The Full Spectrum Workplace: Stop Saying Hybrid ft. Agustin Chevez

Return to office debates miss the point. Dr. Agustin Chevez explains why hybrid is the wrong word and how to design a full spectrum workplace that works.

In 2018, architect and workplace researcher Agustin Chevez walked 900 kilometers alone from Melbourne to Sydney. 42 days, no team, one question: what is actually broken about the way we work? His answer challenges office mandates, cost per visit metrics and the belief that more collaboration always means more innovation.

Dr. Agustin Chevez is an architect with a PhD in workplace architecture, an honorary fellow at the University of Melbourne, and the author of The Pilgrim's Guide to the Workplace. He has spent years mapping who talks to whom inside organizations and how office design shapes trust and the flow of ideas.

In this episode:

• Why "hybrid" is the wrong word and what a full spectrum workplace looks like
• Intermittent isolation: why the best ideas need time alone and time together
• Why cost per visit is a dangerous return to office metric
• How to frame a workplace experiment your CEO will actually test
• Why socializing at work does not automatically lead to innovation
• Design work first, then the workplace

This one is for the HR leader or CEO stuck arguing about office days when the real question is what the office is for.

You can also watch thsi episode in the GHC Youtube channel: https://youtu.be/nDNCgHWNc_k?si=9hEKaeWDozlXvPRz 

Key moments:
02:03 The Galapagos iguanas that sparked a 900 km walk
09:46 Cost per visit and why filling offices is the wrong goal
14:27 Why hybrid is the wrong word: yellow, blue and green
19:35 How to run a workplace experiment with your CEO
44:04 Socializing is not the same as exchanging ideas
47:59 Design work first, then the workplace

Connect with Dr. Agustin Chevez:
Website: https://www.achevez.com/ 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/agustin-chevez/ 
Book: The Pilgrim's Guide to the Workplace https://a.co/d/03HZjzBb 

--

Ivan's book Expired? The Science of Staying Indispensable in a World Obsessed with New is out now: https://a.co/d/09I4jBWs 

If this episode was useful, a quick rating or review helps more people find these conversations.

Growth Hacking Culture is a top 5% global podcast exploring the neuroscience, psychology, and behavioral science behind leadership and workplace culture. Hosted by Ivan Palomino