8 tips for creating a collaborative work environment

Collaboration has become a bit of a buzz word among office design, and with good reason. As millennials occupy more and more of our workspace, they bring with them an aspiration to communicate and socialise across every facet. In turn, our work spaces need to meet these demands, warping into collaborative hubs, which also maximise on staff morale and productivity.

1. Free your staff – Creating a space which bridges the gap between work and home is key. By allowing your staff to be themselves, decorating their desks as they please, perhaps even bringing their pets in to the office, can help to foster trust and community.
2. Observation – when making decisions on layout which will impact your staff, rather than ask what they want, observe them. Through observation you may find out that there are certain zones or areas which get used more, and from this build a better picture of what your staff need.
3. Urban Zoning – as with city planning, creating zones within your environment you will give purpose to key areas. If people congregate around the kitchen, it may not be a good idea to create a private booth beside this busy area.
4. Cultivate a buzz – as in hospitality, density is key. If you want to create an energetic workforce who freely communicate, you need to cultivate a buzz. When people are talking, it gives others permission to do likewise. Picture a library versus a busy bar, and where of the two is easier to have a conversation.
5. Create an escape – When you create a buzz in your office, you also need to create an escape from it. There will be times that someone will need a break from the buzz, and a well placed booth or set of sofa’s can easily give the more introvert a break.
6. Bring the outside in – Nature can have a massive impact on a person’s creativity and well-being, so it only makes sense to bring some of that into our work spaces. This can be achieved simply by introducing grass-like surfaces, natural light, natural materials and even living walls.
7. Play some games – it is amazing what a table tennis table or pool table can do to an office. Breaking from desks and playing a quick game has been proven to increase problem solving and creativity.
8. Don’t limit yourself to a desk – Technology has rendered the idea of “one desk per person” outdated. Employees have never been more flexible in how they work. If all they need is a laptop and a phone, why not use a booth or a sofa?

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