While the open office is still an excellent solution for workers in some industries, the challenges inherent in focusing in these types of offices are making many companies question the wisdom of their move to this style of office. If your company has an open floor plan and it isn't working as well as you would like, there are some ways that you can quickly and easily solve this challenge and create greater senses of privacy either through modifying your workplace or through modifying your work style.
Offer Telecommuting
Of course, allowing workers to telecommute -- at least on a part time basis -- doesn't do anything physically to your office. It does, however, solve two different problems. First, it allows workers who need to get out of the noise and distractions that are inherent in an open office to stay home and get some work done. Second, by having more workers out of the office on any given day, you free up workstations and space that you can apply differently.
While allowing workers to do their jobs remotely can pose some management challenges, ask yourself this question: If you need to be watching them all day, why do you want them working for you? Bear in mind, also, that this solution isn't necessarily about creating a virtual office. Instead, it's about allowing workers to spend a couple or few days a week at home.
Reclaim Interior Walls
Creating offices along the glass line won't cut it anymore since all of your workers want access to light and views. However, your interior walls can be great places to add offices or private workspaces. Those spaces can be assigned to workers that need them, or can be available to anyone that needs to escape the open office for a period of time. These offices don't have to be gigantic, either. An 8 foot by 10 foot space is more than large enough for a desk and couple of chairs. After all, shared or as-needed offices don't need a lot of storage space.
Consider Noise Control
For many workers, the noise of an open office is the primary source of distraction and dissatisfaction. Some simple solutions to this challenge include:
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Turning down or turning off background music. You can replace it with white noise or with nothing, depending on what your workers prefer.
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Liberalizing your office's policies about allowing headphones in the workspace. Another step would be to issue noise cancelling headphones for all workers allowing them both to block out noise and, by wearing the headphones, to signal when they want to be left alone.
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Working with a space designer to find way to modify your office's design for better noise control. Bare wood or concrete floors, hard modern furniture and exposed ceilings all reflect sound. Carpeting or rugs, padded furniture and acoustic tile ceilings all absorb sound.
Create Zones
If you can't do anything else, consider organizing your open office in a way that people who have compatible working styles and needs sit together. Many open office floor plans already allow teams to flexibly work together, but what about creating a quiet zone for people who need to concentrate (or a loud zone for those who need noise)? Reconfiguring your office's layout can go a long way to driving better results even if you don't swing any hammers, buy any electronics or change any other policies.
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