Open-plan offices allow a company to make efficient use of every inch of space at its disposal.
They are also a proven way of encouraging colleagues to communicate and collaborate.
But open-plan sites can also sometimes be found wanting, especially when it comes to noise control and privacy.
That’s because an overly noisy open-plan workplace can be distracting for workers who just want some quiet time to concentrate on the task at hand.
And the visual distractions associated with workers busily buzzing from desk to desk are sometimes just as off-putting as aural ones.
The good news is that by following the steps outlined below, you can transform an open plan office into a place where collaboration and quiet time can coexist.
Structure The Space
Human beings need structure to thrive.
By demarcating spaces like quiet and noisy areas, and pathways for foot traffic, you give them this vital sense of structure in an otherwise amorphous public space.
Strategically deployed sofas, plants, and partition screens from Rap Office Screens divide a space, but not as rigidly or permanently as brick-and-mortar walls.
This structure allows workers to get their bearings, subtly giving them visual cues as to what’s expected of them and how they are expected to behave in a certain space.
For example, communal areas where chatting and noise are encouraged can be separated from quiet, meditative spaces by sound-muffling acoustic dividers.
Empower a Politeness Culture
Cultivating a sense of respect for other people’s boundaries is one of the most effective ways to improve worker performance in an open-plan workspace.
Manners cost nothing, and good manners and a sense of propriety when working in close proximity with others can work wonders at improving worker morale and productivity in open-plan environments.
A few ways you can do this include:
- Establish behavioural expectations: Workers need to know what’s expected of them when it comes to noise levels in shared spaces, so establish telephone etiquette and desk decibel levels so there is no room for confusion.
- Promote awareness of focus signals: Give workers the means to signal to colleagues that they aren’t to be disturbed – the use of headphones and do not disturb desk signs can help here.
- Set up conversation areas: Structure the open plan space so breakout areas for calls and informal chats can take place while other colleagues work quietly.
- Lead by example: Workers naturally look to their bosses for behavioural cues, so be the change you want to see in an office space by tempering your voice levels in designated quiet areas and using headphones when conducting telephone calls.
Introduce Variety
Bosses often prize open-plan spaces for their modular design and the ability this gives them to switch up spaces quickly and easily.
But overly modular arrangements can leave the space lacking personality and looking overly austere.
You’d be surprised at how effective the introduction of a few cushions and other soft furnishings can be at softening some of these hard edges.
Not only do they introduce variety, but furnishings also afford a space with a more homey, familiar feel, and strategically deployed soft furnishings are also great sound mufflers, too.
Conclusion
It’s important to remember that open-plan working shouldn’t mean a free-for-all.
Workers need structure and quiet areas to focus and feel valued and respected.
By using some clever zoning and cultivating a work culture that encourages respect for others, you can make the most of an open-plan office.
