The days of individual employees sitting silently in their private office or at their desks are gone – collaboration is the order of the day, and has been for some time. Collaboration allows different people with a diverse skill set to work together to solve a problem, each bringing their unique perspective to the task. This can increase productivity, employee engagement and workplace satisfaction. So, what’s the best way to form a collaborative workplace environment? And how do you kick-start that spark of collaborative creativity?
Effective Collaboration
Part of the trick is in the layout of the space. Specifically: putting the right number of people together in the right manner fosters a collaborative environment. Freeing up space filled by cabins and workstation is a good first step; aim for about 75 seats for every 100 employees, who can then seat themselves wherever they want to, using mobility-enabling technology. Then, ensure that there’s enough room for collaboration spaces. The optimal ratio is 1.5 workstations: 1 collaboration seat and you really want to be aiming for around four people at a station for best results. For example, Coca-Cola has 294 collaboration seats for its 322 workstations, which is getting pretty close.
What defines a ‘collaboration space’? Well, traditional meeting rooms count, but more than that, because there are different types of collaborations that can happen, it’s important to have different kinds of spaces for them to happen in – both formal, like meeting rooms, and informal, like spaces near vending machines with tables and chairs where employees can gather to swap ideas and work on projects. It’s also crucial for such spaces to have acoustic privacy, so that employees can make personal calls – one phone booth per 15 people is a good ratio. (Coca-Cola has 10; close enough.) And most importantly of all: if you’re going to transition the office environment, involve the team in the transformation to a more collaborative space.
Moving the Furniture
If you’re changing your office into a new type of space, you probably want to consider switching up the office furniture. Standing desks and adjustable height workstations are a good way to remove clutter, while at the same time improving the health of your workforce.
Whiteboards on the walls of open floorplan offices are also a good way to promote collaboration, by giving people a target point for discussions. Comfortable work stations for laptop work – consisting of couches or beanbag chairs – also allow collaborations in a less formal setting.
The elimination of wires and desk clutter can also help to form a collaborative space by making it seem more open and inviting. And one more tip for collaborative environments: USB ports scattered all over the office make it much easier for employees to meet in impromptu spots and work without having to worry about their devices running out of juice.
Neighborhood Watch
Another approach to collaborative spaces is the creation of ‘neighborhoods’ using pieces of modular office furniture that can be changed or moved around to best suit the demands of the space or the project. Several companies have used this approach to move away from the sea of generic desks that all too often characterize an office space. The idea is that people can approach a work area to collaborate and, rather than leaning over someone who’s sitting down to talk about the project, or search for a chair, a more naturalistic conversation can take place. The idea is to foster comfort and creativity without sacrificing productive work.
Conclusion
The space that your employees work in is crucial when it comes to collaboration. An effective layout with an optimal ratio of seats to desks, and of private spaces, will really help to boost employees’ sense of belonging in the workplace, and will allow them to work together more efficiently and effectively.
Article Submitted By Community Writer
