Pittsburgh's Power 100: Here’s to a better-than-before future

Last month, the Pittsburgh Business Times released its annual Power 100, a listing of Pittsburgh’s most influential business leaders.

I’m humbled to be on this list alongside the 99 additional leaders from a multitude of industries and backgrounds, who each had to navigate their way through a disruptive, yet transformative year.

Like Cain Hayes of Gateway Health, who is working to reduce inequalities in healthcare, and Laura Karet of Giant Eagle, who faced uncertain supply chains and prioritized the safety of customers and employees. Or Leah Lizarondo of 412 Food Rescue, who made it her mission to provide food throughout the pandemic, even initiating home deliveries to the elderly and immunocompromised.

The honor of being named among the most influential in the region has allowed me to reflect on the past year, and what our teams have learned and how they’ve grown to adapt and solve for challenges we’ve never seen before.

The names on this list make me proud to call Pittsburgh home and hopeful for our region’s future as we continue to find our way through the disruption.

Where we’ve been: Navigating through uncertainty

Last spring, we needed to pivot—altering the way we think and talk about the workplace and adapt to the environment as it changed as a result from the pandemic. And, that’s what we did.

We leaned heavily on research and listened to our peers across a multitude of industries, from health care to technology, to instill the best and safest solutions to keep our teams engaged. The enhancement and expansion of our technology solutions helped many companies solve for questions like: how much space will I still need when this is over, and what will it look like? Is this the end of the office? (Spoiler: it’s not!)

Throughout the uncertainty, Pittsburgh still saw plenty of momentum. Significant projects are moving forward, like the Lower Hill District’s FNB Financial Center, and Oakland’s Innovation Research Tower. We saw many companies expand their teams and their solutions, like RE2 Robotics, which expanded employee head count by 50%. It’s because of this momentum, driven by the leaders on this list among many others, that I can confidently say the future is bright, and we’ve all adapted for the better.

Looking ahead: How we’re working toward a better normal

The pandemic has upended the normalcy of everyday, but paved the way for new solutions, new technologies, and new ways of working to benefit everyone.

For my industry, it goes without saying the workplace will change—but it will exist even better than before.

Our research shows that tenants are now placing more value on well-being services and health services within their office building. Think: enhanced air filtration, natural light, and touchless technology throughout entry points.

And even beyond that, we’ve seen companies prioritize employees’ productivity and wellbeing by leveraging workspaces that facilitate meaningful collaboration, while also instilling flexible options—whether remote or by private office—for them to focus.

More than 43% of workers want more privacy to concentrate, moving away from the dense cubicles we’ve come to know, encouraging companies to rethink how they utilize their space.

After working remotely for nearly a year, the line between work and home life has blurred for many, pushing the struggle of work-life balance into greater focus. Today’s employees are eager to differentiate the two, and the reimagining of the office is where that will begin. As employees continue to work from home even after the pandemic, the office will reimagine itself for more innovative uses – team collaboration, forums and events to host clients and partners, and as a place to build culture. Implementing tenant amenity areas like private terraces or outdoor patios, lounges, or larger white board rooms will help differentiate the new at-work experience from the at-home experience, setting companies up for success.

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With the right focus and dedication this year, we can create more opportunities to work and live better. We’re looking forward to safe, purposeful offices, with more flexibility to achieve balance between work life and home life, and a stronger commitment to the health and wellbeing of our community, achieving the ultimate goal of every company: establishing better-than-normal conditions in our lives.