Bob Kraiss: I think that one of the changes we're going to see is that individuals are going to be much more able to help themselves, and they'll be happier doing that. We have to help promote that capability and promote that. The only reason that I think that is that I see some signs on the horizon. I look at the survey that Cisco did on customer satisfaction, calling in to help centers. The people that called in and went into the help screen themselves and found out the answers themselves were more satisfied than those that talked to real people. When they got done, they were able to help themselves. When we look at satisfaction relative to desktop, those people that are given the tools to solve their own problems are happier than those that have to call the helpline. So, one of the things we have to look at is what do we do for folks today so that they can help themselves given technology advances? I don't know how that is going to change the workplace, but I think it will.
Kit Tuveson: It might change the worker, too. The whole concept of our employees as the free agents that happen to be helping us out this month and in the future that are not employees.
Bob Kraiss: I read an article on a workstation that was totally independent and the person controlled the light, sound, and heat and the thing rotated once a day so the view changed for them. Is that the world we heading to three years from now?
Marina Van Overbeek: I think the workplace will become a lot less formal and more informal, because what we know is the corporate workspace today and because for many people it will not be the center of the corporate life. It has become distributed and it will become even more distributed. As it becomes more distributed, the facility control will be different and I think when people come into the facility, they will come with certain things and they'll want to change it and make choices about things and I think that will indicate a more informal, flexible environment.

(Click Here to Close Window)