If you’re up to date with different working methods and office design, you’ll no doubt have heard about the agile workplace.
This is a type of working system but it’s also a general modern office design too. Within this, an open plan office is divided up into different zones, normally consisting of:
- A quiet zone
- A collaborative zone
- A breakout space
- A touchdown area
- Meeting spaces
You might not use all of these zones, and in some cases, you might not need them all, but these are the five standard zones which usually make up the agile workplace in general.
In this working method, the focus is entirely on the task. Employees don’t have their own assigned office desks or chairs and instead, they’re free to work in whichever zone they feel best, depending upon the task they need to do. Some employees might even feel that working outside of the office would suit that particular task and that’s something which can be discussed, according to the rules of the company.
Agile working is different from hot desking because it’s more fluid. There is no need to book space at a particular desk and no need to think beforehand. You simply go to work, look at what you need to do and then sit wherever you feel fits best. Of course, that might mean that employees tend to naturally gravitate towards a desk which they feel familiar and comfortable with, and in some cases that’s fine, provided the task is the reason they’re doing that. If not, then management would need to come up with ways to encourage staff to move around the office a little more.
Check out this TED Talk, which explores agile working in a bit more detail.
So, why is agile working a great idea? And, if you choose to opt for this modern office design route, why is it a good choice for you?
The task is the main focus, which means a higher quality outcome
When employees focus on the task they need to complete and where is best to complete it, it means that the end result is going to be of a higher quality than otherwise. This means fewer mistakes and a more creative approach.
Agile workplaces are less stressful places to work
You can move around however you think you need to in this type of working arrangement, so if you’re finding one particular office desk a little noisy, you can easily move to the quiet zone and focus, which reduces stress.
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You get to work with different colleagues
The encouragement to move around means that you’re likely to work with different colleagues to those you would normally interact with. This increases the quality of workplace relationships and helps make your working environment a more fun place to be!
Inspires creativity and collaboration
Working with different people also helps to boost the collaboration efforts within your office and helps you to come up with more creative and inspirational ideas. This benefits the business but also boosts morale too.
The space is generally more productive
With all of these reasons in mind, the agile workplace is a very productive place to work, provided you can design it in the right way and you have the space to do so.
Of course, no working method is perfect and you may have some employees who don’t embrace the agile model which as well as others. That’s fine and in that case, you simply need to encourage them to see the benefits and work with them to reduce the perceived negatives.
The overall design of the office is quite creative and innovative, with booths, space dividers, different types of desks etc, and as a result, the entire office is going to feel bright, uplifting and quite positive in general.