In this episode, host Edward Wagoner sits down with global leaders Tim Allen, Martin Ruppe and Kati Barklund to explore IFMA’s Workplace Evolutionaries (WE) — the world's largest community of workplace strategy thought leaders. They unpack how professionals across FM, HR, IT, and real estate can leverage local hubs, monthly WEbinars, and international events to drive high-performing work environments and advance their careers.
Facility management is no longer just about tactical maintenance. It is about driving business performance, shaping company culture, and creating strategic value at the C-suite level.
In today's episode, host Edward Wagoner is joined by WE leadership team members Tim Allen, Martin Ruppe and Kati Barklund to break down what makes the Workplace Evolutionaries community essential for anyone touching the built environment.
Together, they detail the many ways to engage with the community, including:
Whether you are a seasoned workplace strategist or new to the field, discover how joining the WE community can help you bridge research and practice while expanding your career horizons.
Tim Allen: [00:00:00] No matter what people's backgrounds are, drawing them into our We family, if you like.
And it's around giving each individual that sense of strategic perspective and thought leadership that really elevates the position and enables us to, to have those conversations at C-suite level.
Host: Welcome to ConnectedFM, a podcast connecting you to the latest insights, tools, and resources to help you succeed in facility management. This podcast is brought to you by IFMA, the leading professional association for facility managers. If you are ready to grow your network and advance in your career, go to ifma.org to get started.
In today's episode, host Edward Wagoner is joined by his fellow at Workplace Evolutionaries Leadership team, Tim Allen, Martin Ruppe, and Kati Barklund. Together, they unpack how professionals across FM, HR, IT, and real estate can leverage local hubs, monthly webinars, [00:01:00] and international events like World Workplace to drive high-performing work environments and advance their careers.
Now, let's get into it.
Edward Wagoner: Thank you Martin, Tim, and Kati for joining me today to discuss IFMA's Workplace Evolutionaries. It's the world's largest community of thought leaders focused on workplace strategy and leadership. Whether someone works for a company that occupies a building, owns it, provides services to it, researches real estate, provides ancillary services, or even the very people who use our facilities, they should all be interested in what Workplace Evolutionaries is thinking and doing.
Tim, I know you have some great thoughts on why every person touching a facility should be involved with Workplace Evolutionaries. Would you mind sharing some of those thoughts with us?
Tim Allen: Sure. Thanks, Ed, and I think it's what we're demonstrating here today is that this [00:02:00] is very much about a, a community and building a community of people who are involved in all the aspects, as you say, around buildings and real estate.
And it really goes beyond just the, the f- the thinking around hard or soft services in the way that we might typically think of of FM. And it's about really connecting the dots on why do we need a place? What is it about place that's gonna deliver something for organizations? And I think as a profession, we need to be taking ever more a strategic view on how we support clients.
So it's really all about business performance. I'm sure we've all come to, to, to understand that phrase, even though it's about high-performing environments. And therefore it's less about the, the tactical and the operational, and now it's much more around how are we supporting how businesses operate.
So where does We come into all of that? Well, very much it's around providing that strategic perspective. We're bringing together people from all the different elements around the world of [00:03:00] work, whether that's the physical place or IT or even elements of HR. So no matter what people's backgrounds are, drawing them into our We family, if you like.
And it's around giving each individual that sense of strategic perspective and thought leadership that really elevates the position and enables us to, to have those conversations at C-suite level. So it's around connecting us with people who can help frame that debate and maybe help to sort of elevate the position and the way that we think and talk about all aspects involving with, with workplace.
So it's about providing that content and the collateral to have the conversations, and really helping develop individuals in their career. So just a few thoughts there about how it really galvanizes us as a community.
Edward Wagoner: I, I love that, Tim, and you know, I've openly shared that one of my biggest regrets is not joining IFMA and Workplace Evolutionaries earlier in my career, 'cause at that time, I didn't have Tim to tell me all those benefits just like we did now.
I didn't understand [00:04:00] them. But I also didn't understand how easy it is to engage with Workplace Evolutionaries through all the different opportunities that we have. So I'd like to share that. There's probably other people out there just like me that don't know all the different ways that you can participate.
So let's talk about hubs. There's an old saying that's been around for decades when we talk about the commercial real estate industry, and I actually think it's perfect as we talk about the WE opportunities, and it's that phrase, "Think globally, act locally." And I wanna start with that act locally, because at the end of the day, what we do in the specific facilities we're responsible for is what ultimately matters.
And Tim and Martin, the two of you are our global leaders for what we call our WE hubs, our local communities of practice. So take a few minutes and help our audience understand what the benefits are of participating with our local WE hubs.
Martin Ruppe: So a few years ago, we came up with the ideas to have those local hubs, realizing [00:05:00] that, like, we have members in nearly all the countries around the world.
And comparing the development of workplace, workplace strategy, we realized there's quite a lot of local flavor. And in the same way as we preach, there is no f- one size fits all. It's, it's the same with workplace management. We need more local flavor because that also is kind of the spice in everything, and that's how we developed the, the hubs to allow s- us exactly to do that.
And those hubs drive the conversation and the exchange, the knowledge, the learning on a local level. It might be a city, it might be on a country level. And depending on what the local area needs, it's more webinars, it's, physical meetings, it's different styles of how the activities are set, and it, it helps to connect you, like, with other peers in your area.
And for example Tim [00:06:00] Allen I will then ask him to s- to tell how the British hub, for example, is, is running their hub. And they have an interesting concept. And also what we do with the hubs, we share what we learn within the hubs. We have our hub leader meetings where the leaders come together, exchange, get ideas, help each other, how could we develop and foster the discussion around the world.
And it's, it's a great opportunity for everyone to participate, to join, to hear, to listen, or if someone has just an amazing workplace they just opened to say like, "Okay, let's, let's invite we so that also others can see what fabulous work we did." And Tim, maybe you can tell us something how you run the UK hub, for example.
Tim Allen: Sure. Thanks, Martin. And I think probably the, the main thing to get across is if anybody's thinking about getting involved or even starting it in their own area is we did it in the UK. We kept it just really simple to start with. So, running some webinars or, of course, [00:07:00] webinars as we like to call them.
So running the, the webinars every few months and we'd get people from outside the workplace industry to come and provide a bit of thought. So in the very early days, we were including people from hotels, distilleries even forestry work to give us a view over what's the world of work like that goes beyond just thinking of an office and a workplace in a, in a more sort of typical sense.
And so it was very much around exploring the world of work, and we still look to have those sort of peer conversations, whereas a group of people who are on the sort of invite list will get together and have a bit of, bit of a conversation over what are we finding, seeing what are the discussions that we want to be having around that.
Perhaps the most popular of that, of course, is we run a, review and prediction session in January, which looks back at the last year over what's gone on and thinking about what's coming up in the, in the next one too. But also looking at in-person events, I think it's really important to think about maybe connecting to other activities and other [00:08:00] events that are going on.
So here in London and the UK obviously, we're not short of workplace events that are going on around, and I think it's great to reach out to organizers of other activities to see if we can host a panel or a discussion, and we've done this for the last three years or so and really keen to find new angles for debate and discussion, and we get really positive feedback on those coming through.
So I think also now looking to host some more independent in-person events that are really solely about and from the, the we perspective, and those will be in London. And it's, you know, it's back to what you were saying, Edwin. What I love about us as a community is that it is very much this sense of global and local because as Martin says, we've got these regular calls that go across regions, and they're really great for people who are running hubs, people like me, where you get this sort of great inspiration over what others are doing and what they're up to.
And so therefore, it gives you a really good sense about how you can [00:09:00] approach your own engagement and activities and events, and it really does help to give this sense of a, a community helping to, to build each other up in capacity and enthusiasm, as you can probably get a sense. So anyway, that's a quick view there of, of what's going on from, from UK and London.
Edward Wagoner: And I, I love that. I will admit, there was a, a call the other day where the different hubs were talking about what they had been doing, and I had a little bit of FOMO, a little bit of fear of missing out- ... because I heard about, you know, what you're doing in, in London, Tim. Martin, you shared Germany. You were talking about Sweden, Kati.
I heard about an event in Canada, and then right in my own backyard, the Midwest of the United States. So many opportunities. And I will admit, I don't always focus or keep up on those, and that was something that in hearing about those, I know that that's an opportunity that's local, easy to engage with, and I've made a commitment that I'm going to engage in my local hub more in the coming [00:10:00] year.
But that's not the only opportunity to engage. The next one is the very benefit of global thinking while staying local, and that's our webinars, or as we like to call them, our WEBinars. I just love that little- ... catch of the phrase. And that's also an option for people who can't leave their facilities, or for those among us who aren't comfortable in a room full of people.
You can still gain the benefit of WE through the WEBinars. So Kati, I know you've got a great perspective on why every person in the world that touches a facility should engage with us through the WEBinars, no matter where they are. So talk a little bit about how WEBinars can give you the edge.
Kati Barklund: Thanks, Edward.
And yes well, from global to local to back to global, and here even back to your living room or your office we are coming to you every third Thursday in a month with a fresh [00:11:00] webinar really to, make sure that you are ahead of what is coming. You, yeah, see it coming before it hits your building.
You can speak the language of the C-suite. And really making the competitive advantage 60 minutes presentation. And our webinar team, they are really looking around the globe and trying to get to you the most relevant presentations and webinars or panels that you need to be part of.
You don't want to miss it
Edward Wagoner: I love that. And you know, I was thinking a little bit as I was researching for this, I wasn't aware that we had global speakers from companies like Nokia, New Bank, Pfizer, American Express. I mean, think about how much effort it would take to potentially get to hear some of those speakers, and we're bringing them, like Kati said, right into your living room.
You [00:12:00] don't have to chase it down. We's bringing it. And I also love how we're bringing some of the cross-discipline people in. So, we started out originally, and Tim, you mentioned it's, it's cross-discipline. It's not just facility managers, and the webinars aren't geared toward that either. There's workplace strategists, HR, we need to work with the HR teams a lot more as people use our spaces, sustainability, tech innovators.
We're gonna talk about both those a little bit more, so absolutely love that. And wanna mention there's a proof point that someone shared um, Kay Sargent, who many of us are familiar with, and there was a 2025 Designing Neuro Inclusive Workspaces session, and one of the FMs reported back to us that after hearing Kay's presentation on a webinar, she realized that their open office was creating barriers for their neurodiverse employees.
So within 30 days, she implemented quiet zones and sensory friendly furniture. [00:13:00] And how much did it cost her? She reported back it was minimal. It didn't even get the CFO's attention, but the impact did, because there were measurable improvements in satisfaction scores and a 15% reduction in accommodation requests.
It's one 60-minute session with an immediate ROI. That's the edge that we're talking about. And Kati, you mentioned the time. I'm finding so many benefits that I actually created a permanent block on my calendar for the third Thursday of every month. It's 11:00 Eastern US, 5:00 PM Central European Time, so I don't miss it.
You don't have to miss it either if you'll put that on, and you can follow we on LinkedIn to see the upcoming speakers and topics.
Kati Barklund: And of course, if you're a member, then you get the, yeah, invitation to every webinar in your inbox as well. So it's very hard to miss the opportunities or just watch [00:14:00] the recording afterwards.
So it's all- You
Edward Wagoner: notice- ...
Kati Barklund: available ...
Edward Wagoner: You notice, Martin and Tim, she's kind of alluding to the fact that I don't read all of my emails, so.
Tim Allen: But that's the best part. You don't even have to be there in real time. You can catch up later on.
Kati Barklund: Yeah.
Edward Wagoner: That's a brilliant point. That's an incredible point. Let's talk about another opportunity to think globally and act globally Are we events?
And the biggest global opportunity is just a few wake- weeks away, World Workplace 2026. We're all gonna come together in Anaheim. So Katja, let me keep going with you as the leader of World Workplace Evolutionaries. Tell us what's in store for everyone in Anaheim at the Workplace Evolutionaries event.
Kati Barklund: Yeah. So we are so, excited and maybe even more this year and other years. We have been planning this since the last World Workplace [00:15:00] always having program during the big IFMA events, but our main event every year is the World Workplace in, in, in US, and this year coming to Anaheim, California.
We have a tradition to kick off with a WE masterclass the day before, so on Tuesday. It's a great way to kick off the World Workplace experience with other workplace enthusiasts, facility managers others, and just interested in the workplace topic.
And we have well, world-class keynotes. Edward is going to have one of them. Also Kate Lister, Arnold Levine and yeah, some, maybe some secrets as well. Ev- not everything is said yet. And we have panel discussions with great global real estate facility management leaders led by Kate North.
And we of course have our WE mosh pit. Yeah Making everyone [00:16:00] energetic and co-creating the session as always, and the tour and other things. It's it's really the highlight of, of the year for us to have this whole day together, but also then kicking off the Well Workplace Experience together.
And then we have full program the rest of the days we have multiple WE leaders and workplace-related presentations during all of the days. We have also our WE community session. That's kind of our year meeting on Wednesday morning with Tim having one of the keynotes, but also Silke one of our o- other leaders. And we are of course going to participate in the Explore FM with the other communities and, and councils in the expo hall, so in the morning of the or Wednesday morning.
Edward Wagoner: And I will share that the very first WE event I walked into was at a World Workplace.[00:17:00]
And I have never... I, I'll be honest, the energy in the room scared me a little bit. I've never seen facility managers that excited. And a big part of that's the approach. But also, I've never walked into a room full of strangers and left surrounded by friends. I have never seen such engagement and welcoming.
So if you've ever thought about it but you've been afraid to walk into the room, I'll be there, as Kati said. I'm really easy to spot. Walk up to me, introduce yourself. I'll help you get into the room. But it is a fascinating, incredible event. And once you attend one, I promise you, you're going to want to attend every one after that.
So we've got hubs, we've got WEbinars, we've got events. Basically, no matter where you are and whether you like to participate locally, remotely, or in a huge global setting, there's a WE opportunity for everyone. Or [00:18:00] you know how I like those little catchphrases, a WE opportunity for me. You can find something that works for you.
It's not just those things that, that participation through our hubs or our WEbinars or our events that help our facility managers. There's a couple of other areas, and I want to go through those real quick if we can. One is the a- additional tool that we have that's available is know and learn for our facility managers who want to create a deeper personal and competitive advantage, and also broader career opportunities for themselves.
So Martin, take a second and tell us about the know and learn opportunities.
Host: Are you looking to stay ahead in facility management? Join us at IFMA's World Workplace Conference and Expo, 18th through 20th of November 2026 in Anaheim, California. Here you can connect with facility management professionals from around the world, explore the latest workplace technology and solutions, [00:19:00] and gain practical insights you can apply right away.
From expert-led education sessions to powerful networking opportunities, World Workplace is where the future of FM comes together. Register today at worldworkplace.ifma.org.
Martin Ruppe: A couple of years ago, we started with the Workplace Strategy and Leadership program. Back then it was a fully on-premise training, and we changed that one in a, in a combined version now with an hybrid where you have your online sessions and some parts where you do the self-studying and then when you go through the case study that is done with live sessions to put together with the other participants of the course.
And the Workplace Leadership program helps you to, to really get into an understanding how connected actually workplace strategy is. And it's based on the IFMA's framework [00:20:00] for workplace management, and it's an amazing way to, to use the opportunity to really dive into trained with a, a good-- a great set of SMEs as trainers are guiding you through this case study, how to im-implement workplace strategy within your own organization.
So now we are in class 18 starting this September, and it's, it's amazing. It's already 18 classes of it. So it's... So we have quite a few people out there who went through our program. And also starting with this year, we started with new programs. One is about change management, the other one is about understanding AI for the workplace, and the third one is about cognitive wellbeing and performance.
Those three new programs are all about 11 to 12 weeks long, have one and a half hour [00:21:00] sessions every two to three weeks, some material to work through, and you can find more about our new programs also at our webpage. And it's an amazing way also not only to learn, but also to connect and meet others in the interdiscipline.
And have a look at the webpage to our We Learn section or reach out to us if you have any questions on those fabulous programs.
Kati Barklund: I think also the one thing to know is that well, you can be new to the workplace strategy leadership management area, or you can, as me, I, I did the, did the training like after I had been working within the field 10, 15 years, and I still could learn a lot and also learn from each other because we were having having the different workshops also with people from different parts of the world.
So that was really good and yeah, I learned a lot from that.
Edward Wagoner: And also what struck me too as Martin was talking is [00:22:00] the 18th class. If it was not worthwhile, it would have not have made it to the second class. But if it's had 18 classes, that means facility managers are finding value in it, and that should be a good reason for people to at least go check it out.
And as March- Martin mentioned, you can see that on the website at we.ifma.org. You'll also see, though, some special, we'll call them hot topics that we're currently focused on, topics that are probably getting a lot of attention in your organization, and let's talk about those quickly if we could. First one is sustainability and circularity, and it starts with some very specific questions and some thoughts around that So Kati, maybe you could start us off with your thoughts on sustainability and circularity and Tim and Martin, feel free to, to jump in.
Kati Barklund: Well, yeah, I think that when it comes to circularity it really starts with changing the, the questions. Instead of [00:23:00] asking how do we dispose of this, we should ask how do we avoid creating the waste in the first place? Mm. And if you can't, how do retain its value, extend its use, or give its materials a, or new purpose?
So it's really s- about changing the question. Right ... yeah. And one of the biggest opportunities is the building we already have, and really make sure that we are using and utilizing them well and, and do we really need to have well, new buildings or could we actually use everything that we have already i- in a better way?
So millions of square meters of existing buildings that we really need to make sure that we, well, work with maintenance, retrofits, energy optimization, water management, life cycle strategies, and yeah, just also utilizing and [00:24:00] getting the value from them.
Tim Allen: And I think it's not just seeing it from the from the professional's perspective, but when you have those conversations, many in the workforce are asking what are we doing about these aspects?
Because it's important to people as well, not just from the the professional's perspective. So I think it's really helpful that we respond both in terms of what's the profession talking about, but equally as individuals, we're all very keen to make sure that we're doing the best we can for the planet.
So on both aspects, it has that really important aspect now. Mm.
Martin Ruppe: And I think-
Edward Wagoner: And then Kati, I, I was gonna say, I loved how you pointed out it starts with the building we're in today and reframing the question. I think on so many of these new emerging topics, we're trained to start thinking about new and different and what do I need to buy to do this thing, and I love the fact that there's so much we can do right now with what we have and just the way we're managing and approaching things.
So I love that call-out and I love the fact that [00:25:00] the team that's helping us with sustainability and circularity are actually bringing tools that people can implement right now without investment, new people-
Kati Barklund: Yeah ...
Edward Wagoner: new technologies, or even waiting for a new building.
Kati Barklund: And most often it's also at the same time cost efficient and also good for the people and can make things more attractive.
So it's, it's really something to dig into more and just try to make every choice and everything we do more sustainable.
Edward Wagoner: Another hot topic is emerging technology, and I know the three of you are gonna look at me and say, 'That's why we've got you here.' Why don't you answer that question? So I'm gonna ask myself the question, what does WE's Emerging Technology Group do?
And I'm glad you asked that. The primary role of the WE Emerging Technology... See, I can talk to myself. That should give you a lot of things to worry about. I talk to myself and I answer myself. WE's Emerging Technology Group's primary role is, is we don't chase the trends. We're [00:26:00] looking to help the WE community understand which emerging technologies matter in the workplace Why they matter and when they merit attention.
It's to help you be able to talk internally in your organizations about what you're thinking about these technologies. And we define workplace technology broadly and intentionally. You know, everybody's talking about AI, but it's not just AI. It's looking at how technology shapes workplace experience and that spans digital, physical, and the hybrid domains.
I, I think strategic is like real estate strategy and cybersecurity, risk and resiliency, things that we may not... We've talked about real estate strategy, but maybe the other topics we haven't always talked about in real estate, and we need to. Operational systems, we're all aware of, maintenance management and space management, but our infrastructure systems, we're [00:27:00] starting to look at and collaborate with even more.
Think about physical security and collaborating with your security group or robotics. If you're following the news, robots will be here helping us sooner than we realize. There's also power infrastructure monitoring, which has become critical if you've been following some of the storms around the world.
And then lastly, think data and intelligence, like connectivity, and yes, AI and IoT fit in there. So emerging technologies, we're looking to serve as a bridge between research, tech development, workplace practice, helping our WE members make informed decisions, not just staying informed.
So that was my answer about the emerging technologies, and again, if people are interested in any way, form, or fashion, I would love to answer those questions I'm gonna switch back from panelist role to host role.
So, in preparing for this [00:28:00] episode, one of the things that really was driven home to me, and I really don't think I realized it until Kati said, "Look at everything." And I got into our liaisons, and I was shocked because I always thought WE was just about facilities, and it's not. There's a large area for people that are interested or touch facilities to participate with the WE membership.
And if I were to give it a three-word summary about these groups, I would say, and I love my alliterations, it all starts with R: research, relationships, and resources. So let's start with the first one, with research, which we call academic liaisons. So let's talk a little bit about academic liaisons, and I- I'll share with you what I found and then have the three of you jump in and, and, and share your thoughts or what you've seen with it.
And when I talked to the university [00:29:00] professors and researchers that are actually working with us, they wanted me to emphasize they're not just providing research. They wanna be called pracademics. They're bringing practicality to their academics. They're bridging what they research and what our facility managers practice, and they want that in both directions.
They want to see what facility managers are seeing. So it's not just about bringing research findings to our members, it's also about co-creating the research questions so that knowledge flows back and forth. And they do that in two ways. They share with our WE members what's new, bringing their latest research findings to the practitioners, but then they want to shape what's next.
Tim Allen: True.
Edward Wagoner: You'll find out a lot about the benefits in the WE newsletter each quarter. There's actually a research-focused topic, so you're always getting it. And then our academics and teams are [00:30:00] attending conferences to help with their research. So if you are interested at all in academic research, whether you are an academic or you have a question that you would like to have answered based on a workplace practice, it's a great opportunity to join together.
So that's what I've learned. Tim, Martin, Kati, anything to add about our academic liaisons before I jump to the next one?
Tim Allen: Well, I think, I think what it shows is that we all get very sort of bogged down in the day-to-day delivery. And one of the things that we try very hard to do at WE is to keep our eyes not only on what has to be done day to day, but equally looking to the future, what else is out there.
We were saying at the, at the beginning of of this session today that it's about having that strategic thought, and the elements around the research that we undertake and, and with our pracademics, is to make sure that we're bringing together that element of both the now and the future, because that's really what our members are looking for.[00:31:00]
Kati Barklund: Also, this is actually one of the newest areas that we have within the, the WE leadership team. And this is something that we have wanted to create for a long time, this bridge between the research and practice, and we are so happy that we finally have it. But also our academia liaisons, they are now from Europe and Nordics.
This is also something that we want to well, extend so that we also have researchers working together with us from other parts of the well, the world
Edward Wagoner: love that. So research was my first R.
My second R is relationships. And my big statement here is, it's not just enough for our WE members to get research from our academic liaisons, it's about how we implement it. And I would argue that we as facility managers cannot implement the research well. I would even argue you can't run your facilities effectively and [00:32:00] efficiently without the relationships that we have and need from our industry liaisons.
And I'm gonna give an example of industry liaisons. It's the HR teams that work with us on our people policies in the workplace. It's the IT teams that are helping us with the technologies, with our, with our AI, with our, with our data, with all that emerging tech that we talked about before. And I'm gonna quote from Kay Sargent, a, a global influencer and thought leader in our industry.
She said, quote, "We are better together, especially in times of rapid evolution. The industry needs to rely on the science, not just the art of design, facility management, and workplace, and the area that would benefit the most would be more participation between HR, IT, and FM." We all have our individual practices.
I know that I go to IT forums, [00:33:00] and I come to real estate forums. But we as the opportunity for HR, IT, and FM to come together and collaborate on the thing that we do in our day jobs, the workplace. And so until I researched this and, and talked to Kay it's so obvious there's a big hole here to be filled by tightening our relationships with these liaisons.
So again, it's what I've learned. Let me turn it over to the three of you for some additional commentary and thoughts about liaisons, and maybe you even have others besides HR and IT that should join with us in this relationship category
Martin Ruppe: well, I think core business is very important because they give you the overall reason for the organization, and then allows everyone else to, to come in and to provide really like an efficient work around-- a work environment where you get like the right setup, the [00:34:00] right environment for the people and to-- and, and the right environment to drive the culture to really get the, the best environment so that you really can achieve what your organization is trying to achieve.
Tim Allen: Yeah, I quite agree, Martin. I've always thought of it as the, the sort of the real heart of the, the infrastructure of any business because it enables the business to do what it needs to do. And I think the more that we can get these three groups talking together, the better. As we came, as we came literally just out of COVID, it really felt like there was a, a really good cohesion at that time, which I think has actually been stretched a bit more post COVID.
It feels like we've fragmented and, and that's a bit disappointing, so I'm really heartened by anything that can help draw the three of us back together again.
Kati Barklund: Hmm. Also doing that globally, locally, of course, we can, from the industrial liaisons, also try to attract and get together the type of organizations well, working around real estate, FM, HR, IT.
But then locally, we are [00:35:00] doing the same from the hubs and trying to connect and get into the hubs all the, yeah, well, intersections around workplace and getting together the people and really talk about well, the workplace experience, performance, and how we do the difference together.
Tim Allen: It's a really good point you're making there, Kati, because if there's one thing that we probably should make really explicitly clear to anybody who's listening into this is that, again, what I love about WE as a community is that it is for anybody who has any interest at all in what goes on inside those facilities, in, around, and it doesn't matter what area that you're coming at it from, there's going to be somewhere within WE that, that really gives you a sense of that community.
So we want people to be coming together to think about things differently, and that's very much across the spectrum of, of all the elements that go to provide the services that we're using.
Edward Wagoner: You know, it struck me as, as you were talking too, there's [00:36:00] so many organizations that as, you know, every organization's looking to grow and expand.
Well, if you're going outside of the country that you currently operate in, just because we operate HR and IT one way in the US doesn't mean it's gonna operate the same way in Germany or Sweden or the UK, paying homage to the people on the, on the webinar with me. And you could spend a lot of money going out to third parties to try to understand a little bit about the differences, or you could come to a WeHUB or a WEEbinar or one of the big events, and the industry liaisons that we have quite often are from different parts of the world and can explain t- to you how facilities would operate bringing together HR, IT, and also resources.
If I think about research, relationship, and resources, it's like the proverbial three legs of the stool that we hear talked about so [00:37:00] much. It supports WE's initiatives, and those three legs of the stool actually make us all stronger.
Before you listened to this episode, you may not have understood Workplace Evolutionaries, but now I hope that you not only understand the benefits, but also how you can participate.
Thank you, Kati, Tim, and Martin, and the entire WE Leadership Board that helped put together the material for this presentation.
Again, if you're watching us and this is your first exposure to Workplace Evolutionaries, I urge you to consider joining with us, bringing the benefits to your organization, but also bringing your expertise and knowledge and experience to us. And if you have been involved with Workplace Evolutionaries but maybe didn't realize all of the different opportunities, maybe check out a new one and engage, expand your practice, broaden your opportunities, and become an [00:38:00] evolutionary in your workplace.
Host: Thanks for tuning into the Connected FM podcast. If you enjoyed today's episode, please take a moment to rate and review the show because it really helps us reach more listeners just like you. And don't forget to hit the subscribe button so you never miss an episode. See you next time.