11 Strategies on How to Work in An Open Plan Environment

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.

Neen is a Global Productivity Expert: by looking at how they spend their time and energy ? and where they focus their attention ? Neen helps people to rocket-charge their productivity and performance. A dynamic speaker, author and corporate trainer, Neen demonstrates how boosting your productivity can help you achieve amazing things. With her unique voice, sense of fun and uncommon common-sense, Neen delivers a powerful lesson in productivity. Find out more at http://neenjames.com/

---

Managing Yo-Yo Style

Does being managed by others smack more of "Survivor" than... Read More

Thoughts on Empowerment

People are empowered when they are given the authority and... Read More

The Power of Positive Communication

Communication is the key to your success at work, at... Read More

Internal Communication: 12 Essential Elements

There are 12 essential elements of a successful internal communications... Read More

Are You Ready to Sell Your Business

Make Sure You Understand Your Motivation for SellingAre you thinking... Read More

Is Your Company in Need of Family Therapy?

How Companies Are Like FamiliesLike a family, a company is... Read More

Why Employee Satisfaction Surveys And Employee Exit Surveys Make Good Sense

In a competitive world with the need for businesses to... Read More

Take Your Firm to the Next Level

So you did such a good job in 2003 at... Read More

Make Them GLAD Youre Their Boss

Criticism has the power to do good when there is... Read More

Business Leadership Skills - Managing the Human Being Behind the Business

Managing the Human Being Behind the Business It's... Read More

5 Steps to Continuous Process Improvement

Part One of Creating Well-Defined Processes SeriesWhat if your sales... Read More

What One Thing?

A few weeks ago I asked my readers what the... Read More

Better Management Performance - The Easy 3-Step Way

Managers make three mistakes when they try to run businesses.... Read More

Bullying and the Not for Profit Organisation

Where there is people there is politics! Bullying is now... Read More

Directed Introspection

One of the greatest obstacles to progress can often be... Read More

The ?Better People? Fallacy

It's easy enough to convince your own staff that better... Read More

The 5 Things Great Managers Sense about their People, Every Day

Using all of your senses, to help you test how... Read More

Basic Management Skills

Recent studies have shown that industrial supervisors are working at... Read More

The Gift of Gratitude

Gratitude might seem like a soft or even an obvious... Read More

What is Six Sigma?

Six Sigma is a highly disciplined process focused on satisfying... Read More

3 Tests To Hire The Best

Question: What's the easiest, cheapest and quickest way to have... Read More

Doing More With Less

This is a bottom-line environment.Decreasing the downtime of revenue producing... Read More

Uncommon Common Sense ? Know What is the Most Important Thing in Your Business

Over 3 of my meetings with 3 business owners last... Read More

Quick Tip - Effective Meetings Have SMART Goals

The first step in planning an agenda is to identify... Read More

Designing Your Healthy Administration - A Management Overview

Management or Leadership?Simply stated, management ensures that things get done,... Read More

Tales from the Corporate Frontlines: Providing Career Opportunity

This article relates to the Career Opportunity competency, commonly evaluated... Read More

10 Ways New Managers Become Great Leaders

"It is a terrible thing to look over your shoulder... Read More

7 Strategies for Sustained Innovation

The need for constant reinvention is a given in today's... Read More

Problem Solving

When problem solving, you may recognize that you were working... Read More

Leaders Versus Cheerleaders

Everyone wants to describe themselves as a leader. Everyday, new... Read More

Online Business Peace of Mind

Is your online business disaster-proof? Online businesses face a unique... Read More

Empowering Others - Giving Them Some Control

It's been a pretty good weekend around the place -... Read More

The Three-Dimensional Communication System

Human communication is always three-dimensional. No spoken or written message... Read More