3 Common Office Space Dilemmas

3 Common Office Dilemmas

By Tracey Batacan

I remember walking into my Mom’s office when I was younger and noticing how much space and serenity she had at work. She could focus on multiple projects without disruption as well as close the door her office to keep noise levels at a minimum.

Fast forward to my generation and the days of private offices and personal cubicles are starting to draw to a close for several reasons: reduced budgets; consolidated office space as well as a means to save jobs. Yet, in this “hoteling” type environment I work in, I am noticing several types of challenges that may occur in an open work environment.

For example, some offices provide hoteling situations that permit staff to work in different locations each day. While this serves as a great opportunity to collaborate with people outside of your formal team, sometimes locating a clean an available desk in the myriad of office space proves to be a challenge.

The open work environment also means that things like cubicle walls and doors are no longer available to non-management employees. Consequently, the level of noise at work will increase as the number of people increases with arrivals at the office each day.

Moreover, personal space becomes limited. Gone are the days of having pictures of your family, pets and diplomas. Welcome smaller desks, portable phones and small arm space.

While these may be perceived by some as negative issues, there are some ways to navigate around the smaller office accommodations.

Working in an Open Office Environment Tips:

• Arrive early if you want to secure a preferred seat
• Consider using a digital photo frame to keep the happy memories close
• Get out of your comfort zone, and team up with new people on innovative projects
• Noise an issue? Track the days there are more people at work and plan that as your scheduled telework day
• Communicate with peers in a positive way when the noise levels are getting too loud
• Bring your favorite playlist on your IPod and earphones so you can listen to your favorite tunes while whittling down your tasks
• Remember that smaller space without walls or doors as barriers also means being more courteous in the office