AV Solutions: Disney’s Return to Office

According to a recent memo by CEO Robert Iger, employees at Disney are being asked to return to in-person work for at least four days a week to boost creativity and productivity. 

This news doesn’t come as a huge shock to Disney workers, many of whom have already been required to work in-office for three days a week, but the stakes are high, and the way the company handles this transition to a slightly stricter model may define the future of Disney.

Discover more about this shift and how AV solutions can significantly impact the company and its employees.  

What’s Going On at Disney?

Things haven’t been easy for Disney the past few years – a combination of pandemic-related challenges and structural changes within the company means morale may be nearing an all-time low. Executives like Iger hope that bringing employees together physically will make fostering the creative, collaborative environment that feels classically “Disney” a reality once more.

But ensuring that Disney’s offices are among the most magical places to work isn’t quite as simple as returning to a primarily in-person model and hoping for the best.

Disney will likely need to take tangible steps to update their workspaces to fit the needs of its employees, many of whom work differently now than they did several years ago.

The (Potential) Problem

Because many Disney workers have relied on a hybrid or remote work model for the past several years, it’s probably true that the technology that employees may need to function at their best is lacking by current standards. 

Even if Disney’s office spaces are up-to-date, ensuring that they’re set up to allow both remote and in-person employees to work with one another may be key.

Below are a few things Disney might need to keep in mind as they make this transition to be sure it goes smoothly:

• Conduct a full office audit. It’s likely that many offices within Disney’s work spaces haven’t been used in some time, or at least haven’t been updated since remote work has become more ubiquitous. To truly foster creativity and collaboration, as Disney says they hope to, a full office audit might be necessary. Looking at things like conference rooms, communal spaces, and huddle spaces to pinpoint areas that need updates might help. As we’ve seen with Tesla’s return to the office, taking steps to avoid the challenges an outdated space might create ahead of time can make a huge difference.  
• Prioritize a communal, creative office space. To ensure that employees can communicate effectively, whether through a video chat, phone call, in-person meeting, etc. – it’s essential that Disney officials provide the right tech. An open workspace with lots of light, opportunities to collaborate with others, and unique, relevant technological features can make getting the job done much easier. Plus, making an effort to provide employees with the tools, they feel they need to work their best shows true dedication to creating an inclusive environment. 
• Choose the right tech for the job. Disney’s decision to implement a four-day workweek is likely to boost productivity. But being overworked isn’t the only thing that can affect productivity; a lack of access to adequate, functional technology can also have consequences. Laggy, outdated tech prone to loading errors, is confusing to navigate, or doesn’t support audio-visual communication can easily stifle productivity. 

4 AV Solutions Disney Can Use to Promote Productivity

Luckily for Disney, there’s lots of room to make small yet significant improvements to office spaces that might support their long-term goal of creating an ideal work space. Below are some of our favorite AV solutions that might do the trick.

1. Automatic Room Schedulers

Because many employees will find themselves back in the office for the majority of their week once again, organization and productivity might be impacted. Room schedulers can take some of the headaches out of keeping different work resources accessible. Ensuring everyone is on the same page about which spaces are available when can save time, energy, and lots of confusion.

2. Huddle Spaces

Huddle spaces are a great way to promote intimate meetings, impromptu collaboration, and teamwork. Those using audio-visual tools like video walls and digital signage may lend themselves especially well to various work tasks. 

3. Huddly Canvas Camera

The Huddly Canvas Camera might be one of the best ways to bring creativity and collaboration into the workplace. The camera uses video footage of what users write on a whiteboard before using AI to upgrade the image's clarity and transmit it via video so everyone participating can see. This tech can be great for things like storyboarding, and when paired with other devices (like a smart whiteboard), it may be possible to save and store just about anything you write in person as a digitally-accessible file. 

4. Video Planar Wall

Few things can make an office space feel as inspiring and uplifting as a large video planar wall. Video walls can display important information, connect remote and in-person workers, share presentation materials, and so much more. 

AV Solutions with AV Planners

Here at AV Planners, we’re very familiar with the sorts of changes that companies across the world have had to implement to bring their work spaces up to date. Disney is just one of many whose shift to in-person work might bring about a need for change.

If you’re interested in learning more about how AV solutions like these can revolutionize your office, don’t hesitate to contact us or visit reviews from previous clients to learn what we can do for you.