Shared workspaces

Do they encourage collaboration?

For most of my career to date I have worked in an open plan office. And now, I work in a shared workspace with other entrepreneurs and businesses. I find the environment productive but not everyone does.

new research

According to a recent study, the quest for opening up office space to increase employer collaboration is not necessarily doing its job. Harvard researchers monitored the behaviour of workers in a Fortune 500 company before and after an open plan office refit using sociometric badges and microphones. They discovered that face to face interactivity actually dropped by 73% after the office was opened up and digital communication shot up. Of course, the idea of being forced to communicate in a particular way, especially if you have been used to working in a private office is not going to be the most enticing. Employees do not like to be dictated to by management and each individual will have their own preferences for how they like to work.

Many companies have transformed working environments and made them more open in a bid to encourage innovation and collaboration. Some research does indicate that open plan office spaces lead to healthier and less stressed employees. However, the the bulk of recent research seems to suggest that a combination of both open and closed spaces is the optimal environment for a more collaborative workplace.

COOL WORKSPACES TO AID COLLABORATION

Skullcandy in Zurich, Switzerland offers employees the opportunity to reconfigure desks to work either individually or collaboratively. "Researchers Pitt and Bennett discuss that the most effective office redesigns include not only hot-desking, but also “touchdown areas” (free desks to allow quick access to information), “bookable offices” (rooms that can be booked in advance), “collaborative workspaces” (for group work, possibly with teleconferencing capabilities) and finally “breakout workspaces” (relaxed couches and low tables for spontaneous, informal collaborative work)." (Guardian, UK)

Other companies such as Facebook, Google, IBM, and Microsoft have also ploughed millions into new office spaces, combining large open spaces with pods for private conversations and adjustable furniture.

IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT THE SPACE

HBR research shows that employees tend to collaborate more when their open work spaces can be personalised and they have a degree of control over how they use the space. This same research also highlights that the way a workspace is presented to employees is critical to how it is used. If there is a clear vision that employees can relate to and understand, then they are more likely to use it to collaborate, they will be happier and more productive.