5 simple workspace strategies to incline towards more flexibility

Consider some of the best organisations of the world- Google, Amazon, Facebook and LinkedIn. Do you know what these workplaces have in common?

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It is FLEXIBILITY.

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These names top the list of companies where most people aspire to work, majorly because of the immense flexibility they offer to their employees at the workspace. It is no secret that workspace flexibility boosts employee happiness, retains top talent and improves the productivity of work.

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You can also delight your employees to bring out the best in them by embracing more flexibility in your workspace.

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Picture all your employees making the best use of different spaces in the office with openness and high energy and all the work being done faster than anticipated. Think of increased cross-pollination of ideas boosting innovation and creativity amongst teams and fast-paced interactions between different individuals.

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Flexibility is a boon indeed!

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We all know that the landscape of business is changing. And this change is making corporations get more inclined towards agile workspaces which have flexibility predominantly running in their blood.
India has become one of the leading players in the Asia Pacific region when it comes to flexible office space market. The surprising growth of flexible office spaces in India in the first half of 2019 has been up by 52% over the same time last year, i.e. nearly 4.6 million square feet, as per the reports of CBRE. This is quite a number which speaks for itself.

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The demand for flexibility in workspaces is seen to be strengthening in the coming times as well. Today’s workforce comprises of a huge chunk of millennials who love to work in a vibrant and flexible environment. They are influenced by the new possibilities of social and professional interactions in innovative spaces. Agility is ever-growing and business leaders are supercharging the spaces around them.

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If you are wondering how to jump on the bandwagon and adopt this in your own office space as well, here are some easy and foolproof strategies which you can apply to reconfigure your workspace for the best outcomes-

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Co-creating and co-designing the space

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No one loves the office space being dark or computers being placed at awkward angles. Comfort matters a lot when it comes to a workspace where you spend nearly one-third of your day. To eliminate these setbacks, it is highly recommended that you involve your employees and understand what are their needs and how would they love their office space to be. Considering this need will help in bringing out their best and enhance their productivity and happiness at work. Co-creating the workspace with your team will make them feel more attached with the organisation too.

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Understanding the actual user practices of the perceived space

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Design alone cannot bring more flexibility to the workspace. It is the people who ultimately use the places. A close observation of what the places are designed for and how the people actually utilise those spaces is needed for the optimum utilisation of flexible spaces and to have the maximum productivity.

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The main idea of agile workspaces is that the individuals are given back their own space and they feel free to work from wherever they are most comfortable. Understanding this to the core will give you the best outcome in agile spaces.

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Accommodating different demographics

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There may be varying generations working at your organisation, no doubt millennials being the majority as mentioned earlier. But understanding the pulse of every individual and considering their preferences should be valued.

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For example, baby boomers are the eldest and they rely more on face-to-face conversations than the digital media, so collaborative spaces good for them. Gen X may seek for more of a work-life balance thus the changes at workplace need to be managed carefully for them. Millennials are already agile thus they can easily adapt to the changing spaces. If someone from the Gen Z has already started working, they would want their office to focus more on personal development. All of these need to be considered while making an informed and sensitive decision for accommodating the diverse workforce.

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Identifying what works for you and what doesn’t

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If you re-examine the use of your spaces closely, you will get the best knowledge of the utilization of spaces that works best for you and your team. There is no “one size fits all” when comes to workplace design. Different organisations have different patterns of workflow and their teams can be at their productive best in different spaces. Thus utilisation of the space for best results matters much when comes to designing your space.

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Gradual shift to agile workspaces

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To enable the co-creation of your agile workspace, you need to understand the productive energy which this approach generates and reimagine the synergy of workplace, performance and culture of your organisation. Take some time to make an informed change in your workspace design and do not rush into things. Sudden changes may lead to unwanted consequences at work. Even the employees will need to adjust and adapt to their new and more flexible surroundings. Make sure you involve them while designing your space so that the creative and diverse employees have the right to choose the spaces best for them.

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A well-planned agile workspace will support great mobility and additionally bring down your real estate costs by manifold. Not only this, you can provide a dynamic employee experience and facilitate more innovation driven by increased flexibility if you choose your doctors of real estate wisely!