Ambition is my guilty pleasure

Thoughts and experiences that inspire me.

I like travel, history, new technology, designing imaginary cities, eating spicy or weird foods, playing and designing games, and daydreaming about how the world could be better.
AmazinglyDHG

Refocusing the Office Environment

  • AmazinglyDHG
  • 5 years ago
  • 2 replies
  • 2 likes
  • 58 views
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So, picture this. Two different types of offices. Office A has rows of individual desks with personal and private space, lots of items, and partitions or cubicle like setups. Office B is a singular large table with multiple chairs, people of all working levels, all sharing the same materials, and not much private space at all. Which office would you say would be more efficient? More productive? Which would have higher work satisfaction?

This is what I would wager, and I would love for you to tell me your side too.

Office B.

Why? I can give your three reasons.

1. Supervision

When everyone, including bosses and subordinates alike, sit in close proximity working, it is easy to monitor and check an employees work progress, habits, behavior, etc. With your boss and others sitting within eye line of your (open) work space, it would be increasingly difficult to slack off or lose focus.

2. Connection

The close quarters of this type of environment, would naturally lead to more social interaction among the employees. Talking, joking, working, quickly trading ideas or questions. This would build relationships faster, and perhaps even stronger, because there is a common focal point that every level of employee is a part of, thus binding everyone together. This connection can build into almost a family like connection, kind of like a "in the trenches together" type mentality. It can be invasive, but that can be addressed and dealt with across the table, in almost literal "lateral management" style.

3. Speed

Each company has multiple people, in different fields that need to work together. With big offices, people need to run around finding others and setting up meetings. Calling, emailing, messaging, all checking in to see if they can meet to work things out. If everyone you need to work together with is at one big table, you don't need to send anything or run anywhere. Just check with them sitting right next to you and get things done faster.

Now, this style certainly is not for everyone, or every company. But it's main focus should be. That of creating bonds and strong working relationships first, rather a false sense of security and importance that comes from more office real estate and materials.

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Joy
  • Joy
  • 5 years ago
  • One like
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Interesting - when I worked at a security company, I was lucky enough to sit at a table facing my coworkers. I was able to ask questions, look at my coworkers' face, and easily respond when someone needed my help. Everyday seemed to pass by quickly, and I still talk with my ex-coworkers. It was rather fun going to work! However, they had a room where all the engineers worked, and they all had individual desks facing away from everyone and towards the wall - I have to say, it always felt tense in there and nobody seemed to enjoy discussing anything there...I do think the way a space is set up is important for bonding, productivity, and for having more opportunities to be inspired by others.

I like travel, history, new technology, designing imaginary cities, eating spicy or weird foods, playing and designing games, and daydreaming about how the world could be better.
AmazinglyDHG
  • AmazinglyDHG
  • 5 years ago
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Good to hear you experienced this first hand! :D

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Read Next

Creating Non-Issues Creates Progress

It is generally in agreement that you can't predict or force change or opportunity, you just have to wait. Progress comes to those who wait. Or so they say. I would argue that there is an easier and faster way to spur progress and change. To create non-issues.

A non-issue is something that doesn't get in the way, something that almost everyone has, so it's not a burden or difficulty. I would say a big non-issue today, as opposed to previous times, is communication. Almost everyone has a phone, an email, even maybe social media accounts or websites. Being able to communicate is easy and doesn't bar or hamper anyone's endeavors. However, in comparison to say in 1950, when all you had were home phones or pay phones which weren't wireless and not exactly efficient, letters were slow, long distance calls were outrageously expensive and thus prohibitive, so, many people just kept in contact with people in their relative area. Look at now, now that communication is a non-issue. People can talk to anyone, anywhere, sometimes even for free. Send messages, pictures, videos, whatever your hearts desire. Businesses can grow easier, and tons of new jobs are created or better facilitated because of this. Why? Because they removed this as a barrier to action and made it something that anyone can access. This is an easy way to spur innovation and progress.

Here is another example. There are many nations now that have universal healthcare. The cost burden of healthcare and related services are very high in some places, and create a lock out to change. For example. If you have healthcare through your job, that is a great benefit, a needed security blanket. But, if you don't like that job, but want to pursue something else, there is an inherent risk of you losing that vital benefit. That's a big lock out. What if your company says it's too expensive, so, we are dropping the coverage. That's another big lock out. Now, flip the coin a bit. Say you are covered under universal health insurance no matter what you do. Now, this isn't a burden or barrier to you. You can freely move or act without this factoring into you decision. This can create more opportunities for you, business can grow faster or even more can start because this is now a non-issue.

This theory can be applied to life, society, anywhere. Rendering something a non-issue is fast way to grow because it allows for more freedom to act.

What are some non-issues you have encountered? Maybe there are some things that you wish would become non-issues?

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Today, we bring you a veteran creative producer -- learning from his father who was a television executive back when the few networks reigned supreme, Lee Schneider has intense insights from his career in journalism, writing, documentary production, and entrepreneurship. You can find him at his Digital Fundraising School, and he's doing a GiveGetWin deal focused on key insights for creative producers on making high-quality content, building an audience, and earning a living from your art and passion.

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I started in words even though I was writing for picture. I was a newspaper reporter and writer for TV shows… on TV, I wrote the introductions, intros, and outros.

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That led me to working for news magazines like Dateline NBC and a magazine for Fox, Frontpage. I was producing stories in the 8-10 minute range, and telling a story in that range of time is a very different animal than telling a story in 20 seconds like you would for a news broadcast. That led to longer form stuff; after Dateline NBC, I did Biography for A&E and started my own company doing hour-long documentaries for the Learning Channel, History Channel, and others.

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