Tuesday, September 09, 2008

What I’m Hearing…Office Space

Before I dive into today’s blog post, I apologize to the readers of my column. August was quite the month – I was on the road for most of it due to vacation (aah!) and business travels (yea!). When I wasn’t on the road, I was working here in the office training our newest team members (also yea!), and mourning the loss of a few other favorite restaurants of mine. Now that I’m back in the swing of things, let the posts continue!

Yesterday evening I overheard a conversation between three healthcare professionals. They were discussing how they have to fight for office space in order to conduct their work. It appears that the space they were fighting for wasn’t particularly glamorous either. Tiny, dark, and without doors would best describe it.

One of the women mentioned her techniques for making her small space the envy of her colleagues. She added plants, a fountain, and a curtain against a wall that makes it look like the wall opens up onto a beach. Pretty clever!

Those of us who work in offices may often take for granted the importance of space and privacy for being effective members of an organization. While we can’t always guarantee a private office for each employee – buildings do have space constraints – we should do our best to make each person’s space feel as warm and inviting as possible. A small investment in some décor – living or faux – will help to make employees feel welcomed and appreciated. With those feelings should come greater organizational loyalty. With the cost of turnover as high as it is, purchasing a few plants or pictures seems relatively inexpensive in comparison.

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