Blogs and Articles from Third Way Forum Membrs
Dec 8, 2022
Discussion#2 What would be the most effective office layout in the remote working era to improve engagement and productivity?
Blogs from The Third Way Working Group
- The office layout and the corporate culture are mutually enhancing each other. For a long time, we have been discussing ways to change the Japanese corporate culture. The change of the office layout could be a powerful trigger to bring about the long-awaited cultural change in Japanese companies.
- As many companies are forced to rethink about their office space due to the remote working practice, now is a very unique opportunity to implement a new office layout that will drive a cultural change.
- As most companies are adapting some hybrid work styles of working in office and remote working, the traditional Japanese style open layout reflecting the hierarchical status of employees should be abolished and replaced with a more effective and modern layout. In the post-pandemic era, many people no longer ask for a designated desk as they don’t come to the office all the time. So the concept of hot desk/free address is even more relevant today.
- Most people say that they can work much more effectively if they have privacy and quietness without disturbance. Today professionals are knowledge workers and they work digitally. So they need a private space to concentrate for better performance. As much as possible, companies should provide some private work space for employees when they are in the office.
- So we would suggest that companies should set up many small individual offices for employees and let them use those offices in a hot desk way. When they are in the office, they can use the vacant office. We call this arrangement “The Hot Office”. Hot offices should be surrounded by noise-proof wall or partitions. So you can take calls and have online meetings as well.
- The most obvious challenge is the space. How can we create so many tiny offices in a limited floor space? Here comes the Japanese ingenuity for compactness that created capsule hotels in the past. Just like capsule hotels which had so many tiny capsules equipped with a bed, a light and even TV, we should explore how companies could provide many small offices for employees. It is not only executives who need private office space. Everybody does for good performance. We call this arrangement “The Capsule Office”.
- Companies still need meeting rooms for group meetings. Also, some common open space for creative collaboration or café/canteen. In this way, they can secure teamwork and communications as well. As for 1 on 1 meetings, people can invite each other into their capsule offices.
- With this Hot Capsule Office arrangement, today’s knowledge workers can secure effective work environment when they come to the office. If you combine it with remote working practice, your employees can work with much better focus in the office just as effectively as working from home.
- The Capsule Office is worth further exploration as it will enhance the sense of individual professionalism which sometimes lack in Japan due to the strong team concept and peer pressure. When each individual has a higher sense of professionalism and can work with more freedom, at their own pace, in their own way, in a private space at work, we are sure that the company’s corporate culture will inevitably change.
- As many companies are forced to rethink about their office space due to the remote working practice, now is a very unique opportunity to implement a new office layout that will drive a cultural change.
- As most companies are adapting some hybrid work styles of working in office and remote working, the traditional Japanese style open layout reflecting the hierarchical status of employees should be abolished and replaced with a more effective and modern layout. In the post-pandemic era, many people no longer ask for a designated desk as they don’t come to the office all the time. So the concept of hot desk/free address is even more relevant today.
- Most people say that they can work much more effectively if they have privacy and quietness without disturbance. Today professionals are knowledge workers and they work digitally. So they need a private space to concentrate for better performance. As much as possible, companies should provide some private work space for employees when they are in the office.
- So we would suggest that companies should set up many small individual offices for employees and let them use those offices in a hot desk way. When they are in the office, they can use the vacant office. We call this arrangement “The Hot Office”. Hot offices should be surrounded by noise-proof wall or partitions. So you can take calls and have online meetings as well.
- The most obvious challenge is the space. How can we create so many tiny offices in a limited floor space? Here comes the Japanese ingenuity for compactness that created capsule hotels in the past. Just like capsule hotels which had so many tiny capsules equipped with a bed, a light and even TV, we should explore how companies could provide many small offices for employees. It is not only executives who need private office space. Everybody does for good performance. We call this arrangement “The Capsule Office”.
- Companies still need meeting rooms for group meetings. Also, some common open space for creative collaboration or café/canteen. In this way, they can secure teamwork and communications as well. As for 1 on 1 meetings, people can invite each other into their capsule offices.
- With this Hot Capsule Office arrangement, today’s knowledge workers can secure effective work environment when they come to the office. If you combine it with remote working practice, your employees can work with much better focus in the office just as effectively as working from home.
- The Capsule Office is worth further exploration as it will enhance the sense of individual professionalism which sometimes lack in Japan due to the strong team concept and peer pressure. When each individual has a higher sense of professionalism and can work with more freedom, at their own pace, in their own way, in a private space at work, we are sure that the company’s corporate culture will inevitably change.
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