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The Office Environment of the
Future:
An Office Space that Guarantees the Best
Productivity for each Employee
There is little debate that the ideal office environment is one
that promotes the most productivity, but also little insight into
how exactly to achieve it, according to high profile
international author and award-winning speaker on project
management, Colin D Ellis.
“Great cultures are a mix of introverts and extroverts. Great leaders know that different
environments are required for each of those individuals to flourish,” Mr Ellis said.
“Unfortunately, the reality is that most organisations only provide two kinds of environments,
and seldomly do team members have a choice as to where exactly their work space is
situated within the office. It is no wonder that many employees fail to produce their best
work, and become unhappy at work.”
According to Mr Ellis, the most popular workplace trend for office culture involves open plan
environments that encourage individuals to work together. Indeed, the 2015 Google
Collaboration and Innovation Survey results show that surveyed organisations believed this
is the number one opportunity to improve profitability.
Mr Ellis describes an open-plan work environment as being one in which there are no
distinct rooms or fully enclosed spaces. Instead, workstations are positioned together -sometimes separated by short screens or panels -- within one exposed floor plan.
“These are often the preferred layout for businesses due to the fact that more employees
can be stationed in a smaller area, with a reduction in both the size and quantity of office
furniture required. Businesses can save on equipment investment as well, since communal
spaces promote shared use of resources and stationary, such as printers, copiers and
staplers,” he said.
However, the constant interaction can be both beneficial and distracting to different
employees.
“Some people have a marked preference for this work environment because they feel
energised by the constant contact with their colleagues, and the ability to easily ask for
information or advice, and share ideas. However, the noise, distraction and lack of privacy
can really bother other people. And of course, constant distraction and interaction among the
staff can affect the overall productivity for the business.”
As a project management expert with over 20 years’ experience helping a wide variety of
organisations transform the way that they deliver their projects, Mr Ellis believes that, just as
various roles require different environments for professional purposes, employees have their
own individual requirements.
“Managers and senior leaders have always agreed that certain employees require a specific
work space due to the nature of their work. For example, accountants, financial controllers
and law professionals within a company require a private space in which sensitive
information cannot be over-heard or inadvertently seen by others,” he said.
“Through my experience, I have also discovered that, regardless of an employee’s
professional role within an organisation, their personality type may require a specific
environment in which they can really flourish, rather than being strangled.”
The four types of working environments that are generally required within each
business/office to suit various functions and personalities include:
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Quiet – These suit people who do their best work in silence or with significantly
reduced distractions. Examples: private workstation or office, working
remotely/virtually
Private – A designated space to contain a discussion or small team meeting.
Examples: Small meeting room, café, walking meetings
Group – For occasions that require a number of people to come together for a
meeting or workshop. Examples: larger meeting room with whiteboards, external
spaces, virtual meeting rooms, video calls.
Social – This space has many uses, such as for teams to share ideas, interact
differently, or break up monotony between tasks. Examples: Cafes, room with bean
bags, outdoor courtyard area.
Mr Ellis recommends organisations work out which space is suitable for which employee
when performing which function. An employee might use a number of different spaces to
achieve the best result at various tasks throughout the day.
“I always encourage Managers to seek feedback from employees themselves, rather than
just making assumptions. We need to always bear in mind that everyone has a different
personality and different preferences. One person may prefer to type up a report in a Quiet
Zone, whereas his colleague may choose to complete the exact same task in a Social
Zone.”
Mr Ellis has recently published the first book of its kind for the project management industry.
The Conscious Project Leader provides project managers with the knowledge they require to
be a great leader, and shows them how to create cultures to ensure their project teams can
do their best work.
For more information
www.colindellis.com
To purchase the book, The Conscious Project Leader visit:
http://www.colindellis.com/book/
or Amazon and Goodreads:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0994537603
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29865817-the-conscious-project-leader
For further information: Kerry McDuling, PR Consultant, tel: + 61 410 578 194