![]() The evolution of benching starts with Benching 1.0. Today’s benches are built with today’s workers and their preference for collaboration in mind. But it’s no longer a “one-size-fits-all” crude wood table. In many offices today, the isolated rooms and clunky cubicles are moving out in favor of the reliable and adaptable workbench. Possibly the clearest indicator of the shift in the workplace is the evolution of the actual workspace. Whether it’s new communication tools, groundbreaking technology or enhanced methods of teleworking, change is coming at a relentless pace. In 2017, office culture as we know it is being completely reinvented. We’d love to hear your feedback in the comments.Benching 3.0 – The Evolution of a Collaborative Workspace By: Stacy Fraser and Wendy Noory Use collaboration to your advantage and get your people together, hear everyone out, brainstorm ways to make improvements, and then make them. Let’s say you decide to make the move towards an open floor plan, but after a few months, you notice that productivity and even employee morale has taken a nosedive. Skype) and instant messaging, which allows people to stay connected (this is especially important for virtual workers)ĥ. CRM software allowing everyone to have a 360-degree view of the sales pipeline.Dropbox, which gives anyone you invite access to certain folders and files.Google Docs, which allows people to work on documents together in real time.You’ll find many tools that make collaboration easier, such as… You can foster a collaborative mindset in other ways, without resorting to redesigning the office. Keep in mind that collaboration goes beyond physical layouts. Encourage (and show respect for) both approaches.Ĥ. ![]() Other people, especially introverts, might need private, quiet space: a room with a door or a place where not too many people walk by or congregate. Some people might be able to easily turn off the noise around them or put on their ear buds and concentrate. At some point, people need to stop collaborating, put their heads down, and get work done. Collaboration time can be a great source of awesome ideas, but collaboration can only take a great idea so far. Collaboration is often a creative time: think brainstorming sessions, people experimenting and trying stuff out, lots of talking while working, and so forth. Treat collaboration and get-work-done moments equally. Your employees will take their cues from you. Encourage collaboration sessions and quiet-let’s-get-work-done blocks of time. Balance the open spaces with plenty of quiet nooks and rooms where people can retreat whenever needed.ģ. ![]() There’s no rule saying your entire floor plan needs to be open, and in fact, it probably shouldn’t be. After surveying your employees, you’ll likely find that you need to create some sort of workspace compromise, which brings us to our next point.Ģ. Yes, Millennials tend to like this environment, but what if your organization has more Boomers and Gen Xers? Catering to only one employee segment will only earn you complaints from the segments you seem to be ignoring. Just because more organizations are moving to collaborative workspaces, it doesn’t mean your organization needs to. Ask your people what type of work environment they want. So what can you do? Where’s the balance? How can you create a productive collaborative workspace, one that gets results and keeps everyone happy? Here are some strategies to keep in mind:ġ. In a Forbes article, the author cites some of employees’ top complaints, including lack of privacy, increased exposure to germs, and more noise. According to the same article from Today Money, the move towards this type of work environment is happening despite studies suggesting these open spaces increase stress and decrease productivity. And, of course, big name companies are embracing this model: Facebook’s campus boasts the largest open floor plan in the world.īut collaborative workspaces are not without their flaws. Instead, people from the C-suite are in the trenches alongside the worker bees. Open spaces offer a much more egalitarian environment as well-long gone are the posh corner offices reserved for management’s upper echelons. By removing physical boundaries, like walls and office doors, you naturally encourage more communication and impromptu meetings between all the people within your organization. In principle, there’s no doubt that collaborative workspaces offer big benefits, like breaking down the silo mentality. companies expect to use open, collaborative workspaces with fewer offices.” In fact, according to an article on Today Money, this year “more than three-quarters of U.S. The trend towards collaborative workspaces isn’t new, but it has gained traction in recent years, thanks to Millennials who crave team environments.
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