As organisations across Asia adapt to hybrid work and evolving collaboration norms, one group is often left out of the workplace design conversation: middle managers. Positioned between leadership and teams, they juggle competing demands, manage sensitive information, and operate under constant pressure to perform—yet their specific needs are frequently overlooked.
While leadership often emphasises visibility and collaboration, middle managers are calling for something different: uninterrupted focus. Our global study reveals a striking disconnect: privacy has overtaken collaboration as the top workplace need, particularly for this group. Two-thirds of middle managers cite privacy as their top priority, yet nearly half feel excluded from workplace planning decisions.
Despite bearing workloads comparable to senior leaders, middle managers often lack access to private, functional spaces for focused work, preparation, or recovery. Many now resort to video calls at their desks, amplifying noise and fatigue. To better support this critical layer of the workforce, organisations must go beyond generic collaboration zones and design environments that accommodate the full spectrum of work, especially the quiet, cognitive modes that drive clarity, resilience, and effective decision-making.
Why Privacy Now: Four Forces Reshaping the Workplace
This growing demand for privacy is part of a larger shift reshaping workplaces today. Several forces are driving the need for spaces that balance focus and collaboration.
First of all, digital interaction has overtaken face-to-face communication, with half of employees now taking virtual calls at their desks, increasing noise and reducing meaningful connection. The rapid pace of AI-driven change requires environments that support both innovation and deep concentration.
At the same time, sustainability goals are encouraging flexible, modular design, while rising concerns around wellbeing are reshaping employee expectations. With two-thirds of workers reporting they are not thriving and Gen Z flagging rising anxiety, workspaces must now do more to reduce stress and foster autonomy. Together, these trends make it clear: privacy is no longer a luxury but an essential element of modern workplace design.
Redefining Privacy for the Hybrid Age
Privacy today goes far beyond the traditional notion of closed-door offices or isolated workstations. In the hybrid era, privacy encompasses a spectrum of needs, from acoustic and visual separation to control over one’s personal space and information, while enabling effortless movement between focused individual work and dynamic collaboration.
Providing a variety of settings tailored to different tasks is essential. Employees with access to diverse work environments consistently report higher satisfaction and productivity compared to those confined to fixed desks or single-purpose zones. More importantly, privacy must be democratised across the workspace, becoming an inclusive resource accessible to all rather than a luxury reserved for senior roles.
Effective design solutions, such as acoustic barriers, flexible partitions, and quiet nooks, can create fluid transitions between work modes without major renovations. That’s why we recommend organisations adopt a community-based design approach by transforming offices into vibrant ‘districts’ that seamlessly blend quiet retreats, rejuvenation areas, and collaborative hubs, nurturing both focus and connection.
Organisations will need to embrace this new reality by reimagining workspaces that balance individual focus with collaborative energy. Modular layouts, enclosed meeting pods, and multi-functional zones will become foundational elements of the modern office. To better support leaders, products like the Be My Guest® system will offer organisations the ability to incorporate thoughtfully crafted spaces, from acoustic booths and semi-open canopies to privacy-enhancing zones, to foster well-being, flexibility, and meaningful connection in a hybrid work environment.
A Choice for the Future: Meeting Middle Managers’ Needs
Workplace design is a strategic tool not only for supporting how people work but for shaping how they feel. As hybrid work matures, leaders face a clear choice: continue designing offices for the past or start intentionally designing for how work happens today.
After all, middle managers are asking for one thing: the ability to focus, protect their time, and work in environments that recognise the complexity of their roles. This need is fundamental to driving performance, engagement, and retention. It means giving them the space and trust to do their best work on their own terms. Organisations that embrace this mindset will build workplaces that are not only more productive but also more human.
Creating privacy doesn’t mean isolating people. It means empowering them to show up, contribute meaningfully, and thrive every single day.
About the author
Peter Lewchanin is the President of Steelcase APAC, where he leads business operations across the Asia Pacific region to drive sustained performance. Prior to this, he held senior roles in corporate strategy and led the turnaround and divestiture of PolyVision, a former Steelcase subsidiary. With a background in finance and strategy, Peter began his career at KPMG and holds degrees in accounting and business administration from top institutions in Georgia, USA.
