awesomescopeThere are so many benefits of an open office. Connecting with people you wouldn’t usually be able to. Learning from different departments. Breaking down the walls between employers and employees. If you work in an open office, you might see work thriving as different skillsets are brought together for the greater good. However, it can also be extremely difficult to find some personal space away from potential distractions. Where can you go if you are finding it hard to concentrate surrounded by hustle, bustle and hot desking? Let’s have a look at some ideas.
Implement Private Spaces
One of the first things you can look at in your open office is a space where staff members can go to work on important projects in silence or even make a private phone call. There are certain things that people don’t want to discuss in an open office. This is where office booths can come into play. You don’t need a big space for these booths, as they come in different shapes and sizes and can easily fit into a hallway or a corner of the work space. You’ll be surprised at the popularity of these booths. You can have some that are free for all, operating on a first-come-first-served basis. However for booths to work out of, you might want to have a booking option so someone isn’t sitting in there all day long.
Go For A Coffee
Getting out of the office and going for a coffee is a great way to find privacy. The conversation between the office and the coffee shop can break ground. Having ten minutes at a table away from the open office can give you some space too. If there is no coffee shop nearby, you can make a brew in the office kitchen and enjoy it in a quiet corner of the kitchen. If the weather is nice, take it out of the office and enjoy some fresh air. Conversations can flow naturally in the outdoors and nature can provide inspiration too.
Walking Meetings
Have you heard of walking meetings? The benefits of these include a post to productivity, raised energy levels and the promotion of wellbeing. This regular movement can help increase brain function, stimulating innovation, memory and creativity. Getting away from the desk and wandering the hallways can remove you from listening ears too. Some businesses dedicate an indoor space for walking meetings, where there are no desks and open space to move. You could even do laps of the building outside. It’s a great way to pump up your step count. This is a brilliant way to make and take phone calls too.
Work From Home
How about using the flexi-time from your company and working from home more often? There is perhaps nowhere more private than your own four walls. Sitting at your home office desk will allow you to work at a pace without distraction and also make private phone calls should you need to. Using this opportunity will also cut down your commute, give you more time with your family and allow you to be home as soon as you log off for the day.
The open office is great, however, we all need to step away and have privacy now and then. Find ways to implement some private space in your office.
