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Get Productive: Open Plan Productivity

By July 27, 2014One Comment

Moving from an office to an open plan can be an adjustment for some. For others it’s no big deal.  Open plan environments are popular for teams with high collaboration, and allow a larger number of people in one space. As more organizations grow and explore more productive ways to work this is fast becoming an option. Some companies also hot desk (this concept allows people to book a space for the day or a timeframe) instead of having a permanent space.

If you are one of the many people who would like to understand the unwritten rules of open plan environments, let me break it down for you.

Privacy – you have none. In an office you can shut the door; open plans assume all conversations can be heard, documents can be seen and you are on ‘show’.  If you need privacy step into a conference room or go outside.

Noise – be quiet. Be super conscious of the volume of conversations, music and yes even that annoying ring tone on your phone that you think is so cool.  Don’t put your phone on speaker (it annoys everyone around you even though it’s easier for you to take notes). Divert your multiple devices to one number during the day to make it easier to manage.  If you enjoy working to music invest in headphones (not everyone likes your heavy metal music at 8 am).

Clutter – clean up. There is no option to hide your workspace in an open plan so regardless of how messy you are at home, at work control your clutter. Use drawers, file cabinets and storage space to stay organized and eliminate mess.

Smell – do NOT heat up that left over tuna casserole someone lovingly made you for dinner last night (it stinks!) – no one will tell you, however there is unwritten rule of not stinking up the office with your food – especially fish. You might be a rock star working out at lunch, but don’t leave you smelly gym bag under your desk for the whole floor to know you worked out. Be sensitive to smells.

Solutions for open plan productivity

Stand up for interruptions – if you find people constantly stopping at your cubicle to say Hi, ask questions or just chat, the moment they enter your space stand up! Why? Because a standing meeting is a quick meeting – they will get to the point, see you are busy and you can help move them along.  If you want to make the conversation go even faster, start walking them out of your space!

Create a ‘Do not disturb’ sign – create an internal do not disturb sign everyone agrees to. Some of our clients place a koosh ball on their monitor to send a signal not to interrupt them, other clients use a red/green sign on the back of their chairs. You could include a whiteboard with an in/out system on it – find a way for others to know you don’t want to be disturbed while you are completing an important activity. Headphones can be a brilliant addition to your workspace. Simply educate those around you when your headphones are on, you need to complete something and appreciate their support by not interrupting you.

Book a conference room – if your conversation involves multiple people or you want to use a speakerphone, get a room.

Use passwords and value security –you have no privacy in an open plan environment, be sensitive about important and confidential documents and conversations. Use screen lock, cabinets that lock if required and be diligent about managing this.

Host a team meeting – encourage the team to set up a set of unwritten rules (let’s call them guidelines) for your open plan environment. When a new person enters the team or other departments start dropping by, nominate someone to educate them on your ‘unwritten guidelines’.

Assess comfort – recruit your HR leader to check the ergonomics of the set up of your new open plan. An office allows you to customize your space however cubicles are often standard. Make sure it is set up for your most productive work.

Speak up – if there is someone doing something in an open plan that is affecting your productivity be a grown up and share it with them. Approach them factually and without emotion, determine a solution and then move on. Open plan success requires team involvement.

Here are even more great articles on the positive effects of an open plan environment for you to share with your team:

With good old-fashioned etiquette we can create harmonious and productive open plan environments for people to work in.

What do you do to make your open plan more productive? We’d love to hear your solutions, share them here with us on our blog.

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