There are several studies and articles available to show how the design and layout of a workspace can influence business culture.
But have you considered the other way round – how your organisation’s culture can actually have an effect on your office design?
Dynamic, collaborative, relaxed – any number or combination of adjectives might describe your corporate culture – should this be reflected in your surroundings?
Not just a lick of paint
Of course, design means more than simple aesthetics – it covers how a space functions and what needs it has to meet.
Put simply – the place that you work in should echo the way that you work – and make it straightforward to do so.
For example – if you have staff that work largely alone and require peace and quiet, a large, open-plan space probably wouldn’t make sense.
Similarly, if your business works on projects that require discussion, collaboration and general cross pollination of ideas, cellular offices won’t work. And it’s important to get this right – because it’s likely that the strength of your reputation is built on how you work.
But if your staff can’t do that work effectively if they’re on your premises, this doesn’t reinforce your brand.
People equal culture
Remember, the culture of your business will be continually evolving and shifting due to various social and market factors.
But you’ll still want to retain certain threads, or core principles, that you’ve become known for and built a brand on.
A large part of this will be attracting and recruiting the right people that understand and buy-in to your ethos.
And a workplace is a contributing factor – potential staff (and possibly visiting clients) will use your office to design to form an idea about your business.
Whether it’s other businesses you work with, or individuals that move on from your organisation, people who ‘see’ your business will share their impressions.
So by getting your office design right, your future culture will be informed by your current one, via the premises you inhabit.
Does your office communicate and enable your culture?
If you understand that office ‘design’ means more than a lick of paint, it’s worth considering a professional that will learn your requirements.
Redefining the setup of your office space is an opportunity to create somewhere that unmistakably reflects and even enhances your office culture.
If you’d like to speak to a specialist to discuss your requirements, please get in touch.
