New office organizations lose the personal essence of the traditional office. Say goodbye to family photos and books scattered all over the table, spaces must respond to working styles and changing rhythms. Staying creative with this reorganization can seem difficult on a flexible desk.
If you’re the typical modern day worker, your desk isn’t really yours anymore. You and your computer can work from almost anywhere you want, provided you have an electrical outlet and an Internet connection.
This development has led companies to operate a new organization out of offices, moving to teamwork, flexible office, or managed office. In short, with the spread of remote work since the Covid-19 pandemic, the traditional office model has exploded into pieces: more and more in the flexible office, you bring your work in the morning and leave with it in the evening as soon as your day’s work is over.
This model satisfies in many aspects, especially economic Contracting. But can moving to a less private office hurt creativity?
Office customization is a plus in creativity
to me An empirical study on the design of workspaces Conducted by the Business School of the Friedrich-Alexander University in Erlangen-Nuremberg, office allocation promotes creativity.
The study was published in the Journal of Technology and Innovation Management in 2017, and claims that “Decorating the workspace with personal items supports [la] creativity. Based on this, we conclude that individualizing the workspace appears to be an important determinant of employee creativity.”
The quintessential example of office personalization: the picture of the kids on the table. These things enhance a sense of belonging and value to the company.
Office layout and flexibility
How to reconcile the creative needs of companies, which at the same time push themselves towards a more neutral and impersonal office model? In other words, more flexible and adaptable.
Si l’espace n’est plus attribué personnellement, les entreprises doivent trouver l’équilibre entre les besoins de chacun: des salles calmes pour écrire ou se concentrer, des pièces pour suivre des réunions et travailler en équipe desé, ou encore break. Yes, the office layout is now working in the “mood”. This type of office can provide employees with the means to develop their creativity if they find a place to seclude themselves, discuss or picnic.
If personal customization of a place seems necessary, it’s hard to really confirm that you won’t be creative in this new organization. Perhaps evolve according to forms of activity and creativity? One thing is for sure: a video conference limits your creative ideas.
Test and adaptation. The best way to find out is not to jump to conclusions.
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