What does the ideal workspace look like? Perhaps it’s a large, dark wooden desk with a view of downtown, or maybe it’s a spacious area with couches, colorful artwork, and lamps. It could even be somewhere you wouldn’t typically think of as a work setting—like your home or a coffee shop. No matter how you picture your perfect workspace, some offices boost creativity, while others take it away.
The days of being stuck in “office jail” are gone, as many companies are now adopting a more creative approach to their office designs. Research has shown that certain elements of this concept can help both employees and employers feel more motivated and content. In 2011, a group of college students was asked to evaluate rooms with sharp-edged furniture compared to those with curved furniture. The researchers discovered that spaces with curved objects were preferred over those with straight-edged designs. Furthermore, rounded spaces were found to stimulate more brain activity than angular rooms. It seems King Arthur might have been onto something.
About two years ago, we brought down the walls at my office. It was a risky decision because everyone was comfortable in their closed-off little areas. So why did we do it? In search of a more collaborative space. The first few months were tough, and I remember employees hovering over their phones in fear that someone would overhear their conversations. It was a huge change in culture that happened almost overnight. One week the office was status quo, the next week it was completely transformed—and that can be a bit unsettling at first.
Now, we might not have started putting circular desks everywhere, but we ripped up the carpeting, implemented brighter lighting and put up walls that employees could write on. We completely changed the makeup of the office, and you know what? Once everyone got settled in, it changed the makeup of the team. Here’s how revamping the workspace benefited our workforce.
It built trust & collaboration
It took months for people to feel comfortable with this change, but I know not one of them would want to go back. Employees are now free from the walls that inhibited inclusion. An organization’s workforce is a part of the same brand and—more importantly—the same team, so they need to be able to trust each other and feel a certain level of comfort with one another. By tearing down the walls, we created an inclusive space that allowed everyone to open up.
Do you know what happened after that? People were talking. They were leaning over and asking each other questions and offering advice. Now that they felt comfortable, knew each other better and trusted each other, the team functioned like a cohesive unit through collaboration.
It increased productivity
The new inclusive, creative space made productivity soar. Why? Turns out the increase in chance encounters actually improved individual and team performance; and that isn’t just at our workplace. Scott Birnbaum, vice president of Samsung Semiconductor once said, “The most creative ideas aren’t going to come while sitting in front of your monitor.” He’s seen success with an open-space environment that creates a way for employees to bump into each other throughout the day. Informal conversations are part of communication, and though we use chat or email, sometimes the best way to really connect is by getting out of our chairs and having a face-to-face exchange.
Allow creativity to unfold by taking a risk and tearing down your own walls. Provide your team with an environment that is rich with collaboration because when they can enjoy what they do they will be more creative.