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11 Strategies on How to Work in An Open Plan Environment

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Many work environments now are open plan, with only a few senior managers having offices of their own. This style of work can have great benefits for team building – fostering cooperation and collaboration and can be wonderful for developing the social aspects of teams, but on the flipside, it can drive some people crazy and be damaging to productivity. Most open plan offices require large numbers of people to learn to work together in very close proximity, which can present challenges, particularly relating to how we manage the physical environment, the noise and the constant interruptions. Share some of these strategies with your teammates to help you achieve a working environment where everyone is respectful of the needs and space occupied by others.

Keep it down! It’s easy to overlook how far your conversation can travel in a confined space – be mindful of what you can hear of others’ conversations and remember that they can hear yours too. Especially if you are loud or have a unique voice (like me!) be aware of your volume.

Walk the floor. Don’t yell across workstations – walk over to the person’s desk or use your e-mail or phone. Not everyone in the vicinity needs to be disrupted by your conversation.

Careful where you stand. Don’t stop for conversations or hold impromptu meetings at other people’s workstations – be considerate. If you want to have a meeting, choose a space that won’t impact others.

Get a room. If there are two or more people and you don’t have a discrete space to meet, book a meeting room and be sure to tidy it up before you leave.

Anyone for music? If you like listening to music, keep it down to a level where it doesn’t interfere with the concentration or comfort of your colleagues. If everyone agrees, you might choose a particular style of music and play it at a volume that suits everyone. Otherwise, buy yourself some headphones and keep the music to yourself.

Telephone etiquette. Be considerate about how you manage your phones, the constant ringing of desk phones and mobiles with their various show tunes other ‘ditties’ can be distracting and annoying. Turn your ringer-volume down to the lowest level that is appropriate for you, rather than let it blare though the office unnecessarily. Try to answer your phone or have your voicemail pick it up within three rings. Select a mobile phone ring that won’t annoy others. If you will be away from your desk for a prolonged period divert your phone to your mobile or voicemail.

Take a message. Answer your neighbour’s phone if it is appropriate. If you take a message send the details to them in an e-mail immediately to avoid lost phone messages on scraps of paper and post-its.

Hang a ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign. I’ve mentioned this one before, but it’s worth repeating here. Agree among your team on a signal which will indicate to other people that you are unavailable – that you are trying to concentrate on something or are on a deadline and do not wish to be disturbed. It might be an item placed on top of your computer monitor or desk, or even a sign taped to the back of your chair. When the signal is up, everyone agrees to not disturb you, when the signal comes down, people know that it’s business as usual again.

Clear desk policy. Adopt a clear desk policy. It makes the overall environment more pleasant and comfortable, rather than looking like a hurricane has been through, and it’s excellent for both personal productivity and security.

Stash it away. If you need some extra storage space, make use of space under your desk, rather than in walkways, but be careful not to crowd yourself or to create a cockroach haven.

Smile. Include some personal touches on your workstation, but don’t overdo it – you and your workstation are on display to your teammates and others who pass by your area and you want to leave a professional impression. Choose a photo of your family, a picture of a place you dream of going to or something else that inspires you and makes you feel happy.

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