While effective and efficient employee communication and collaboration has always been important, on today’s relentlessly fast-changing business landscape, it’s more vital than ever. Indeed, today’s robust game plan often becomes tomorrow’s agile workaround, and the only thing that all project managers know for certain before an initiative kicks off is “to expect the unexpected.”
Naturally, there are proven and practical ways to enhance communication and collaboration, such as through training, technology, management approach, and so on. These are obviously important and need to be part of the mix. However, less obvious is the fact that office design plays a surprisingly large role in how often — and how effectively — employees share information, co-create solutions, and work together to achieve goals and objectives.
Below, we highlight 4 smart office design tips to improve employee communication and collaboration:
1. Create Open Work Spaces
Open, or collaborative work spaces, spaces co-locate cross-functional teams in a shared working environment that features few — if any — barriers, such as walls or cubicles. As such valuable interaction between employees takes place informally, organically and spontaneously rather than primarily or exclusively through formal meetings.
2. Create Private “Heads Down” Zones
Some businesses that have implemented an open office design approach have solved one problem but created another: their people connect more often (and to greater effect), but productivity diminishes, because there is too much interaction. Creating “heads down” zones balances things out perfectly. When employees need to go into focus mode to tackle a detailed task, they can simply shift into designated rooms or zones accordingly.
3. Create Breakout Spaces
Breakout spaces are relatively small areas, typically around high traffic areas like stairwells, elevators or lunchrooms, where employees can quickly congregate without having to leave the premises. The space is usually characterized by comfortable and colorful furniture, such as beanbag chairs and comfy couches.
4. Integrated Technology into the
Office Design
Integrating technology into the office design includes elements like providing plenty of easy-to-access power outlets and USB charging ports, end-to-end fast and secure wifi, and ample table or desk space (which is especially helpful if the workforce includes remote workers who occasionally come into the office and need a place to be productive).
The Bottom Line
A workforce that communicates and collaborates effectively gets more done with fewer resources and is much better equipped to overcome obstacles and seize opportunities. Making your office design part of this solution isn’t just a smart move, but it is an essential requirement in order to remain competitive and keep growing. To learn more, contact the Key Interiors team today. Your consultation with us is free.
To find out more information about whether an open and collaborative office design is right for your business, check out our FREE eBook today:
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