There are many styles of office layout, and each will give employees, clients and visitors a different impression of the business. Office layouts can foster a culture of co-operation or individualism, promote an idea of hierarchy or put everyone on an equal footing and even enhance or stifle creativity and productivity. An office's layout can have a big impact on your staff's morale and productivity.
Closed offices or open plan
One of the first considerations for small businesses is whether they want to have closed offices or an open plan layout. Both of these approaches have pros and cons, so must be thought through carefully.
Closed offices, in which every employee or small groups of employees has their own office, give staff greater privacy than is possible in an open plan layout. Some staff find that they can work much better without the interruptions and distractions that come from working in close proximity to many others, so closed offices gives them the peace and quiet they need.
However, there is an argument that closed offices promote a culture of individualism within businesses and therefore open plan layouts are more productive. This means that everybody in the company is on the same leve and the director(s) will be working in the same space as the newest members of staff. This can also foster a culture of mutual support and co-operation and encourage staff to communicate and engage with each other.
Spacing the desks
It is important for small businesses to think carefully about how they use the space they have. When thinking about placing the desks in your office remember to take into account people's need for personal space and other practicalities such as the ease of movement around the
office. Many people find it off-putting if they think that others can overhear their phone calls and will be reading over their shoulders, and this can have a negative impact on staff morale and performance.
How you arrange the desks will affect how employees communicate with each other, so putting them too far apart could discourage interaction and conversation. Small businesses should also consider how the desk layout will affect the overall atmosphere in the office and consider whether they want staff to be facing each other and whether having desks facing windows will stop employees from losing motivation by giving them a good view or will encourage them to daydream.
Break-out areas
Having break-out areas available can brings benefits. Stepping away from their desks, even if only for a few minutes, often helps employees to feel like they have had a change of scenery which can revive flagging enthusiasm and increase motivation. Having a dedicated space for downtime also means you can decorate and arrange this space in a way which enhances creativity; depending on the culture of your organisation you might want to think about having beanbags instead of chairs or even buying games such as pool or table football.
Having break-out areas also allows employees to hold informal meetings or work on projects without being interrupted by emails or phone calls.
Conclusion
Space is a valuable commodity, especially given the current economic situation, so it is important for small businesses to think carefully about how they use it to get the most out of it.
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