When organisations plan a new office solution or develop their work environment, there is often an ambition to involve employees. But the risk is that the involvement is perceived as superficial – that decisions have already been made and that employee input has little real impact. This is called pseudo-involvement and can have serious consequences for both the work environment and organisational trust.

A workplace strategy for office and work environment must always be built on genuine participation. This means that employee experiences, needs and perspectives are actively used in the analysis and form the basis for decisions. Involving people early in the process increases both engagement and acceptance of change.

Consequences of pseudo-involvement

• Reduced trust – employees lose faith in management if they feel their voice does not matter.
• Resistance to change – when decisions seem pre-determined, scepticism and pushback increase.
• Weaker results – important insights about work environment and working methods are lost.

How to create genuine involvement

• Transparency – be clear about which questions are open for input and which have already been decided.
• Right methods – use structured approaches such as interviews, workshops and surveys to gather insights.
• Feedback – show how employee input has influenced decisions and the workplace strategy.

When employees feel that their perspective counts, greater engagement and a stronger work environment follow. A workplace strategist who balances organisational goals with individual needs lays the foundation for a more sustainable and inclusive workplace.

Want to know more about how to work with involvement in workplace strategy? At workplacestrategist.eu you’ll find training that gives you concrete tools to create environments where both people and organisations can thrive.