3 keys to workplace productivity

When the cubicle became popular in 1967, it did more than just change the workplace: it created an entirely new workplace dynamic. A private, personalized space was seen as the road to maximum productivity. Unfortunately, the cubicle turned out to be the bane of many office workers’ existence — not to mention a steady source of comedic inspiration.

Eventually, down came the walls and in came the “open office” floor plans. What began as the signature arrangement for the hip young startup quickly became a construct that many businesses adopted — with designs on improving communication and building a more cohesive office atmosphere. While open floor plans have received mixed reviews over the years — mostly for their lack of privacy — new workplace dynamics have muddied the waters more recently, with increasing numbers of employees working in hybrid or remote capacities.

The fact remains that increasing workplace productivity is a challenge for every organization and now, more than ever, there is no one-size-fits-all workspace. Providing today's workers the right space and constructs to do their jobs effectively requires diligent attention to three factors:

• The roles performed by each employee

• Technologies that help make a space fulfill its intended function

• Methods of optimizing the various spaces your company makes available

3. Manage your different spaces

Finding out when spaces are available and reserving them for your meeting can be a very cumbersome process: checking room status in one place, making a reservation via a different communication channel, waiting for confirmation, etc.

Easily updatable digital signage outside the door of each meeting room changes this entirely. Not only do digital signs make it clear when rooms are and aren't scheduled, they also serve as touchscreen consoles for entering reservation requests. With the right information readily available, employees may be much more likely to take advantage of the real estate available to them.

With the price of real estate these days and greater numbers of employees working remote at least some of the time , boosting — and optimizing — usage of workspace is very important. Once again, optimizing requires investment in a process. You must study the traffic and utilization patterns of your various workspaces, and from there you can make choices about how to schedule and configure them.

Technology can do some of this for you. By installing sensors, you can measure occupancy and get recurring feedback to help you utilize given spaces. With the information you gather, you can continually iterate and adapt your workspace arrangement.

If formal presentations are given infrequently, you can find other ways to make use of that space — such as a “drop in” space for workers who need to spread materials out on a large table. Your real estate isn't infinite, and only through scrutiny and careful monitoring can you discover all your options for getting maximum usage — and productivity — out of your spaces.

Increasing workplace productivity isn't a one-size-fits-all effort

Creating productive work environments is an effort that varies from one organization to another. Your workers have different needs, and making workspace decisions that satisfy those needs requires digging into the details and tailoring a solution to your business. If you devote the time and resources to that investment, you'll see it pays off in the end.