A recent Harvard Business Review article catalogs some of the changes made in office layouts over the past three decades, many done in an effort to encourage informal meetings between employees. While the logic is that this increases cooperative behavior and productivity, privacy is a far more important aspect of intra-office social interactions than previously believed.
In fact, the trend towards strategically-placed open areas in office buildings in an attempt to facilitate socializing had the opposite effect. The authors of the article, Anne-Laure Fayard and John Weeks, explain:
"Some studies show that employees in open-plan spaces, knowing that they may be overheard or interrupted, have shorter and more-superficial discussions than they otherwise would." This in turn leads to less of the desired "cooperation and innovation" effect many companies had hoped for.
It turns out that privacy plays a much more vital role in the cultivation of productive informal interactions. Knowing that someone else isn't looking at or overhearing while you're trying to have a conversation makes you more comfortable and more likely to speak your mind. In short, too much open space only serves to stifle creative discourse.
So how can you make sure your company has the right balance of privacy and openness in its facilities? One effective method is adding window film. That's where Michigan Glass Coatings comes in. We've been the preferred window film installation service in metro Detroit for nearly 35 years.
Our 3M Fasara Decorative Window Film provides a stylish and affordable option that can be quickly applied to any windows in your office at a small fraction of the expense of purchasing privacy screens or partitions. The elegant etched-glass look of the window decorative film we provide can add the element of privacy your business could be missing. Give us a call if you'd like to make an aesthetic and practical change to your office.