The Covid 19 pandemic has certainly changed the connection between office based and home-based working.
Millions of workers are based in offices of all differing types, ages, and architecture and for some these spaces are an anchor, a place to establish routine and a place to interact with other humans.
However, even before the Covid19 pandemic, the ‘office’ had begun to change to meet modern working demands.
In the 1980’s there was a boom in property developers designing and building vast soulless office spaces, with lifeless private cubicles & overhead lighting burning off vital vitamins.
However, some people have always created an emotional bond with a workspace, and it sometimes became more of a home away from home. Family photo’s -the baby, the dog, the house at Christmas, the office party…the list goes on. Trolls, dolls, nodding dogs, children’s paintings & pot plants; all elements of a life beyond the workspace, helping to remind those 9-5’ers that there was life beyond the wall.
As time has moved on and more modern office layouts have been introduced companies have invested in airy open plan spaces, ‘hot desking’ and a more relaxed and inviting working environment. Hot desking isn’t for everyone as some still prefer the feel of their own desk, their own space. However, modern thinking processes encourage fluidity in the workspace and avoiding getting tied to one space.
Although we live in an expanding & ever digital world where we are constantly streamlining ourselves into ‘The Cloud’; physical office & work spaces are still an intrinsic part of business practises.
If you have your own desk or you work in a ‘hot seating’ environment, if you work in an office or from home; ensuring your work setting is physically clutter free is meant to be essential for a tidy mind, better concentration & efficiency. But is that entirely true?
One company who constantly see improvements in performance based on their fluid office approach is Google.
Laszlo Bock, former Senior Vice President of People Operations at Google, Inc, explains in his book, “Work Rules!” that the key to a successful workplace is constantly innovating, experimenting, and keeping things fun.
“What’s beautiful about this approach is that a great environment is a self-reinforcing one: All of these efforts support one another, and together create an organization that is creative, fun, hardworking, and highly productive,” he writes.
In 2015 Business Insider interviewed Marya Felix who was then strategic program manager for the Americas with Google’s Global Account Management team. This is how she viewed the office space at Google HQ.
“I work at Google headquarters in Mountain View. The office space is unique: beautiful buildings and outdoor areas, arcade games, pool tables, a bowling alley — it’s definitely not a typical workplace.
Googlers are very active, so you often see people riding bikes, walking their dogs, or exercising around campus. They’re also just as active with their working style. Since I work with sales people, the environment is fun and fast-paced — they are always hitting the ground running.
Plus, we have three official team dogs — Wally, Sabre, and Peaches. They are fun to be around, especially when we need to take a break from work.”
Google and other forward thinking companies see the benefit of making their working environments more appealing and recognise how people working in these environments are more productive, have less time off sick and are generally happier in their work.
Written by Katy-Jane Mason for and on behalf of Virtually Smart Ltd.
Extracts courtesy of http://uk.businessinsider.com
