An Open Office Plan
May or May Not, Be Right for Your Company
The open office space plan sounds good, and many management-types are vocal proponents of its virtues, but open plans are certainly not one size fits all. Each and every office is unique unto itself, and every office plan should reflect the individuality of the office at hand. Ignoring the individualistic aims and goals of any specific office only serves to diminish morale and, thus, productivity.
The Darling of Management: The Open Office Plan
It certainly sounds great, but open floor plans are not advantageous in every setting. It makes sense for employers and those in charge of office management to carefully consider their vision for an optimally functioning office. Open office plans can be amazingly effective and can foster collaboration, but open office plans can also lead to disastrous and unintended results. It’s imperative that you carefully consider your business’s goals and intrinsic functions before jumping on the open plan bandwagon.
No matter where your current office planning may lead, productivity remains king. If the open plan simply isn’t producing for you and your business, it’s time to rethink things. Being trendy is less important than providing your employees with a comfortable work environment that minimizes major distractions. Every business is different, and sometimes the best office system solution is an open plan and other times that system solution might include more traditional additions like clearly defined offices.
Seeking Fewer Distractions Is Not a Weakness
Many employees find that they are most productive when they are able to collaborate freely throughout the workday. This certainly does not always apply, however. Many employees simply cannot do their finest work in the midst of the open office plan. It’s imperative that every employer carefully consider their own goals alongside their employees’ desires and limitations before forging ahead with any grand plans to knock down walls.
Do Not Disturb
It cannot be denied that the open plan leads to increased communication, but those communications are not necessarily related to increased productivity – office gossip needs room to grow. If the open plan were universally successful, no one working in an open space would ever need to organize and schedule group meetings. Instead, those meetings would be accommodated organically through the open interaction of the open plan. That level of success has not been forthcoming in today’s open-office environment.
Employee bonding is important in every office; collaboration is paramount to productivity; open-space planning mixes things up. All of these represent important business concepts, but nothing is more important to any business than its employees’ ability to produce. The open plan might foster such production, but it might not. Every business should carefully consider its goals and growth variables before committing to an office plan – be it open or otherwise.
If your office is in the process of reorganizing its office setup, take a look at the open plan and carefully consider its associated pros and cons. While it works for many, it does not work for all. Allow your employees to be your guide; they will lead you in the direction of increased productivity and employee satisfaction, which should be rewarding in and of itself.
For Expert Help with Your Office Plan, Call NPG Today
National Project Group is here to help you help your employees. We have 30 years of experience helping employers like you achieve optimal office planning, which leads to optimal employee productivity. Our goal is to help you reach your goals. At NPG, we offer comprehensive guidance for increasing employee comfort and, therefore, productivity. For expert help with maximizing your employee productivity through improved office planning, give us a call at 800-821-3522 or send us an email through our online contact form today.