Open-plan offices are becoming the future of workplace due to the impact they have on working environment for the employees and leadership. Tough some claim open plan offices to be a distraction and a cause for lesser productivity; Learn why startups can get the best from open-plan offices.
What is Open-Plan Office?
Basically Open-Plan office is a workspace design which has less walls to promote environment for collaboration across segments and hierarchy. Open plan is the generic term used in architectural and interior design for any floor plan which makes use of large, open spaces and minimizes the use of small, enclosed rooms such as private offices.
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Improves Team Work
There is no doubt that many businesses are adopting open-plan offices in a bid to improve team work. An open-plan environment with an ocean of desks is not good for collaboration or team work due to the noise and hassle they bring with them. Lack of privacy may distract people sometimes but as a team it helps them to work with focus on a common goal.
Greater Communication and Collaboration
Open plan offices act more like a community of people rather than network of co-workers. Employees get more collaborative and transparent in communicating while working on their ideas. Lack of walls in open-plan office spaces makes it easier for employees to interact with each other on a regular basis which results in greater communication and collaboration. Open-plan workplaces is designed to be more collaborative, more democratic and more human for everyone involved
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Fosters Innovation
Innovation happens more frequently in open-plan office than in closed environments. People often share ideas among themselves informally rather than waiting for requests to review an idea. Organizing spaces according to the purpose of a task helps in fostering innovation. The pace of change is accelerating. Colleagues can turn to each other for advice or assistance without having to knock on doors or schedule a formal meeting.
Better Leadership Hierarchy
Traditionally office spaces where designed and allocated according to hierarchy, the ranks move up from a desk in the cubicle to a corner office. The ranks and roles of employees is often blurred in a startup scene. As we are moving towards a workplace where every employee is treated as an integral part of the company and treated equally. Thus, only a flatter hierarchy suits the work culture of a startup.
Free Working Environment
An open-plan office can benefit the business economically by reducing costs tied to construction, utilities and office equipment. There is a reduce in the cost of heating/cooling, electricity expenses thanks to improved flow of air and light. Businesses can save on capital investment since communal spaces promote better utilization and shared use of resources. The open-plan space gives people the ultimate space of flexibility, freedom and openness.
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Makes Work Fun
Office spaces are usually mundane in nature. Including your employees in design of the open-plan can help you address many of these issues in advance. Open-plan offices help employees maintain a stress free work-life balance. Workplace happiness also improves the productivity and efficiency of the business by reducing workplace burnout and increase the morale of all the people by taking care to address the needs of every employee.
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