It seems that every single season we can talk about a new way of working, a new practice or technique which allows employees to work in a different way, usually quite flexibly. Of course, this is a great plus point for both employees and employers, because greater flexibility increases workplace satisfaction, and therefore productivity overall.
The latest in that discussion of working practices is something called activity-based working.
‘What on Earth is that’, I hear you say!
Basically, activity-based working is very similar to what we know as ‘hot-desking’. In an activity based workplace, staff don’t have one particular assigned desk, and instead they can sit wherever suits their workload for that particular day. For instance, if someone from the marketing department is collaborating with the fashion design team, they can decide to sit there for the day, and work as a team to get the job done in the best possible way. Similarly, if someone from the IT department is doing a course of training with the administrative department, they can simply sit there and be available for questions during the regular working day.
Of course, setting up an activity-based working environment isn’t going to be easy, because for starters, your staff need to be willing to give it a try. Some employees might feel a sense of foreboding or worry when you mention that they will not have a specific desk to call their own. Collaborative office desks rely upon the idea of movement, and it will not work if everyone simply decides to sit in the same place every day, effectively going back to the regular office of old. Training and explanation of the benefits is key in this endeavor. Let’s now look into these further.
The Benefits of Activity-Based Working
This type of working basically encourages staff to talk, collaborate, share ideas, and work together on projects which gravitate towards each other organically. Freedom, choice, and a higher ease of collaboration are the main benefits which are connected to activity-based working, but it really begs the question of whether it is different to hot-desking.
In many ways no, but the ethos behind activity-based working is slightly different. This is about sitting where suits your productivity for that day, e.g. with the team or people whom you need to work with. It isn’t about ‘oh I fancy sitting near the window today’, and it’s not about ‘that’s my desk, and I’m sitting there’, it’s about ensuring that you can brainstorm easily with the people you need to brainstorm with. Activity based working also doesn’t generally have a desk booking system, as it is more fluid and relaxed, compared to a hot- desking system which has a more formal set-up.
Setting up an Activity-Based Workplace
In order to make an activity-based workplace function correctly, you need to think about office furniture. Cubicle-style desks are not going to work in this regard, because you need to think about everything being open, collaboration ease, and communication. So, think about modular office furniture, perhaps with some funky office chairs to bring light and colour to the area. When you’re trying to encourage sharing of ideas, the more colour and brightness you can inject, the better!
The set-up really extends towards break time design too, to encourage that communication and idea sharing to continue. So, think about canteen furniture, and think about booth seating in rest areas. Check out our London office furniture choices for a great range to consider.
How to Encourage Staff to Try Activity-Based Working
If you have a workforce who have been with you for a considerable length of time, you might run into some resistance then it comes to changing your working practice to an activity-based set-up. It really comes down to explaining what this practice is and what it isn’t. A lot of the resistance you’ll come up against is down to fears, and if you can alleviate those fears and sell them the idea in a fun and positive way, then you’re much more likely to find that staff are on board.
Whether you agree or not however, there is certainly a lot of evidence to suggest that activity-based working is perfect for boosting productivity. What do you think? Have you worked in an activity based working setting before? How did you find it? Let’s have an open discussion in the commentary box below and figure out the real pros and cons of this new working arrangement.