Change. It’s something that most people readily admit they don’t like. Yet ambitious managers and business owners are driven to look for “new and improved” ways to accomplish more with less.
This is one of the reasons so many businesses turned to open office layouts. They wanted to change the ideal feel of the modern office into something less “stuffy” and transform it into an open environment.
The hope was that employees could share ideas and brainstorm solutions without being incumbered by walls or feeling siloed.
For many businesses, the reality of open offices turned out to be much less effective than they had planned.
The setting facilitated noise and distraction that interfered with everyone’s ability to concentrate. In most office environments, employees work in smaller groups, not a large one. From task forces to committees, small groups come together to make big decisions on every aspect of the company.
Achieving a design that works for each of your teams means adding modular offices, which provide many staff benefits.
How the Meaning of “Collaboration” Has Changed
Cubicles and walls have largely disappeared over the past few years, making way for open, agile spaces. Throwing everyone into the same, enormous room is supposed to increase visibility and enhance collaboration. But, technology is also changing the conversation.
Increasingly, employees use virtual meeting software, emails, texts, and other digital communication methods to interact. In spite of the number of businesses that have adopted open office settings, employees are choosing to interact face-to-face less frequently, not more.
Firms that switched to open offices found that face-to-face interactions fell by 70 percent. At the same time, electronic interactions increased to compensate for the difference.
Open Floor Layouts Aren’t Going Away - But Adding Modular Offices Can Help
In spite of the distractions and other disadvantages, some businesses cite using an open office setting out of necessity. It's cheaper than some alternatives, and building new space or conference rooms can be costly.
One business owner mentioned disagreements over temperature settings, lighting, and noisy eating habits as some of the issues they had to consider. These staff differences made it difficult to concentrate and have private or sensitive conversations when necessary.
To make the open office setting work, the company encouraged employees to voice any concerns they were feeling.
They found areas of compromise and, most importantly, gave them spaces where they could go for private calls and meetings. This new “hybrid” setting combines the best features of open space and closed offices for those companies that need both.
Comparing Open Offices to Classrooms
One thing we all have in common is the experience of sitting in a classroom. Every classroom had a variety of personality types who were also different types of learners. Some students preferred to sit in the back and study quietly to themselves.
Others never seemed to be in their seat. There were also talkers and socializers, some of which were better students than others.
When looking at the comparison of an open office to a classroom, you have to consider the same variations in personality and working types. When people of any age have access to their optimal type of space, they work better.
Fifty-eight percent of high-performance employees say they need more quiet at work, while 54 percent say their workplace is too distracting.
The feeling might not be unanimous, but it is in the majority. To achieve optimal results, employers might create a hybrid setting called an agile office environment where privacy is available when and where needed.
The Benefits of Modular Offices Can Help Restore Interaction
Zenbooth’s Executive Booth XL and Executive Room provide solutions where open settings don’t work. Each model is modular so you can assemble it where you need private space. You can easily move the booth whenever your team needs change.
Executive Booth XL Details
The Executive Booth XL is a modular conference room that holds two to three people comfortably. The 3.5-inch-thick wall provides excellent sound insulation. This helps keep your conversations private or provides an efficient barrier between employees and noises that distract them.
The Executive Booth XL has twin high-powered ventilation fans to keep the interior space comfortable. Four USB outlets let you keep laptops, cell phones, or other devices charged. There are also two grommets for data and telephone cables and six electrical outlets for anything you need.
In addition, the adjustable desk options improve ergonomics so employees focus on their projects and not on a lack of comfort. When dealing with sensitive data, the booth gives you and your employees the privacy they need.
The more ways that you have to use the booth, the more return you get for your investment. The Executive Booth XL is ideal for:
- Conducting performance reviews
- Employee interviews
- Working on projects in a quiet setting
- Getting sensitive work done in comfort
A Modular Conference Room for Up to 6 People
The Executive Room is like building a conference room at your office but with many more benefits. One of the most important features that makes it an ideal huddle room is that it is mobile. Unlike regular walls, the booth can be moved to a new location whenever the need arises.
The Executive Room provides the space you need for meetings of teams, groups, or task force members. It provides the highest level of privacy you need to work on private or sensitive projects, or to just keep intrusions to a minimum.
If you’ve relied on the break room or a central area for your conference room in the past, the Executive Room makes a brilliant alternative. The 3.5-inch-thick acoustic wall keeps your meetings secure.
This meeting pod provides comfortable, private space for four to six people whenever and wherever you need it. Its twin, high-powered ventilation fans keep the space cool and smelling fresh. Employees never feel boxed in like they do in cubicles or small offices.
The tempered glass in the door and the ½-inch shatterproof plexiglass ceiling lets natural light flood the booth. It’s designed for the ultimate in comfort no matter how long those essential meetings take.
Employees who use the booth don’t have to argue over who uses the ports or electrical outlets. Two power and data units provide a total of four fast-charging USB outlets, two grommets for data and telephone cables, and six electrical outlets.
Access to their devices makes it easy to share data while also collaborating on ideas and potential solutions.
Why The Advantages of Modular Offices Matter
People have been trying to optimize space since the very first office was conceived. Removing walls and creating an open environment seemed like a natural evolution.
But increasing the amount of available square footage isn’t enough. You need to improve the quality of the work environment to you don't negatively affect employee production.
Research shows that using conference booths like Zenbooth increases employees’ concentration by as much as 48 percent and reduces stress levels by as much as 27 percent.
As many as 70 percent of the offices today have either low partitions or zero partitions. Those who have invested in changing to an open space are looking for answers. They have learned at great expense that it isn’t the solution for improving collaboration.
You Can Benefit From Modular Offices
Adding partitions or cubicles to an entire office setting is a costly adventure. For businesses that rent their office space, it might not even be an option. Most companies that are looking for ways to give their employees more privacy don’t need or want to restore a system of walls and partitions.
Zenbooth offers a practical solution that is as versatile as it is unique.
Their mobile enclosures are easy to set up and move. They offer a higher level of privacy than closed-in offices or cubicles by blocking sound from coming in or going out.
You can choose from the Executive Booth XL and Executive Room for your specific needs. Each booth comes equipped with the connections and comfort features that facilitate work on any device.
Improve productivity, employee satisfaction, and collaboration by providing employees with the private space they need. Contact Zenbooth today to learn more about the solutions they offer.
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