As the open office concept becomes increasingly more popular, what is seen as the best solution for increased collaboration and cultural development has room for improvement. A poorly designed open office can instead ruin collaboration and deter productivity. As a dealer, protecting your reputation and leaving the end-user satisfied will require you to better understand what makes the open office work and develop ways to mitigate its weaknesses. This post will cover some methods to help you deliver a better experience and gain rapport with clients.
Solutions with Two Spaces in Mind: Collaborative and Private
What many companies get wrong about the open office is becoming “too open.” In hopes of employee interaction, too much open space allows everyone to see and hear everyone else’s conversations. For many employees, these visual- and noise-induced distractions are invasive and inconsiderate of individual work styles. As a solution, many open offices are beginning to develop more dynamic spaces with more options for privacy while not totally abandoning open, collaborative spaces. This allows employees to focus on “head-down” work without succumbing to a distraction 200 feet away — all while still having the ability to collaborate when necessary.
Privacy Space Options:
- Highly mobile furniture that moves from space to space
- Modular office dividers for acoustic and/or visual privacy
- High headrest armchairs that emphasize privacy and provide an acoustic barrier
- Adjustable lighting options (i.e. standing or desk lamps)
Collaborative Space Options:
- Plants add a pleasing aesthetic and can help define spaces if placed correctly
- Whiteboards and easels facilitate brainstorming and collaboration
- Sliding office dividers can turn an otherwise isolated area into a collaborative space
- Soft furniture and acoustic-dampening office dividers insulate sound within group-work areas
Move Away from Generic, One-Size-Fits-All Offerings
A 2013 workplace survey, commissioned by San Francisco-based architecture firm Gensler, revealed just 25 percent of respondents believed their office space to be “optimal.” Most offices are still feeling out the right solution and are moving through a perpetual “trial-and-error” phase. If the Gensler study is any indicator, the expectations for individual office spaces vary wildly.
From a dealer’s perspective, this is a window of opportunity to provide meaningful consultation and develop relationships with end users that might be in a desperate position to find answers. Instead of suggesting generic open office solutions, understand the end-users’ pain points and develop a customized plan to accommodate those pains.