Open Plan Behavior
21st Century office spaces are less about walls and private offices, more about open spaces, collaboration, communication, and sustainability.
Open plan design is more than just thinking, “Tear down the walls!” You need to understand whether it is appropriate for your type of business or for everyone in your business. Some tasks require visual and/or acoustical privacy on an on-going basis. Others may require visual or acoustic privacy on rare occasions. Some offices thrive with open space and others require quiet, enclosed space. Attorneys, HR companies, and counselors often require more enclosed spaces due to the nature of their business and confidentiality. Creative companies, inventors, and media staff thrive in open, collaborative environments.
If you decide the open office concept is best for your business, be sure to include some enclosed spaces for team members whose work requires quiet and focus, for people to take or make personal calls, for meetings on sensitive issues, and for teams to work together without disrupting others in the office. Keep in mind that every position in your company may not fit in the same environment. Your HR, payroll, and auditors may need enclosed offices where they have quiet space to focus on their work and visual privacy with the things they are working on. Marketing, design, project managers, and engineers are positions that often thrive in the open environment because it fosters collaboration & innovation.
As you think about who needs what type of office, be sure that you are planning for the position, not the person. Designing a space for a specific person works well until that person leaves, which can happen unexpectedly.
The shift from enclosed offices and cubical spaces to open, collaborative spaces can infuse energy and innovation into the business. It also requires its own set of revised guidelines and behavioral expectations.
Where to Start
Here are a few rules or guidelines companies have found helpful in achieving success in an open office environment:
• Take personal calls to a private area. Close the door if you have one or if you go to a room with a door.
• Be considerate when having lively conversations. If someone isn’t part of the conversation, you are probably interrupting them.
• Turn your devices to silent or mute, so that your calls or texts don’t interrupt your neighbors.
• Stay home when you are sick. No one wants to share your germs.
SUMMARY
If even a small portion of your space will eventually be dedicated to collaborative teams, it’s important to consider designing guidelines for behavior and etiquette alongside the design for the space.
