Rethinking its physical workspace as part of “a comprehensive culture change” has won Australia’s Fairfax Media INMA’s first-ever global innovation award.

The company’s Real-time working project – which involved a combination of physical, behavioural, and technological strategies – was honoured during an awards presentation at INMA’s World Congress in San Francisco this week.

Executive director and chief executive Earl Wilkinson says it represents “the kind of comprehensive culture change that is happening in the media industry worldwide as companies retool for multi-media consumers and advertisers.

“The company re-thought its physical workspace in a way that promotes collaboration and makes the workplace a magnet for talent in the competitive Sydney area.”

Criteria for entries world included structured activities to create an ongoing process of product, audience, and revenue ideation and incubation, transform culture and develop mindsets, and attract young talent.

Regional winners in the Global Innovation competition were Times of India publisher Bennett, Coleman and Co (for ‘Transforming print media sales culture through technology’), USA-based Gannett for its innovation grants programme, and Sweden’s MittMedia (for ‘FutureWorks: Accelerating innovation and building personal capacity for learning and change’).

Fairfax submitted a metrics-focused series of technological strategies which it claims enable more efficient and flexible work by individuals and teams. In implementing Real-time working, it aimed for more agile and responsive business operations and an inspiring and collaborative workplace that embodied the brand. A set of physical, behavioural, and technological strategies enabled more flexible and efficient work by individuals and teams, while recognising that there was a spectrum of work styles and demands where people would have different activities to complete. “This, in turn, requires varying levels of concentration, collaboration, and innovation,” said the submission.

A cross-functional project team – made up of staff from technology, human resources, property and staff from each business unit – was brought together to ensure an integrated programme delivery over a 12-month period. It focussed on space, technology – with existing IT and infrastructure barriers removed to give staff a choice of technology and “empowered to embrace a digital culture” – and people. Staff were encouraged staff to have “a choice and a voice”, to challenge the status quo and define the way they work.

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