The New York Times recently took a stroll through Grey’s new open-layout office space on Fifth Ave and from the sound of it, employees have just one thing to say about their new home: Waahh..we have no walls anymore.
It’s not like open space is anything new in the agency world nowadays, but it seems Grey folks are taking things pretty hard. Staffers like Grey New York chief talent officer Natalia Schultz seem heartbroken about not having a place for things like a shoe collection. “I had a shoe closet in my office. I still only got two boxes. Now the bulk of my shoes live in the trunk of my car.”
According to the NYT piece, Grey went so far as to employ business psychologist Joel Mausner to help ease the transition and quell employee grumblings. Mausner says he’s planning to hold kumbaya sessions of sorts: “One to let employees mourn the loss of the old building; a second to come up with ways to handle potential drawbacks of the open plan; and a third to help workers use the new space to its full potential.” The talking baby E*Trade ads somehow make more sense now than ever.
Grey NY CCO Tor Myhren adds that the move symbolizes Grey’s transition from “very slow and not very nimble” to a “faster enviroment” that’s open, collaborative and “reflects what’s happening in the digital world.”
Image: Chester Higgins, Jr./New York Times