The leadership team at BSB Design is excited to announce the implementation of a four-day work week at each of our office locations. Continuing the firm’s dedication to remain on the leading edge of architecture and innovation, this change represents the next level of forward-thinking operations and management for BSB Design.
BSB Design has a rich history of ushering in transformative change for the AEC industry. Our team members embrace an entrepreneurial mindset, thinking like founders and not just employees. As such, creativity is rooted firmly in our DNA, which prompted us to design and build our Innovation Lab in 2016 as a physical extension of the firm’s ongoing exploration of new, better ways to design, to work and to live. Our four-day work week is the product of years of design and testing in our Innovation Lab, as are the tools and processes we will use to ensure its success. In the words of our founder Jack Bloodgood, we are building on our past to create our future.
The four-day work week also reflects BSB Design’s commitment to work-life balance. Our teams will be empowered to increase productivity and efficiency as we strive to deliver higher quality design and deliverables in shorter timeframes. This gift of constraints has been proven time and again to yield amazing results in a variety of industries. Precision-based processes will enable us to hit targets faster, and as a result, BSB team members will be rewarded with time to grow professionally and to pursue personal interests.
Hours of Operation
Offices will operate during core hours from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday. In addition, BSB team members will participate in a half-day professional development training program one Friday each month. The transition to the new four-day work week officially begins the week of April 5, 2021, with the first scheduled Friday office “closure” occurring on April 9.
Increased Productivity
Many studies have illustrated that a four-day work week can lead to increased productivity compared to a traditional five-day work week. BSB team members are coached in creating an outcomes-based mindset instead of a time-spent mindset. This means every action we take while at work has value toward accomplishing set goals and deadlines. As a result, employees develop a clear understanding of expectations, and they take full ownership of progress toward meeting goals, which equals less stress and uncertainty.
Finding ways to introduce more speed and efficiency into the design process is not new at BSB Design. For more than 30 years, our unique design charette process has consistently helped our clients achieve more in three or four days than they typically can in weeks or months. We have proven that producing more in less time isn’t just possible. It’s a way of business for BSB Design.
Employee Engagement
Studies of four-day work weeks also cite increased job satisfaction, lower absenteeism and less burnout among employees. We are confident this new model will improve employee engagement, helping team members feel happier, more appreciated, and dedicated to the shared mission of BSB Design. As a family-focused firm, we want to give back to our employees, reduce overall stress, increase personal time with family and friends, and enable everyone at BSB to maintain peak physical and mental health.
BSB Design has been refining our tools, processes and scheduling approach over the past year to ensure the four-day work week will be a success. Team members have already proven they can increase productivity and quality while decreasing timeframes. Our clients have experienced the benefits of this precision focus, so we are confident that this innovative approach to our work week will be an overwhelming success that promises to establish a new model for the AEC industry.
Questions about BSB Design’s four-day work week? Contact Dan Swift, AIA, President & CEO.
Check out some additional information about using a four-day work week:
NBC News – Four-Day Work Week Might Be Exactly What The US Needs
CNBC – COVID May Have Pushed Us Closer to a Four-Day Working Week
