Change in the workplace is inevitable – but how organizations navigate that change makes all the difference. Whether it’s a shift in how space is used, a new way of working, or a broader return-to-office initiative, employees don’t just need information – they need clarity, time, and trust. At POI, we’ve learned that gaining employee buy-in isn’t about executing a rollout. It’s about taking people with you on the journey.
Involve People Early and Often
Engagement starts long before move-in day. When we began evolving our own workspace, we didn’t wait until everything was finalized to communicate with our team. While the physical space itself remained closed until it was complete it was accessible in other ways. We shared floorplans and virtual flythroughs, building information, photographs, encouraged questions, and kept people informed about the progress and intent. This kind of transparency meant that when move-in day arrived, there were no surprises – only the welcome discovery that the space exceeded expectations. It gave our team the context and confidence to acclimate emotionally as we all as physically, setting the stage for a smooth transition.
We also knew that storytelling matters. While leadership played a role in communicating the vision, we leaned on internal champions from across the organization. These individuals, who we titled Space Champions were given the tools and training but presented them in their own voice. They were given early access and the opportunity to experience the space, so they could speak with passion and authenticity about how it worked, what it offered, and why it mattered. Their involvement helped create a sense of momentum that was peer-led, not top-down. This onboarding was not limited to the Space Champions but was also a requirement for employees following move-in, no one was allowed to work out of the LivingLAB without successfully completing this onboarding. This practice, in modified manner, continues today for all new hires.
Acknowledging Loss Is Part of Moving Forward
With any workplace change, there’s an emotional undercurrent that often gets overlooked: loss. Even positive change can mean letting go of the familiar – your desk, your neighbourhood, your daily rituals. At its core, this is about a sense of belonging. People form connections not just to colleagues, but to the spaces they inhabit every day, and when that changes, it can unsettle the feeling of being “at home” in the workplace. Designing for belonging means creating environments that make people feel seen, supported and part of something bigger than themselves.
That’s why we built a deliberate plan for the first 90 days after the move, focused on stability rather than rapid adoption. The new workplace was such a significant departure from what our teams were used to that the change in how they worked was equally big, we knew we needed to give people time to settle in before making any adjustments.
During those first 90 days, we encouraged exploration and learning, responded to questions in real time, and gathered feedback – without introducing constant modifications. Only after that period did we begin to address persistent or repetitive feedback, making targeted changes based on patterns rather than initial reactions. This approach ensured that dissatisfaction could be understood in context: was the space truly not meeting needs, or were people still adjusting to a new way of working? By allowing for this settling-in period, we avoided putting people into a perpetual state of change and created the stability needed for trust to grow- not just in the plan, but in the experience of the space itself.
Supporting People, Not Just Productivity
Throughout our workspace transformation, our decisions were grounded in a simple question: what do people need to feel supported here? That question shaped everything from the layout of our environment to the amenities we chose to include. Access to natural light, quiet spaces, social zones, and wellness-oriented design cues weren’t “extras”- they were essential to signaling that the space was made for the people in it.
It also meant paying attention to what the building itself offered – like nearby food, transit accessibility, and services that support work-life balance. These things may seem peripheral, but they reinforce a sense of ease and value that encourages employees to be present, physically and mentally.
Change That Feels Like Growth
Buy-in doesn’t happen because you tell people what’s changing – it happens because they understand why it’s changing, how it will benefit them, and what role they have in shaping the future. By involving employees early, acknowledging the emotional weight of transition, and building environments that truly support their work and wellbeing, organizations can turn uncertainty into momentum.
That’s the path we took at POI. It wasn’t a checklist – it was a journey. In today’s landscape of evolving work expectations, when organizations take this journey, their chances of success are greatly increased, especially with empathy at the centre.