Elvin Box's blog

Mon 13th March

Met up with some really interesting people today and discovered a funky work place too. The people were London South Bank University's program manager Peter Holliday and latest addition to the London Construction Excellence team, Isabelle Beuamont of Workplace Futures. (Yes, a woman. At last the female of the gender has breached the blokey bastion! See Blog ‘Tues 7th February, Constructing Excellence, not romance'). The funky work place was London's Royal Exchange.

First up was Peter Holliday, an ex-Army major who is currently overseeing the £47m capital programme at the university's site in Elephant and Castle. We discussed his role and how his military experience in logistics and collaborative working were really coming to the fore in his ‘new project management career'. Also on our agenda was exploring the very real need for the university's design and construction teams to produce work spaces that promote not only an excellent learning environment, but also spaces that engender networking, relaxation and encourage a sense of community.

Regular readers of this blog will know I am an admirer of the armed forces' training and development, specifically the incredible work ethic discipline they impart to their people. As an industry we would do a lot worse than to hang around the MOD and capture the talent that, like Peter, regularly leaves its hallowed halls in search of their ‘next career'.

Isabelle is not ex-military, but an architect by training. Nonetheless, Isabelle too is heavily into logistics, collaboration and a disciplined work ethic, after working for the likes of one of Britain's other well known ‘institutions'; the BBC.

We discussed our shared belief in the importance of ‘place' in the pursuit of creative endeavour, the ‘processes' used to spark creativity and having the right mix of ‘people' to produce tangible creative products and services. Plus these factors needing to be conducive as a mix, all in the ‘context' in which they are employed. If these four key factors are managed appropriately, an employee's personal wellbeing is enhanced and the company obtains economic benefit. A win-win situation, how cool is that?

The Royal Exchange, situated between Threadneedle Street and Cornhill in the City, was once an integral part of London's finance market and is now a wonderful space to enjoy a coffee, network or take in some shopping. An excellent backdrop in fact for my meeting with Isabelle. It provided sufficient privacy yet also the desired interaction of passers-by to add that vital sense of community, necessary for good mental stimulation. I have to say it was intriguing to note that both Peter and Isabelle, although from totally different backgrounds, agreed whole heartedly in the importance of effectively managing the relationships between people, the places they work within and the process they engage in, to develop, manage and sustain organisational innovation in the appropriate context.