too often solve big problems and challenges. It’s solutions like MunchMail and others that extends that opportunity, no matter where people may be, but how can you extend the culture beyond, and without the reliance on the physical space like before? Mark Freeman, former global head of food at Microsoft and Ford Motor Company commented, “Culture in the workplace of the future will be built on the idea that a strong percentage of employees will continue do most of their “work” at home. When they do periodically come to the workplace for mandatory meetings or all hand meetings it will be critical for leaders to reinforce company culture. This transfer of culture may happen in a few different ways based on what the culture is, but I believe food, beverage and events will play a huge part in causing those casual connections we used to have in pre-COVID times and transfer company culture organically.” Tony Johnson, Chief Customer Experience Officer at 4xi, believes that omnichannel experience and ease of use has been accelerated during the pandemic. It is not enough to win one channel, as customers expect virtual, live, and AI service to all integrate in a way that solves problems and improves access. Organizations must understand that aligning People, Place, Product, and Process will allow for seamless and loyalty-building experience models. The travel industry has become a great example of evolving in the marketplace and understanding customer needs. As the pandemic started and travel virtually ceased, airlines, hotels, cruise lines, and theme parks were forced to reimagine cancellation policies and change fees – and you can expect those polices to remain more flexible going forward. “That is the key learning from the pandemic – customers came to appreciate the personalized attention, empathy-focused hospitality, and flexible polices that were borne from the pandemic. They have become a part of our service lexicon and the expectation is that they will remain in place even after COVID-19 is more under control.” Just like the old saying, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” And as we think about the work experience of the future, it has never been truer, but the work experience of the future probably includes a great breakfast and more too! Barbara Boden, Managing Partner, and co-founder at 4xi, along with Ann McNally, 4xi Senior Consultant have been around corporate amenity and hospitality designers and executives for over three decades. Boden heading up global amenities at JP Morgan Chase & Co for over 18 years and McNally at Bristol Myers Squibb and Morgan Stanley for over a decade. They both believe in the designing the right experience from the ground up, and that literally means the space itself, the service and all the details of the operation. Boden commented, “Heads down work can be done at home or anywhere and will have a place in the future; however, true collaboration and casual collisions need to happen in the workplace. Building a culture of people first and thinking about making their lives easier and connected will result in happier, engaged employees.” Newly launched, their Amenity and Operational Design service helps bridge the gap between client owners, architects, designers, and service providers to ensure a consistent flow of strategy and translation from ideation to execution. In recent projects, McNally has steered clients through this process to effectively translate these dynamics and turn spaces into places where people want to be - a critical factor as we come out of the pandemic. “The future of hospitality in the workplace has changed, and probably forever. The behemoth “cafeterias” of the past are now replaced with more lounge like experiences – smaller, more nimble, closer to the consumers, more convenient, and with greater flexibility and choice.” Making sure the client owner understands their culture and vision for the future is key to designing the right amenity experience and space. From the moment an employee or guest enters the building until they leave at the end of the day, they touch multiple amenity places, each with an experience attached. “The forward-thinking firms are making sure every one of these touchpoints has the right experience throughout the building regardless of the size of the space.” On a recent project with a growing Life Science company, the onus was on a concierge experience where although the food was clearly an important element, it was also about the convenience with a range of concierge services that could be layered on top. This extended approach is much more about making employees lives easier, more convenient, better, less stressful and about the things they needed to do on the personal front. The result? Ultimately, more focus on work and productivity, in addition to satisfaction, engagement, and ultimately happiness, wherever those employees may be into the future. Even prior to COVID, innovation was an area in which service providers typically underperformed, often dragged forward by clients hungry for the latest and greatest ways in which to deliver the employee experience. Service providers, like many organizations are not necessarily geared up to drive innovation, to seek new ways of doing things, and for the most may be risk adverse when turning things upside down. “The problem with innovation is the risk that comes with it. Innovation and risk coexist in Silicon Valley as an example, as do sayings like “Fail Fast”, a concept totally alien to many corporations who do not reward failure in any shape.” Its during extraordinary times like these that the need for innovation is accelerated to address problems that may not have existed before or that have grown in their importance or urgency to be addressed. One example is the use of robotics as a way to increase efficiency, reduce risk, and in this case make for safer and healthier environments. Speaking on the headline-grabbing acceleration of cleaning robotics adoption during this time and the trends for their long-term demand, Brady Watkins, General Manager & SVP of SoftBank Robotics shared, "The pandemic has created new expectations around what it will take for us to feel comfortable entering spaces that we learned to avoid during the peak of it. Visitors want visual reassurance these spaces are thoroughly cared for and risks are mitigated. With the support of robotics and automation, hotels, offices, senior living centers, and other such spaces can showcase and even market added investments in their customer experience while still maintaining social distancing.” Nahum Goldberg, founder of restaurant and kitchen design firm NG-Associates shared with us some of his insights. “The future is clearly geared to some sort of dining experience in the workplace. Return To Office (RTO), Return to Work (RTW), Reimagine projects – call them what you will. These efforts abound as we work with global workplace clients in defining new business models, newer healthier and safer workplace dining opportunities and approaches." Goldberg goes on to explain that conversations currently with clients regularly focus on revisiting options if on-site dining. From catered-in, catered-in enhanced or varying forms of full cooking and serving. Clients are taking the time to explore the new modus operandi in an effort to revaluate and restart with an appropriate fresh approach. He states that forward thinking organizations are looking for Guest AND Operator in redesigns and upgrades. Whether by adding better equipment for sanitation, space allocation, ventilation of the workspace and other new operationally oriented tools and technologies such as touch free equipment, breath protector upgrades and ordering technology. All with a Day 1, Day 2 and Day 3 (beyond COVID) flexibility in mind. It is through these lenses of People, Place, Culture, Design, and Innovation that we share with the WORKTECH Academy on how we think about how we’ll work tomorrow. It is largely thanks to these leaders and the work experience community that we can adapt, be nimble and accommodate the ever-changing world that we live and work, and to embrace our employees of the future no matter where they may be. There is certainly a lot to think about, for sure! The future has changed, and what was already in the works has been accelerated faster than probably any time in the past 50 years. Listening to industry leaders and innovators about their vision and thinking about today and for tomorrow will be key to our combined success. Change will remain a constant, and how we adapt, improvise, and overcome will be our guiding light and true north to survival and how we thrive beyond these uncertain times. Let’s stay in touch, keep sharing, helping and progressing how we’ll all work tomorrow. Inspiring the future, together. 4xi Global Workplace Consulting & Solutions provides a range of services to support Corporations, Service Providers, Innovators, and Accelerators to navigate the world of work. Inspiring the future of work, together. 4xi is proud to be Chair of WORKTECH Academy for North America and a member of its Leadership Advisory Board. 4xi is a Global Ambassador for WORKTECH Academy. San Francisco | New York | Orlando | North Carolina | Santiago | London | Porto | Tokyo

During this weeks #GlobalHangout co-hosted by Transition AMP and 4xi Global Consulting & Solutions, Jackie Cupper chaired the session, moderated by Karen Turton and with this weeks guest speakers, David Murdin, and 4xi's Simon Elliot talk about the science and art of storytelling. Storytelling is as old as humankind itself from the Stone Age cave paintings depicting scenes and even our ancestors with musical instruments. To hieroglyphics, the written word, scriptures and how they were set to music as a form of block chain to protect the words and the message contained within. Nursery rhymes and lullabies are examples of these, as are National Anthems, even songs of revolt or liberation. Here’s a quick history: From 1,400 BC in Syria, in Ancient Greece, the Romans, the English and around the world, civilizations were setting their words to music and to the drum beat from within. The old Rugby songs, shanty music from the ancient mariners, the use of our bodies as instruments, our beat, our voice, whistles, and drums. 1580: Ding Dong Bell ( refers to Shakespeare’s, the Tempest) 1609: Three Blind Mice (refers to Queen Mary I, and the demise of 3 Bishops) 1611: To Market to Buy a Fat Pig 1790’s: Ring a Ring o’ Roses (referencing The Great Plague, or Black Death) In Malaysia during the Tsunami in 2004, an old nursery rhyme saved many of the locals but not the tourists, “If the ocean runs away from the shore, then you should run away from the ocean”. Since time immemorial stories have been at the core of our human experience, the tool we use to shape our identities and make sense of the world around us. When told well, stories can: INSPIRE LOYALTY SPARK EMOTION CHANGE HOW WE THINK, AND FEEL Why is this important? Because storytelling has been with us forever, and forever it remains. The combination of words, music, and pictures has been accelerated since the invent of cinema. Disney famously have a formula that even makes grown men cry watching a bionic racing snail or karaoke contest in an imaginary world full of animals of the savanna. We understand storytelling in three basic layers and when carefully orchestrated, storytelling can build a powerful and authentic connection between your brand and your consumer, no matter the medium or channel: EXPERIENCE: A lived event or moment within a larger story that can influence a story’s outcome. Experiences that connect to a story are more memorable and more emotionally powerful. STORY: A linked series of events that takes a character from one state to another. NARRATIVE: A system of stories that links values and events to establish broader cultural meaning. TIP: When thinking about your storytelling, think about the HERO, its not you, the hero is your customer or consumer. It has to be a story that they can relate to, put themselves in the story, relate to their own current state and appeal to their aspiration of future state. And don't forget - it’s also got to be both CREDIBLE and AUTHENTIC. The automotive industry has over decades developed a successful and advanced methodology and practice of connecting with their consumers, often for repeat purchases, sometime for decades, and in some cases for life. Their ability to story tell as a means of building long sustaining brands and loyalty, is no more about just the vehicle itself, but all about the emotional connection it creates with its often-loyal followers: NISSAN: Innovation that Excites CHEVROLET: Find New Roads FORD: Go Further BMW: The Ultimate Driving Machine LAND ROVER: Above and Beyond AUDI: Vorsprung Durch Technik (Progress Through Technology) MINI: It’s a Mini adventure These companies managed to capture the essence of the brand focused on the emotions they stir and the loyalty they generate. What about, “Just Do It”, Ronseal and “It does what it says on the tin”, KFC and “Finger Lickin Good”, Disney and “The Happiest Place on Earth”, or the likes of Apple who don’t even have a tag line as they believe their Apple logo is sufficient - and who is to argue with that? So, what’s that got to do with me? Simon Elliot recalls, "As a young sales guy in the UK, I first saw sales as an adversarial pursuit, “I have something to sell, you have the money, and I’m here to win.” I was barking completely up the wrong tree as my boss reminded me at the time, “Look at it as telling a story - people don’t remember all the data, the specifications, the detail, they remember what it does for them, it means to them, and the connections to the emotions it stirs.” Elliot goes on, "I remember thinking at the time how on earth I was to stir emotion? But I realized that the clue lied in “What’s in it for me?” Whether that be; being able to do their job better, recognition, promotion, making their life easier, developing their brand, or engaging folks in a higher purpose and connected with their beliefs and aspirations." Think about that when you are telling your stories, then also think about, if appropriate, the sounds and visuals you can set to your storytelling. Use pictures that stir connection, smiling faces looking at the camera. Use video to get your message over. Think about Microsoft Windows distinctive boot up sound. What about, "Nationwide is on your side", or "We are Farmers (dum, dedum, dedum, dedum, dum, dum)", the McDonalds ditty, or the memorable INTEL Inside signature intro. "If a picture paints a thousand words, a video tells a million, and with sound and music potentially creates memories and emotional connections that can last a life time." It’s a combination of all these factors that make the interactions memorable and for easier recollection of your brand, but it’s the EXPERIENCE that really gives you lasting impressions. David Murdin is a self confessed Brand Shaper, Experience Creator, and Engagement Geek. During his illustrious career he has been working with and building brands for an impressive line up including; British Airways, Sky Sports, Egg, Royal Bank of Scotland, Whitbread, Costa Coffee, Debenhams Restaurants, and even working with Manchester United's own footballing legend Eric Cantona! David tells the story about Bob Beamon and his green "Bobble Hat" and how he would use it as a marker during his practice sessions, and how unbeknown to Beamon his coach would move it, just a little further, and Bob would jump a little farther each time. It's a powerful story and one that inspired an Olympic record that still stands today. Murdin recollects when with British Airways how the brand story was one of "Quintessentially Britishness" from the values of the organization to the air crew, the pilots, the stewards and stewardesses. From their uniforms and how they wore them, to the little things that sent the brand message and created memorable moments that in turn created consumer loyalty. He talks about how the introduction of a tiered cake stand as a "prop" in the First Class cabin to serve "Very British" afternoon tea was a great hit and how such a small investment made such a big impact to driving memorable experiences. How a simple video created a story of discovery and a message of purpose and belonging, and created a following in not the restaurant business, but the business of creating memories. Take a look at this video, "The Dallas Discovery" - bonus points if you can spot the narrator! The video takes you on a personal journey of Paul and David and how all good stories start with a moment of inspiration, and the basis from which they created the ethos and culture of Whitbread Restaurants. So, if we've established that storytelling can be an important tool to stimulating memorable moments, emotional connections, how do some of these things make you feel? The cake-stand serving the British Airways afternoon tea? The feeling when you open an Apple device, plug it in, and it works! The smell of your new car and how that stimulates the senses? How you connect with your Mini, BMW, your Citroen 2CV, or Lamborghini or Rolls Royce, and how it portrays how you want the world to see you? Do you wear brands or not? Are they visible or not? Which ones do you identify with, what do they say, project about you? All these factors combined point to connecting brands, products, services, and experiences with how they make one feel. TIP: Whatever you want to project, have a go at writing about it in the context of a short story, one page at the most. Share it, get some feedback, distill it as far as you can as possible, and then practice telling the story - to your spouse, partner, friends, colleagues, even try it on your mates down the pub - see how it resonates but most importantly tell it naturally just like you would recall what happened 5 Christmas’s ago in the log cabin in Lake Tahoe, or the August day you got married in some magical castle somewhere, or when Manchester United won the Premier League (again!). Elliot grew his interest in storytelling through his professional life but as an extension under his pen name, Willy Mitchell, his grandfathers name, has published 5 historical fiction novels so far with a work in progress currently under way. Cold COURAGE tells the epic tale of leadership, survival, grit, and determination as it follows Sir. Ernest Shackleton’s 1914 Trans-Antarctic Expedition. Gipsy MOTH tells the story of his Aunt Nikki, her friend Amy Johnson and the parallel of Amelia Earhart during the golden age of aviation. Both these examples hold lessons within and learnings transferable to both life and in business. Storytelling has become an important part of both Simons personal and professional life and a critical tool to tell our stories in a way that is impactful and memorable, and to build business. For David, in his new business, Reel People, is helping clients clarify their #Purpose, #Proposition and how this translates across their end to end experience through #People - like a thread from a cotton reel that weaves its way through each element – hence the name of his firm, Reel. Simon, as Managing Partner and co-founder of 4xi Global Consulting & Solutions is amongst other things including setting the tone for all things the #FutureOfWork is helping clients establish their #TRUENORTH - a process of deep self-reflection, analysis, process and science providing the roadmap to sustained growth - to retain better, and win better business. ------------ Come join us on our next #GlobalHangout on Friday 26th February featuring Tony Johnson, Customer Experience Officer at 4xi as he talks about how to make great experiences resonate right across your business. Email us at hello@4xiconsulting.com to learn more, or follow this link to join: GLOBAL HANGOUTS (Alternate Friday's: 8.00 am PST, 11.00 am EST, 4.00 pm GMT.) Inspiring the future, together. COME JOIN THE CONVERSATION! Transition AMP is a leadership and development firm based in the UK and focused on the development programs that equips the best, most entrepreneurial and ambitious unit general managers to make the challenging step to be multi-site operations managers in the company. A clear pathway from GM to Area Manager: "This is a step change, not just a curve to greater responsibility, for ambitious and skillful unit managers." The Area Manager Program (AMP provides the insight and understanding for a new multi-site leader to expand and deliver on their own retail skills, and to learn how to support their various teams in delivering commercial success. 4xi Global Workplace Consulting & Solutions provides a range of services to support Corporations, Service Providers, Innovators, and Accelerators to navigate the world of work. 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