At eQ, we have an open concept office space and, as you can imagine, it has upsides and downsides. Before I get into any of that though, let me first say that no matter the layout of your office space, culture is the most crucial element for engagement and success in the work place. More on that later! Here they are, the ups and downs of an open concept office.
(WARNING: These are relatively subjective)
Upsides!
• No-door policy: if you need something, simply look in any direction and start talking. Someone will usually answer, even if they aren’t directly addressed. We often lean on each other as quick resources and welcome opportunities to help each other out where we can—even if it just means listening to someone think out loud.
• Wide open spaces: you don’t feel trapped in a cubicle or tucked away in a closed-off office…out of sight, out of mind not applicable.
• Zero secrets: it’s hard to keep things hush-hush when everyone is always all-ears, or at least within ear-shot. The point being, there is little to no drama because we keep things out in the open (literally).
• Natural light: windows, windows, windows! 12 to be exact, and the best part—we all share them! Fluorescent lights are the worst; but, when the window in your office (if you’re lucky enough to have one) is the size of the tupperware in which you brought your lunch, you don’t have much choice but to flip up the switch.
• Mood lifters: what? I said, “mood lifters.” If you’re having a bad day, someone is always ready to cheer you up. If you’re looking a little tense or frustrated, a neighboring colleague is often quick to offer support. If you’re in need of a brief pow-wow (personal or professional), just speak up. Someone is always ready with a witty comment, a punny joke (see what I did there?), a lending hand, or to act as a sounding board.
Downsides!
• Public conversations: pacing is common at eQ, which means that phone conversations are typically held across the entire square footage of the office. This has (on occasion) resulted in phones being hidden or taped to desks. Pranksters? Sometimes.
• Noise: there are few options, aside from moving to a closed-off room or popping in earbuds, that allow for the escape from background noise. Some examples: music playing on two different computers, coffee slurpers, loud chewers, pen clicking, foot tapping (just to name a few, clearly nothing major). Nonetheless, it’s probably not an ideal setting for anyone who hates sounds…misophonia—it’s a real disorder (you learn something new every day, right?).
• Interruptions: easy access to your colleagues allows for constant interruptions. We’re all guilty of doing it, and thus have developed our own ways to signal that we don’t want to be disturbed. But, when you’re in the zone interruptions can throw off your thought process and your groove. Good news is, we always have the option to sit behind doors (yes, we have rooms with those), put our head down, and jam.
There are definitely additional upsides, and probably a few other downsides; but, ultimately it’s our culture at eQ that makes our open concept office both appealing and enjoyable. Every day, every eQ team member lives our values and is driven by our vision, mission, and story. We don’t just feed into it, we believe in it and that reflects in everything that we do! And…we have FUN doing it! Not to mention, we all genuinely like and care about each other—professionally and personally. Just skim over the “downsides” once more and you’ll notice that they’re light-hearted. Even though these are deemed as negatives, nothing stands out as being intolerable or horrific. After all, we have been recognized—multiple times—as a Best Place to Work (humblebrag)!
So, how do you achieve a better than good culture? To start, with a clear vision and mission, aligned values and behaviors, and a story that is consistently articulated by everyone in the organization. Regardless of your office set-up, the bottom line is this: Great culture boosts morale, increases employee engagement, and contributes to high performance, all of which sets up your organization for SUCCESS.
Don’t just take my word on it. For those of you who like hard stats, check out this infographic (and related article) to see how employees really feel about company culture. More of an auditory learner? I’ve got you covered there, too http://www.officevibe.com/culturetalks
Tara Fox is a Project Specialist at entreQuest and works closely with all eQ team members to provide employees and clients with remarkable experiences.
