Measuring performance is essential not only to your bottom line, but it greatly affects workspace environment. In fact, Herman Miller recently cited an article that states by 2017, organizations that track metrics will increase profitability by 20 percent.
Successful businesses know that you need to keep metrics in mind from the beginning. And your metrics need to be tied to desired business outcomes. We believe that workplace metrics should be given the same attention as revenue, profits, and loss. But, with all of the changes to how, where, and why we work today, traditional benchmarks assessing workplace effectiveness no longer measure up.
Recently Herman Miller conducted a study of 120 progressive work environments from around the world. While each of these spaces was unique, the study found that they all shared traits that prove that shifts in the way organizations and design partners are planning spaces exist.
The emerging trends all point to a growing demand for a greater variety in workspace options. The study found six shifts in the way workplaces are being planned for workers.
1. From standard conference rooms to a variety of group settings. The office landscape now provides variety to support specific types of work.
2. From oversized conference rooms to precision-fit meeting spaces. Organizations are installing a greater number of smaller settings for meeting and collaboration.
3. From assigned seats to shared work-points. 41% made the move to unassigned “work-points” to allow a choice of options for where and how different tasks can be accomplished.
4. From required circulation to desired connection. A greater percentage of office landscape plans are becoming more transitional, providing connective space that encourages movement and unplanned interaction.
5. From privacy-as-a-luxury to privacy-on-demand. Offices are reclaiming underutilized assigned space and creating open-access, distraction-free zones where people can accomplish solo tasks.
6. From distant breakrooms to central plazas. Many are allocating employee-focused social areas and these settings are no longer back-office breakrooms. They are designed to draw small groups of people together and help them align to organizational goals.
As you can see, these emerging space allocation trends point to a need for purposeful variety in workplace design. A customized mix of defined settings can be arranged to support your unique work practices and goals.
We can help. We create great spaces by understanding your goals. These emerging trends may seem daunting at first glance, but they open up possibilities to make us all more efficient and increase employee engagement. At Continental Office, we believe all it takes to make something truly incredible is the vision and space to bring it to life.
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