Category: Better Living

According to an Actinéo survey , 60% of French employees work more in an individual office and 14% are in open spaces with more than four people. The open-space allows the company to optimize workspaces and thus reduce costs. However, it is often not appreciated by employees. As the workspace has a significant impact on well-being and efficiency, we are going to give you some tips to adapt and make working in the open space more enjoyable.

Positive sides and drawbacks of open space

Generally, open-space work is badly accepted or badly experienced by employees because:

• It is noisy
• It is a source of stress
• It is less intimate than an individual office
• It is harder to focus on it
• It gives the feeling of being watched by others

However, we must recognize that this one has positive sides since:

• Is a source of conviviality
• Avoid isolation
• Improve communication
• Makes it easier to ask for help or solve a problem (proximity)

Make the open-space more user-friendly

Do not neglect the relationship

Working in a good atmosphere is so much more pleasant: good understanding and communication between colleagues greatly contribute to it. For this, everyone must put a little of their own to improve relations by:

• Listening
• Knowing how to empathize
• Learning to manage your emotions
• Smiling
• Adapting to the morale of the other (fatigue, bad mood, stress …)
• Chattering (reasonably)
• Discussing rather than conflicting
• Bringing pastries, pastries, sweets …

Determine the rules of good manners

For everything to go well it is not enough to be friendly and understanding, determining a few rules of good manners (and their application of course) allows everyone to work properly. To define them, a meeting where all the colleagues in the office will be gathered and will be able to express themselves can be organized. Here are some examples of rules to follow:

• Avoid disturbing odors (food, perfume, etc.)
• Snack discreetly
• Isolate yourself to answer a personal call
• Move instead of calling someone
• Speak in a moderate voice
• Set mobile ringtones to vibrate
• Avoid coming and going without repetitively
• Do not constantly disturb your colleagues
• Respect order in the open space
• Maintain good hygiene (toothpaste, deodorant, shower …)

Talk about what’s bothering

Certain reactions, tics, and ways of doing things can be disturbing. We do not always realize it, therefore, it is important to analyze our own or to ask directly in order to be able to make the necessary efforts.

Behaving respectfully is essential, regardless of the relationship you have with your colleagues. It also makes it easier to make small remarks. You should not wait until the last moment to share it (by keeping things to yourself for too long, you manage your emotions and reactions less well).

If the problem situation comes up a few times and it still annoys you, see if it’s also the case with other coworkers and bring it up with the person concerned to try to work things out.

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