For many of us, our first job was done sitting at a desk in a room full of desks lined up like dominoes. Not exactly an inspiring environment. Noisy, yes. Inspiring, not so much. Ringing phones, telephone conversations, person to person conversations, adding machines, typewriters, co-workers who talk to themselves (we’ve all had one)….it’s a wonder anything ever got done. Thanks in no small part to technology rendering noisy equipment obsolete and to the increasing awareness that a happy employee is a productive employee, office design is undergoing a radical change. The free thinking, collaborative environment of the Silicon Valley crowd got businesses to rethink how people work. Open spaces, low or no dividing walls, small meeting/co-working spaces, cafes and lounges are more and more common. Something as simple as a window, once the perk of the executive, are recognized as a contributing factor for productivity. Kind of makes you want to go tell your third grade teacher you were NOT daydreaming, you were seeking inspiration. The March issue of Valley Business FRONT takes a look at some pioneering office designs, and the research behind them, in the Roanoke and New River Valleys. If you’re the boss or the employee, you’ll learn a lot about creating a better work environment. Check it out, then go be even more productive! |
