Creating Collaborative Workspaces

Organizations both small and large have started adopting the open office concept. Tangible, definable space that was once the focal point of most major office floor plans was thought to stifle collaboration and creativity.

With younger companies (who tend to be more technology based), the office furniture industry has seen a shift to provide collaborative workspace to employees. These environments promote all of the elements that are necessary for employee cohesion and ultimately, the success of any business. So, how can it be achieved?

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Aligning Your Culture and Workspace

Offices comprised of “cubicle farms” are being abandoned by more and more organizations. Instead, higher ups are opting for a more open office that almost forces collaboration between employees by sheer proximity; much more than the old, secluded plans ever did.

There was once a time when most office space was allotted to individuals in their own offices, while only about 20% of the office plan was for collaborative workspaces. Thanks for a cultural shift away from micromanagement, the new thinking that employees should have the freedom to govern themselves has resulted in a boom of collaborative workspaces in the form of informal conference rooms, shared huddle areas, and larger breakrooms.

Building a Sense of Community

Comfortable employees are more productive employee, and that doesn’t just apply to office ergonomics. Sure the office furniture itself should be comfy, but your employees should also feel comfortable around each other. Team building activities are just a jumping off point for a workplace that encourages connectivity between employees and various teams.

One easy way of creating such a collaborative workspace is to focus on what world renowned global architecture and design firm HOK considers to be workplace performance enhancing strategies.

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  Central location – Make meeting spaces easy to get to. Placing drop-in stations near the breakroom is a great way to catch people when they’re already in a more relaxed state of mind.
• Comfortable furniture – Consider cushy lounge furniture in these informal meeting spaces instead of task chairs.
• Clean space – Clutter is one of the biggest barriers to creativity. Make sure meeting spaces have ample storage units so that the area remains distraction free.
• Coffee – While not everyone drinks coffee, some form of beverage and/or snacks should be provided. How many great ideas were born over people sharing a meal?
• Connectivity – Provide employees with ample power outlets or USB charging stations for their devices. These collaboration areas are also great places for TVs or computer screens that constantly provide updates to what’s happening in the news.

Creating a Variety of Collaborative Workspaces

When it comes to creativity, there is no “one size fits all” approach. Teams and employees should have a variety of collaborative workspaces within the office to choose from. Unfortunately, true team creativity is slowly being replaced by meetings and conferences with very little thought put into the physical spaces and the effect it can have on creative team building.

Collaboration is often confused with cooperation; however, both concepts are very different when it comes to increasing the collaboration, creativity, and productivity of your team. Focusing on separate spaces or smaller but more flexible workspaces, for the different activities introduced, can promote a more collaborative workspace.

Examples of such collaborative workspaces can include; war rooms for brainstorming, informal conference rooms, small and private meeting spaces, and project or ‘work’ rooms that are filled with writeable surfaces.

 
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About Jasmin

Jasmin handles Internet sales and digital marketing here at Creative Office Furniture. She's been a valuable member of the Creative team since March 2014.[/author_info] [/author]