Reimagining the office for distributed work with Annie Dean of Atlassian

Annie Dean, spearheading the 'Team Anywhere' initiative at Atlassian, shed light on her approach to blending remote work with meaningful in-office interactions to foster both productivity and connection.

Her insights reflect a deep understanding of evolving work cultures and the enduring importance of office spaces.

One significant revelation from Atlassian's Team Anywhere Lab underscores the value of face-to-face interactions.

"Recently, we learned that our team gathering program — where we have teams come together from across the globe into our offices for three to five business days — drives team connection by about 30%," she said. "And that growth in connection lasts for four to five months."

Highlighting the evolution of Atlassian’s New York office, Dean adds, "50% of all visitors to New York are actually coming from out of town for offsite. And that led us to make capital improvements to our lease space to design for intentional togetherness gatherings."

This redesign is intended to foster meaningful interactions, team bonding, and collaborative work sessions.

"50% of all visitors to New York are actually coming from out of town for offsite. And that led us to make capital improvements to our lease space to design for intentional togetherness gatherings." — Annie Dean, Atlassian

Intentionality, Dean argues, must also be a driving force behind in-person meetings.

"I don't want to talk about the work to be done [at a meeting]," she says "I want to actually do the work so that we can leave having accomplished something or driving momentum to an area of focus or output."

Dean’s narrative offers a nuanced understanding of how Atlassian navigates the blend of remote and in-office work while keeping the office a valuable asset in its operational strategy. It’s a compelling exploration of redefining the purpose and design of office spaces to align with evolving work cultures, ensuring they continue to add tangible value to the organizational fabric.

Watch her full conversation with Nellie Hayat above.