Workspaces near me5/5/2023 ![]() ![]() The increased focus on collaborative work means we’re rarely alone, and the ubiquity of mobile devices means we’re always accessible. The open plan is just one of the culprits assaulting our privacy. Source: International Facility Management Association and Corenet Global But the pendulum may have swung too far: Our research now suggests that once again, people feel a pressing need for more privacy, not only to do heads-down work but to cope with the intensity of how work happens today. Organizations responded by shifting their real estate allocation toward open spaces that support collaboration and shrinking areas for individual work. By the late 1990s, the tide had turned, and only 23% of employees wanted more privacy 50% said they needed more access to other people, and 40% wanted more interaction. In response, thousands of high-walled cubicles took over the corporate landscape. employees said they needed places to concentrate without distractions, and 52% said they lacked such spaces. In 1980 our research found that 85% of U.S. The more demanding the collaboration task is, the more individuals need punctuating moments of private time to think or recharge.Ĭompanies have been trying for decades to find the balance between public and private workspace that best supports collaboration. People need to focus alone or in pairs to generate ideas or process information then they come together as a group to build on those ideas or develop a shared point of view and then they break apart again to take next steps. There’s a natural rhythm to collaboration. It’s the right idea unfortunately, it’s often poorly executed-even as a way to support collaboration. But it remains the dominant form of workplace design for a reason: It can foster collaboration, promote learning, and nurture a strong culture. The open office has a lot of critics these days. Let us know what you think of your workspace and see how you compare with others.įor a look at workplace dynamics around the world, visit Christine Congdon’s article “How Culture Shapes the Office” (HBR May 2013). In this article, the authors examine workspace design through the new lens of privacy and offer insights on how to foster teamwork and solitude. ![]() Traditionally defined in physical terms, privacy is now about the individual’s ability to control information and stimulation. ![]() To address these needs, according to the authors, we have to rethink our assumptions about privacy. But the pendulum seems to have swung too far: Once again, people feel a pressing need for privacy, not only to do heads-down work but to cope with the intensity of work today. Ever since, firms have been beefing up spaces that support collaboration and shrinking areas for individual work. By the late 1990s, the tide had turned, and only 23% of employees wanted more privacy, and 50% wanted more access to other people. In response, high-walled cubicles took over the corporate landscape. employees lacked workspaces where they could concentrate without distraction. But what most companies fail to realize is that collaboration has a natural rhythm that requires both interaction and private contemplation.Ĭompanies have been trying for decades to find the balance between public and private workspace that best supports collaboration. The open office is the dominant form of workspace design for good reason: It fosters collaboration, promotes learning, and nurtures strong culture. ![]()
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