Judy Pesek
No man is an island. The best ideas don’t usually spring to life from a solitary genius. They’re the product of messy, dynamic, group work.
Although individual productivity is important, people are spending less “head’s down” time. In fact, a study by MIT has indicated that more than 70 percent of what people know about their jobs is learned through interaction with their colleagues.
This is causing a major shift in thinking about workplace design.
What does that mean? The cube walls are coming down. Video-conferencing is increasing. Individual workspace is shrinking as formal and informal collaboration space is growing. Face-time is as important as email. Proximity to—and visibility of—coworkers promotes teamwork.
Some of this is generational. The younger generation entering the workforce behind the Boomers believes it’s easier and more efficient to swing around in their chair and ask a coworker where a file is kept, rather than searching for an hour on their own.
Although some people still hate to have their train of thought interrupted, others see the inherent value of knowledge-sharing, anytime, anywhere. Gensler’s research finds that top-performing companies spend 23 percent more time collaborating than average companies, and consider collaboration twice as critical to success.
As Gen X, Gen Y and the Millennials begin to take the reins from the retiring workforce, collaboration will also help facilitate the knowledge-transfer between them. They need to learn from us how to run a business, and we, as stockholders, need to empower them to explore ideas critical to the business’ continued success.
What do you think? Is your office space designed for natural collaboration? Would you be willing to open your office door more? Or do you value head’s down time? Time is money, of course. But investing time could be a great benefit to all down the road.
Judy Pesek is managing director of the Dallas office of Gensler. Contact her at judy_pesek@gensler.com.
2 comments
I believe that having an open working environment can definitely increase productivity as well as office morale. I also think that quiet “head down” time is beneficial and mostly stems from what type of work is being done. In my workplace, I often have deadlines and work problems that I have to figure out on my own, and being able to shut my door to concentrate is the only way this can happen. However, when I am working more creatively, I greatly desire the input of my colleagues. I would suggest having spaces within an office where the majority of work is done cooperatively, but continue to provide work areas where one can work quietly and seperately if necessary.
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