AFR.
Surviving the open-plan office
Susannah Moran
3/5/05
Open plan offices are all the rage but there are pros and cons. In this special package we look at training staff to work in the open, ask the players whether they'd rather have a room of their own, and talk to an expert about designing for better work.
When the National Australia Bank moved 3500 staff into new offices in Melbourne's Docklands they were not just given a seating plan, they were also handed a video on how to behave. The open-plan design of the building, where there are no discrete offices, meant staff had to be reminded of appropriate behaviour.
NAB corporate affairs manager Amanda Murray-Johnson says the video was a light-hearted way to get the message across without dictating to staff how to act: "We got a group of employees together and filmed it Survivor-style with one team behaving the right way, and the others doing things like yelling across the room and putting their mobiles on an obnoxious tune at maximum volume."
NAB is one of many companies going to open-plan design and breaking down the barriers between senior executives and the rest of the workforce. These days, even chief executives are coming out of their corner offices and joining the masses at their workstations. The trouble is, in open plan everyone can hear you scream or shout or sob, which is why many firms are now running special induction courses or programs on how to work in open environments.
Ernst & Young, which is rolling-out new open-plan offices, offers guidelines to new graduates, hundreds of whom join the professional services firm every year. Among the advice, says senior manager for recruitment and mobility Kate Herbert, is the suggestion they turn their mobiles to silent when in the office.
"We don't make a big deal about being prescriptive about it," Herbert says. "But you watch other people and that is how you model yourself."
The firm also briefs staff about the importance of locking away their laptops at night and ensuring confidential documents are not left lying around.
Staff at Australian Gas Light Co in Sydney will move into new offices this year and group manager for people and culture Gareth Bennett says staff will be briefed on the "common courtesies" such as using the informal spaces to hold casual conversations and not leaving mobile phones ringing.
The firm has also instigated a clean-desk policy.
"It makes the environment look slicker and makes for a more professional environment," Bennett says. "It's also for security reasons."
Bob Beaver, the general manager of Freiberg Australia, a company that makes workstations, says companies are increasingly asking for lower screens between desks which can make for a noisier workspace.
But there are ways that noise can be combated, such as fabric on the partitions to soak it up.
Open-plan design is seen as a plus in terms of interaction but can often lead to a casual atmosphere in which productivity can fall, says Neen James, a consultant who has recently moved to the United States.
"If people yell across partitions, don't answer their phones, and leave their radios on, it can be very destructive," she says.
But the good news is that open-plan environments work well for established teams who thrive in the close-knit atmosphere, and once other workers learn to eliminate distractions, they too become much more productive, she says.
When James goes into an office to sort out why staff productivity has dropped off, she starts by asking what the norms are.
The biggest grievances, she says, are noise and the lack of consideration by colleagues.
"It is like being in a car," she says. "People don't think anyone can see in, and they become oblivious to others. So they often start by talking loudly on the phone."
Then there are those workers who think open plan means no need to respect the privacy of others.
They are the ones who often listen to the conversations of colleagues sitting near them and even think it's acceptable to give advice, often mid-conversation about the content of the call, business or personal, says James.
Other bad habits that workers fall into include treating their desks like an extension of their home.
One or two photos and an inspirational poster are okay, but smelly gym shoes, spare clothes, and towels hanging over the back of chairs are not on.
James recommends that companies wanting a healthy workforce should start by having managers lead by example: no eating lunch at their desk or working ridiculous hours.
And don't have meetings around your desk or in the corridor.
James also advises companies to provide lockable cabinets, so there is no risk of losing intellectual property, and documents are free from prying eyes.
Then there are the little things like keeping the volume low on phones, and turning mobiles to silent.
She suggests one key test for gauging whether an office is up to scratch: "Would you let your clients see this?"
And if your co-workers still haven't got the message that you mean business, put on your headphones.
Even if you are not listening to any music, it can drown out the background chatter and give colleagues a sign that you are not to be disturbed, says James.
THE RULES
The 15 rules of open-plan existence:
1: Have a clean-desk policy. Clear desks are important for overall presentation and security.
2: Don't yell across workstations.
3: Manage your phones. Try to answer your phone within three rings. Select a mobile phone ring that won't annoy others around you.
4: Do not hold conversations outside others' workstations.
5: Keep things off the floor and keep your paperwork and any other items within your desk area.
6: Be aware of personal hygiene.
7: Don't discipline people in public, and have confidential conversations in meeting rooms.
8: Don't sticky-beak at your colleagues' computer screens.
9: Don't comment on colleagues' personal or business telephone conversations.
10: If you are listening to music, keep it down or invest in headphones.
11: Book a meeting room for more than two people.
12: If you do answer someone's phone, take a message and email the details immediately.
13: Surround yourself with inspiration or something that is meaningful for you, such as a photo of your family, but don't overdo it.
14: Respect your colleagues' space.
15: Keep your voice down, especially if your voice tends to carry.