3 Ways to Use Office Space More Efficiently
When you have a large office, you don’t tend to worry about the efficient division and usage of the space. But when your office space is limited, and people and things — including employees, clients and office equipment — have to share the space, wise usage is crucial to the smooth and efficient running of your business.
1. Offer a serene reception area
Naturally, clients and customers judge companies by first impressions, and usually the first impression is the reception area. Make sure that yours is tranquil, clean, relaxing and professional.
While many reception areas are high traffic and loud with ringing phones and competing conversations, it’s recommended that you Your company may share a reception area with other companies, in which case the management of the facility will most likely have their own standards when it comes to the demeanor in that area.
Usually, the image is professional. But regardless, establish your own high standards for this area. Make it clear to your employees that the reception area is a designated “quiet area” where visitors feel relaxed, calm and welcome. Emphasize to employees that they are to pick up after themselves in this area, retrieving deliveries and personal items, keeping their voices modulated and the personal chit-chat to a minimum.
2. Establish what your company’s needs are based on workflow rather than status
Your high-ranking company officers no doubt deserve their positions, but that doesn’t mean their offices should be the largest ones or that their spaces should all be clustered together. Instead, based on workflow, supervisors should be placed within their workgroups, i.e., the people who report to them, to facilitate collaboration and communication. Not only will the space be used more efficiently, but this will prevent an “us versus them” culture forming in your company.
You also want to place workgroups according to special needs, such as the quiet needed for more technical work. These folks should be placed far from the reception area or the call center, which both tend to be noisier.
3. Design your workspace layout to allow for privacy and cut down on log jams
Sometimes employees cluster together in tight spaces to schmooze. While a normal amount of interaction among employees is to be expected, if there are too many tight spaces between desks or work areas, traffic flow will be interrupted, which can in turn disrupt productivity. The best thing to do is to designate congregating areas away from work areas.
If possible, and if your executive suite or shared office space offers it, you should make it clear that clients are to be seen in closed conference rooms in order to make them feel comfortable when sharing confidential or proprietary information. Usually virtual office spaces have waiting areas where employees, clients and vendors can congregate without causing congestion.
By following these three guidelines, you can make the most of your limited workspace and ensure efficiency, productivity and harmony.
