When you think about designing your house and floor plan, you consider how every room has a different purpose. You eat in the dining room, cook in the kitchen, lounge in the living room, shower in the bathroom, sleep in the bedroom, and you may even have outdoor living spaces that serve different purposes like relaxing or al fresco dining. So when we are designing our physical office spaces, why don’t we take the same approach? There is a lot of debate over having an open versus closed office floor plan, but those debates are missing the point.
Employees perform a variety of tasks every day and they need spaces that will cater to each of those different tasks individually. Multiple designs in the office, just like in a house, will help employees get their work done more efficiently. First, you must understand how and why employees work before you begin designing their work spaces. Then you can form all of the “rooms” in your office to emulate a certain environment. Stop worrying about open versus closed floor plans. Start concentrating on creating a working space with multiple designs that will reflect all of the activities that employees do throughout their day!
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This video is brought to you by Staples Business Advantage, the business-to-business division of Staples, Inc. I recently worked with Staples Business Advantage on their 2016 Workplace Index, which examined the state of the workplace in the United States and Canada. The report identified what employees want and need from their employers, including wellness programs, smart office design, the right technology, and space and supplies for taking breaks. These findings are critical to help companies meet their recruitment, retention, and employee engagement goals. Download the report at go.staplesadvantage.com/workplaceindex2016.
Jacob Morgan is a keynote speaker, author, and futurist. You can invite Jacob to keynote your next conference, subscribe to his videos on Youtube, check our his podcast, or subscribe to his newsletter!
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