How Physical Spaces Build Connection and Get Results with Doug Shapiro

Dr. Nathan Regier, your host, welcomes Doug Shapiro, who is the vice president for research and insights at OFS, a family-owned contract furniture manufacturer with a unique mission to bring people together. Doug specializes in imagining physical spaces that promote connection and wellness. He believes that design is compassion manifested in the physical space. Doug is from an industry people won’t naturally associate with compassion, accountability, and Leadership: The commercial Furniture industry, but we all know that thriving cultures are about their people, and those people live, work, and interact within a physical space that has a massive influence on them. Listen to this episode to learn how space and place affect can be an instrument of compassionate accountability.   Key Takeaways: [2:28] What is the connection between furniture manufacturing and compassion? [3:15] Doug talks about his work and mission. [5:25] What makes OFS so unique? [7:10] What kind of problems does Doug solve? Who does he work with? [9:39] Doug shares an example of his work. [11:25] Doug talks about his experience with specific clients. [12:37]  What does not work? What goes against the notion of including people, working together, and helping them to be productive? [17:16] Doug explains why some spaces work better than others to foster belonging and inclusion. [18:39] Are there any fundamental principles of design that inspired the work that Doug does? [20:16] Dr. Nate shares the definition of compassion. [21:19] How can our physical space support the fact that we are valuable, capable, and responsible? [24:10] A space can send messages about what is essential and what is not. [24:24} Doug has published a children’s book and is about to launch another. [26:48] Doug talks about Imagine a Place, his Podcast. [27:48] Doug shares resources with the audience [29:33] Doug shares a fun conclusion he found recently. [31:52] Dr. Nate shares his top three takeaways from a fun conversation with Dough Shapiro.   Mentioned in this episode: The Compassion Mindset   Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, Daniel Pink   Imagine a place Podcast.   Design Your World, Doug Shapiro   Tweetables: “Show people how much you care about them.” #oncompassion   “Design and compassion are very closely connected. Compassion is taking action on empathy, and design is compassion that has been manifested after listening and understanding who will inhabit a particular space.“ #oncompassion   “Compassion has to be demonstrated, we can’t just talk about it.” #oncompassion