Well, well, well. It would seem that Tara is finally catching on to what’s good. I knew she’d come around eventually – my idea of having a ball pit in the main meeting room is obviously brilliant, if unorthodox. Sure, it might seem like a meaningless distraction at first glance, but if you dig a bit deeper, you soon realise that it’s precisely the kind of conceptual shake-up this firm needs to move into the future and attract the kind of talent we’re looking for.
I’ve always found legal workspaces to be pretty dry on office design concepts. Melbourne is a city known for design excellence, and I don’t get why lawyers should have to go without. I gather it’s because the profession is regarded as being very serious, and design as frivolous by comparison.
What people don’t realise is that good design is an essential part of establishing the culture of a workplace, and low-functioning, drab and outdated surroundings are not exactly conducive to generating contemporary, forward-thinking perspectives. A ball pit in the meeting room is the perfect way to throw our people in the deep end of thinking differently.
I’m sure it’s one of my best ever office fitout ideas. Melbourne workplaces are going to be following suit soon enough. Even so, it’s been an uphill battle getting everyone on board. Tara’s been particularly staunch in her rejection of it, essentially ignoring me every time I bring it up, so I’ve taken to slipping it lightly into conversation every time I meet her in the bathroom. I think it’s finally starting to work on her – today she said, “Okay, Tiffany. You win. Do whatever you want.”
I know it’s not exactly a green light, but it’s no longer a complete and utter dismissal. She needs to trust me on this. You know? I’m in HR for a reason, which is that I know what makes people tick.