Remote working has come a long way in the last three years, but sometimes being there in person makes all the difference. Since our Sydney team has moved into their Darling Harbour-based offices in September, they have embraced working alongside each other and being able to quickly pop out to meet with clients.
‘It’s great to be there face-to-face, catching up on a Monday morning or having a cup of tea together,’ says Nicole Sullivan, our Head of Strategy and Impact Australia. ‘There are so many small things about working alongside each other that add up to something really big for your experience of work.’
While remote working and video calls bring many benefits to business – especially for us, operating in Australia and New Zealand – they do have limits. ‘Working online, even on a Teams call, we can be like personified computers. We all have a box around our heads and are two-dimensional. It’s a different way to interact’. Nicole, a noted ‘hand talker’, finds her extra layers of communication don’t come across as easily in a video call.
Team members from across Australia plan the year
Nicole also thinks there’s nothing like getting together, sketching ideas out on paper, and talking things through. Sustainability and Systems Specialist Tori Wouters and Sustainability Analyst Tanya Kogileru are in the office most days, and Nicole and Senior Sustainability Specialist Steve Mitchell are there a few days a week.
A good building in a good location
The office is in Darling Park, near Darling Harbour. ‘It’s a five-minute walk from Town Hall Station, so is brilliantly accessible,’ says Nicole. ‘The building also has a 6 Star Green Star rating; it’s important to us that it has higher sustainability values’.
The central location lets them connect beyond meetings more often. ‘It’s close to restaurants and cafes, so it’s easy to meet for a coffee or have team dinners. It also helps with visiting clients. For instance, if I wanted to visit the InfraBuild office, it’s just a short train ride away,’ Nicole adds.
The three Darling Park towers are arranged in a triangle, with the thinkstep-anz team in tower two. In the middle, there’s a garden. ‘That’s just spectacular. You can see it on Google Maps. It’s modelled on a waratah – a flower that is the symbol for New South Wales and has many petals,’ Nicole explains.
Our new Sydney office provides the team with a base where they can work together more closely and build relationships. That’s good for our people and good for our clients who will benefit from a well-connected and motivated team.
February 2023