There are many ways to create workspace. Also in existing organisations. Let me give you two cases where professionals struggle with the available work space and used their personal leadership to make a difference.

Case 1: A team leader told me she has a team that needs to deliver according to plan. The pressure is high because future funding will depend on quality of service and timely delivery. Accreditation of the high-end specialists in her team is key to maintaining and building the companies reputation. The team leader trusts her team of specialists to deliver. She is focussing on their knowledge and experience and on the good in her people. At the same time, she feels pressured because her leader is micro managing and controlling her. Until now she has not given in to the pressure of her leader but it does result in loss of energy. She feels that her leader does not trust her and that recognition is lacking.

Case 2: A senior specialist in a self-organising team in healthcare shares her experience. The team is doing well in organizing the daily work themselves. At the same time, they feel frustrated by all the rules, protocols and bureaucracy put on them that are very time consuming. As an experienced professional, the senior specialist is perfectly capable of taking decisions to tailor a client-approach when necessary. In practice, she is not allowed.  She needs to stick to protocol even when that creates problems or dilemmas. As a result, she feels controlled and she experiences lack of trust and appreciation. It frustrates her and drains her energy and she has started to take steps to try and change the situation.

As my passion is to create work space to enable the energy flows in a positive way, I would love to dive in and start making structural improvements. But, in both situations, I cannot do a lot because the problem is systemic and the leadership at the top of these organisations does not see or it. This is unfortunately the reality in many cases.

So, what can you do when you are faced with these situations?

First, what I did when speaking to both professionals, I took the opportunity to appreciate them. I think it is great that the team leader puts the trust in her team above the pressure she feels from her leaders. That makes her a great manager and it made me very enthusiastic to see her do that. So, I applauded her for her courage. She is doing great from my perspective even if her leaders are not noticing.

The senior specialist was taking courageous steps to try to change the situation in her organisation. This is difficult because as is often the case in transition, others have different views. Again, it gave me a lot of positive energy to hear this from her. So, I shared that feeling of positive energy with her. In both cases the people needed first and foremost the reassurance they did not get from their leaders.

Second, the professionals can do something themselves,  to start looking at the situation in a fundamentally different way. So how does that work? Have a look at Frank Gehry’s Masterclass. Frank Gehry, a famous architect, makes amazing designs. In his masterclass, he explains that the laws of gravity are giving him only 15% of free work space to be creative. When you look at his work, you realise it is truly amazing what he can do with only these 15%. In his masterclass he also shares that it took all his bravery to convince potential customers to invest in his designs. As for example the curves of a piece of cloth, which inspired him in his designs, would remind him of love and warmth, it required all his courage to convey this feeling to and convince his customers. What gave him energy was that he believes his (curved) designs served humanity as they would remind his customers of love and warmth as well. And so he urges others to use their personal leadership and show the same bravery in their lives, and to make changes for the benefit of humanity. Humanity might sound overwhelming but is doesn’t have to be. Going back to the two cases: Change hardly ever starts at the top only. Change comes from brave people who use their personal leadership to make a difference. And as Gehry added love and warmth to what otherwise would have been cold, rectangular and square buildings, all of us can make steps to chance our work environment structurally for the better. And yes, that is good for humanity.

Now this is not a call for insubordinate behavior. After all, Gehry still needs customers to pay for his work. And so if you are part of an organization, you will need to convince your boss and other stakeholders to move along with you. But the inspiration is, that if you are brave, you can make a difference with as little as 15% free work space.

But… there is a downside; you need to give up something unfortunately. In many organisations we are used to having authoritarian relationships. We expect our leaders both to recognize us and to decide for us. Like kids very much looking up to their parents. When you start having a different look at the world surrounding you in the workplace, you will need to start managing your leader differently as well. You will need to own the change you want to accomplish. You will need show personal leadership by being brave enough to speak up and start planning a change journey over time to change your work environment in a better place for you and your colleagues. You will have to make sure that you deliver as promised and to use this as leverage with your leader to change behaviours and habits that limit work space and annoy people. Starting small with initially taking baby steps and by celebrating small successes, you will gradually influence your leader into different behavior. Don’t expect leaders to applaud you or recognize you immediate, learn you’re from your mistakes, be brave, and keep doing this from your heart.  Show them that you and your team are delivering and that the additional work space allows you to serve your customers better, with better service. And you will make a difference.