AN OFFICE YOUR TEAM WILL LOVE
The bigger your team gets, the more different types of personalities will arise. And when it comes to the office, it needs to be somewhere that as many people as possible can enjoy it. After all, after our own homes, it is most often the office or workplace that we spend time in.
If you ask each of your team to give you their must-haves and take them into consideration, you are already doing more than most businesses do.
The space does need to be a few things - for example, you want it to be clean and productive, have meeting spaces, and separate working spaces for those who need to do deep work.
But how can you leverage your office design to create an atmosphere that people will love?
Dynamics
The dynamics of the team are important because that has a large impact on how the layout of the desks works.
For example, you might have eight teams that make sense together on a social level, while two are not social. The entire team is productive, but consideration needs to be paid to those who need extra space to work. Look at what they use now; how could you improve it?
Keep in mind you don’t need to build walls; you can get perspex cut to size to keep some separation but retain the open feel. Cubicles for deep work can give people space and time - which they will appreciate, and it will be reflexed in their work.
Essentials
What do you really, really need? Most of the time, what we want and what we need isn’t the same. You might know deep down that your company can run on laptops, a few sockets, and hot desks - but love the idea of having workstations kitted out with the latest iMac.
Anything wired is immediately restrictive, and while having a personal desk is nice, that can feel restrictive too.
Ask the team what they really need to do their jobs well, and ask them how you can improve what they have now.
Rethinking the technology and how it is used will have a significant impact on how you use the space.
Meetings & Collaboration
Some of the most interesting things that happen are from a collaboration. And what is more interesting is that typically it comes from two or more different teams (or people) that have different roles, different perspectives, and different skills.
Collaboration and meeting space is a must to make sure these things are possible. Without them, you might find your team can have those expressive and exciting conversations.
It is the typical activities of your team that will be the guide for this. If they tend to want to work together and talk things through, this space is non-negotiable. When the team is fairly new - the option to use this space is important.
In the end, the best office is one that is built around the employees and the people, not building an office for people to fit into it.