Measuring what works

Part of pillar six, it stays great: you can’t improve what you don’t look at. Most offices run on anecdote and whoever complains loudest. A few light, honest signals turn “I think the rooms are crowded” into “we’re short four small rooms” — and tell you where to spend next.

Signals worth watching

• How it feels. A short, recurring Workplace Experience Survey across the six pillars. Two minutes, a few rating questions, one open box. Trends matter more than any single score.
• How it’s used. Are rooms always full or always empty? Which days are packed? You don’t need fancy sensors — a few walks at different times tell you most of it.
• What breaks. Your facilities ticket queue is data: the same issue three times is a pattern, not three incidents.
• The honest self-audit. The Great-Office Scorecard, redone each quarter, shows whether pillars are improving or sliding.

Close the loop, or don’t bother

Measuring without acting is worse than not measuring — it teaches people their input goes nowhere. Every survey should produce a short “here’s what we heard and what we’re doing” note. That single habit is what makes the next survey honest.

When to start

Run a Post-Occupancy Review at 30, 60, and 90 days after opening, while impressions are fresh — then settle into a quarterly rhythm. See iterating & growing for what to do with what you learn.