Use Open Plan Workstations to Improve Office Communication in Los Angeles

Use Open Plan Workstations to Improve Office Communication in Los Angeles

Open offices are widely used layouts, so entrepreneurs and office managers in Los Angeles should know how to use open plan workstations to enhance and improve communication.

Cohesion

An office design has to make sense. It takes the pieces of what makes an environment work and brings them into a unified whole. A cohesive design acknowledges the separate entities that interact. Leadership sets the tone and pace, administration supervises the flow of cash and people, while the technical talent and workers make the products and provide the services.

Open plan workstations fit the needs of a variety of for-profit industries and non-profit organizations. Small teams working within larger companies can use open plan workstations in clusters or pods. A creative team working at a mid-size PR firm in Santa Monica can have one designated area for working while account managers can have their own area. A robust non-profit can have admin centered around one style of workstations while the program team can operate in a distinct, designated area using workstations that have a completely different style.

Collaboration

Sharing ideas face to face is an important form of collaboration. An open plan workstation gives team members chances to have conversations and focus on the ideas that matter. The design and spacing has to work in everyone’s favor.

Critics say that open offices killed collaboration. Reseacher Ethan Bernstein of the Harvard Business School (HBS) tracked workers who moved from cubicles to an open office setting and found that they tried to avoid collaboration rather than seek it out. In a July 2018 article for HBS, The Open Office Revolution has Gone Too Far, Bernstein says that workers who have a constant audience may try hard to look busy, put on headphones and avoid interaction.

Open plan workstations aren’t a one-size-fits-all approach. A variety of configurations are available to match personalities and departmental demands. The Synapse Open Plan Benching by Deskmakers is straight-forward while the Crossroads Workstation is a “revolutionary take on office furniture systems.”  Smart planning will configure workstations to allow for collaboration when necessary and provide space for individuals to focus.

Communication

Office communication is much more than one employee talking to another. Communication includes emails, keeping company social media accounts up to date, and phone calls with vendors, clients and potential new clients.

A growing office is a buzzing place. How do you keep the communication in its proper channels?  In an open office, a space without walls, departments can have their own open plan workstations in well-defined areas. In the center of the floor, create a place for phone calls or in-person conferences using modular walls and focused meeting pods. Shared equipment like copiers can be off to one side that’s easily accessible by each area.

An open office can be a vibrant place that attracts top talent when it’s laid out effectively. Use open plan workstations to not only improve office communication but also support specific goals and objectives.

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Tips for Creating an Inter-Generational Workplace

Tips for Creating an Inter-Generational Workplace

Many don’t even think about it, but having an inter-generational workplace can sometimes have its diffulties.  A company with Baby Boomers on one end of the spectrum and new college grads entering the workforce on the other has a challenge in creating an appealing office environment for both. Copying fads and trends isn’t the answer. Promote trust and integrity with a focus on achieving the company’s goals and mission.

Here are easy to follow guidelines in designing an office space where different generations can thrive.

Generational Workplace Tip #1 – Make Distinct Areas

Create spaces within offices that have clear functions. If individuals are taking breaks from their work, then respect those private areas and don’t hold impromptu work-related meetings. Instead, create conference areas using walls that are easily installed or removed.

Offices that are designed to promote collaboration should also provide break areas that are removed from workstations. Personal phone calls and conversations are less likely to create distractions.

Don’t try to create the perfect working environment, but plan functional spaces that allow work to get accomplished and areas for individuals to take breaks.

Generational Workplace Tip #2 – Work Space

Baby Boomers had parents who came from an era when executive workplaces had a lot of private offices. Southern California’s aerospace industry, automobile manufacturing, and sprawling studio lots came from that era.  High tech companies transformed formal, private workspaces into more casual shared space with emphasis on collaboration. Younger workers may focus more on personal feelings and relationships.

Keep a company’s goals front and center as the unifying factor between the generations.  Use modular workspaces to encourage collaboration while allowing for as much privacy as possible. Open plan benching solutions like the G Series Desk Lounge provide one way to strike a balance.

Generational Workplace Tip #3 – Personal Space

Offices have used numerous approaches to make work less stressful, and a bit more playful.  Ping pong tables and foosball are some ways that companies have sought to interject an atmosphere of play into work. Installing slides that go from the second to first floors is also another idea and can seem fun to some but infantile to others.

Lounge chairs make a statement and also help with personal spaces. Some are highly individualized like the Connection Zone by KI. It signifies that someone is seeking private time to make a call or read.  Furniture like the Agora Vog offers more versatility and allows for employees to be alone or meet in clusters as desired.

Some workers face tough realities in their lives outside of work. Single moms, grandparents involved with grandchildren and their own parents, and dual income families face unique stresses. Personal space at work can help them juggle the many complex responsibilities they face.

Generational Workplace Tip #4 – Uncluttered Space

Clean pathways from one area to another allow people to focus. Clutter dissipates energy. Use workstations that have plenty of personal storage space such as the Interra Cubicle and arrange filing cabinets and other storage solutions to mark work areas.

Image Source: Friant