But today’s workplace transformation goes beyond the corner. All assigned desks and offices are on the decline, comprising only 45 percent of the average office, compared with 56 percent in 2021.

These symbols, in turn, shape how employees think about the organization and ultimately how they behave in the workplace.

Underlying assumptions about which cultural symbols are — or are not — considered acceptable or “professional” in a workplace can’t be changed overnight, and no amount of diversity ...