Washington Post to Employees: We’re Moving; Stop Printing Out So Much Stuff!

The Washington Post is moving soon (to a building with a Dan Brown connection, no less!), and a note to employees from HR VP Wayne Connell talks about some sweet features of the new digs–standing desks for those who want them, a better way to book conference rooms.

But to get there, people need to clean up! Because the new desks will have less space, whether you’re standing or sitting. “The #1 thing you can do to prepare for this move is: purge,” Connell writes. The company has set up “a ‘pack’ of individual workstations on the 6th floor to help visualize just how much (read: little) space you’ll have at 1301 K St.” Here’s what those desks look like.

And moreover, stop printing out so much crap, Washington Post employees! “[I]f you are highly attuned to frequent printing, now would be a good time to unlearn that habit,” Connell writes. “You won’t have much room for piles of printed documents in the new space; best not to print them in the first place.”

Full memo:

To All Post Employees (regardless of your work location),

Relocation is almost upon us. The new space will change how we work and interrelate with each other in myriad ways – influencing culture, norms, patterns, and relationships, to name a few. After the Labor Day holiday, relocation communications will ramp up in earnest – expect a new update from me every week, with more as needed. Each one will focus on a different aspect of the move, addressing various questions we receive along the way. Rather than send these emails to only those based at 1301 K St., we will send them to everyone in an effort to keep you in the loop. Each email will be uploaded to GuidePost as well for future reference. If certain details don’t pertain to you, feel free to disregard.

Many Tracks Happening At Once

Teams are working each track to ensure a successful relocation. Among them:

• Build-out of the new space (with two crews working 10-hour shifts, six days a week)
• Move logistics (we will choose the vendor who will help us physically relocate within the next three weeks)
• Seat assignments (representatives from each department are working on this now)
• Signage & “way-finding” for the new space (a somewhat foreign concept in our current building; in our new home, you will actually be able to find your way. Imagine the possibilities …)
• Booking conference rooms & meetings spaces (which will be easier, automated, & more transparent than it is today)
• Standing desks for those who need them
• Parking at 1301 K St
• IT/technical infrastructure in the new space
• Storage allocation
• Welcome celebrations once the relocation is complete

Future updates will home in on the topics above in detail, as well as many others. This is not an exhaustive list, as the behind-the-scenes work on this project is intense. Many thanks to everyone helping to make this enormous project a success.

Next Town Hall is Sept. 9

We will dedicate a sizeable portion of our next Town Hall to relocation, as this will be the last Town Hall at 1150 15th St. We will discuss moving logistics in detail, among other things. In the meantime …

Start Preparing for the Move Now

The new space will be modern, open, exciting, and … cozy. The #1 thing you can do to prepare for this move is: purge. There will be far less storage space, table space, and desk space than we have today. If you haven’t already, please begin to purge items that aren’t critical for your day-to-day work. Also, if you are highly attuned to frequent printing, now would be a good time to unlearn that habit. You won’t have much room for piles of printed documents in the new space; best not to print them in the first place. We’ve set up a “pack” of individual workstations on the 6th floor to help visualize just how much (read: little) space you’ll have at 1301 K St. Feel free to visit the pack on the 6th floor anytime. More details to come…

Our New Building Has a Dedicated Website

If you haven’t already, visit http://www.onefranklinsquare.com/toc.cfm to get an overview of our new professional home.

Questions or Suggestions

We have already received a lot of questions and suggestions related to the move, and are keeping a running list and working each one in turn. As others arise, feel free to send an email to GuidePost@washpost.com. You can also send feedback directly through the GuidePost site.

Stay tuned, as there is much more to come. In the meantime, hope you all have a terrific end to the summer season.

Many thanks,

Wayne

Andrew Beaujon

Senior editor

Andrew Beaujon joined Washingtonian in late 2014. He was previously with the Poynter Institute, TBD.com, and Washington City Paper. His book A Bigger Field Awaits Us: The Scottish Soccer Team That Fought the Great War was published in 2018. He lives in Del Ray.