The modern-day workspace has shifted to one that’s more open, synergistic and dynamic. Where before employees were blocked off from each other inside cramped cubicles, offices have torn down the walls and the barriers they create to establish environments with a special huddle area where employees are able to feel more like a team and less like a divided unit. Creative Office Furniture weighs in with five reasons such huddle areas can bolster your company’s productivity.
The Edge - by First Office
1. Technology Integration
One of the main reasons the contemporary workspace has gone through such sweeping changes is that there are more Millennial employees, who fully realize the power of today’s technology. Just like younger workers enjoy sharing ideas and stories on social media, they like to bring that same sense of community with them to the office.
Huddle areas make it easy to integrate tablets, two-in-one laptops, smartphones and various productivity apps with workplace activities. Since everyone is already in the same space, it’s easier to share visual information, give demonstrations and make necessary (and immediate) changes with group input. This is preferable to using/potentially wasting company time by waiting on emails and responses to questions.
2. Impromptu Meetings
Ever have a “eureka!” moment and want to share it with your work team? In an older business environment, it often feels like rounding up cats to get everyone into a meeting or conference room ASAP. Meanwhile, that brilliant burst of inspiration is fading to a spark of frustration. By having a huddle area, employees can quickly and easily flow from their desks to a collaborative space where they can feel the heat of your idea and help fan the flames.
3. Feeding Creativity
Working in a solitary workspace is sometimes a good way to concentrate on a single task, but it often proves ineffective when a project would work better with a few sources of inspiration. Shared workspaces bring employees together and let them freely bounce ideas off of each other, creating a snowball effect that turns an “okay” idea into one that has the potential to take the company to the next level. Even employees who feel they work better alone may be surprised at how much better they perform after spending time in a huddle area.
4. Efficiency of Huddle Areas
Going back to technology integration for a moment, the devices being used in businesses are getting smaller and smaller; which means there’s really no need for the ample workspaces of old. With flat-screen monitors, cloud-based services and workplace flexibility on the rise, companies could very well be squandering the space they currently have by continuing to cling to the old cubicle ways. Not only does it make sense to have smaller workspaces, it makes even more sense to shape those spaces in ways that are more effective. Besides huddle areas, spaces once used for larger computers, physical document storage and sprawling desks can instead be devoted to casual lounge seating with integrated work surfaces or collaborative spaces where employees can rearrange elements to fit their specific needs.
5. Brand Representation
No business is complete without a brand, and that brand is easier to show rather than tell with huddle areas in the heart of your workspace. Not only are employees who work together able to get a better sense of the company they work for, they’re also more likely to become more loyal and have a better sense of community by coming together. Now rather than thinking of ways to reinforce and display your company philosophy, you can let your employees experience that philosophy every time they sit down and “break bread” together.
Just like a sports team huddles up to map out its next play, your work team can borrow that same strategy for better overall productivity. Break the chains of stagnation and come together in the spirit of innovation.