Workplace Performance Demands a Different Kind of Office

In Forbes, Sarah Davis, Workplace Strategist, examines how workplace design has fallen behind modern work patterns

The conversation around work has shifted from where people work to how they work. As organizations continue to navigate hybrid models, evolving expectations, and increasing cognitive demands, attention is turning toward the environments that shape focus, collaboration, recovery, and performance. The question is no longer simply whether employees are present, but whether workplaces support the conditions required for meaningful work.

Sarah Davis, Workplace Strategist at HED, explores this tension in a contributed article for Forbes. Drawing from workplace strategy and behavioral insights, she argues that many office environments remain rooted in outdated measures of productivity, even as knowledge work increasingly depends on concentration, adaptability, and mental resilience. Her piece considers how organizations can rethink workplace design around human performance rather than presence alone.

Published by Forbes Human Resources Council, the article, “Why The Workplace Is Failing The Modern Worker,” examines the growing disconnect between contemporary work expectations and the environments designed to support them. The piece situates workplace strategy within broader conversations about organizational culture, employee well-being, and long-term performance.

View the original publication here:
https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbeshumanresourcescouncil/2026/05/21/why-the-workplace-is-failing-the-modern-worker/