If you’re wondering what a collaborative workspace is, that’s understandable. The term hasn’t been around for very long and doesn’t get bandied about much outside of business circles. But if you work in an office or a cubicle farm, there’s a good chance that this trend is poised to make some major changes in your life.
What is a collaborative workspace?
A collaborative workspace is a shared work environment that enables employees to work together, share ideas and resources. They are becoming more popular as businesses seek to increase employee engagement, productivity, and reduce costs.
Traditional offices often have private workspaces separated by cubicles or desks with dividers. In contrast, collaborative workspaces are open rooms where employees can move around and easily collaborate on projects. These spaces often include whiteboards for brainstorming sessions, breakout rooms, and other amenities designed to encourage communication.
Collaborative workspaces can be adapted based on an organization’s needs. For example, some businesses might prefer private phone booths or quiet areas where people can focus without distraction. Other companies might prefer open spaces where everyone can see what’s going on around them so they can communicate with their colleagues while they’re working on their team’s goals.
Benefits of collaborative workspaces
Productivity
Collaborative workspaces are a great place to get work done.
Collaboration can improve productivity. When people collaborate, they produce higher-quality results than they’d do alone—and faster. A Stanford article found that “Immersive workspaces will become an integral part of the next generation collaboration ecosystem.” By working alongside others, you’ll feel motivated by their presence and energized by their ideas.
Teamwork
Collaborative workspaces can help with teamwork in a variety of ways, including:
- Encouraging open communication. If you’re working on a project with other people, it’s important to be able to communicate.. Collaborative workspaces encourage this because they allow everyone to connect with each other and share their ideas.
- Improving productivity levels as a whole. When you’re working on a project with several members of your team at once it can be difficult for individuals to stay focused. By creating an environment where everyone is encouraged to focus during certain times, companies help employees become more productive overall.
Networking
Collaborative workspaces can be an ideal place to network. Making connections with people from different companies and industries can open up new opportunities for you. You might discover a new contact who is able to help you land a job, or make introductions that lead to future partnerships. Attending networking events at your co-working space is valuable because it will help you build up your professional network.
Innovation
The most obvious benefit is that it will give your team the time and space to innovate. Innovation is a key factor in improving your business, and getting ahead of the competition.
Collaborative workspaces can also help people innovate by creating an environment where people feel comfortable sharing ideas.
Is a collaborative workspace right for your company?
Collaborative workspaces can really increase productivity and teamwork and facilitate networking and innovation. As a result, they are a great way to get more done in less time. I’m sure you’ve heard the old adage “two heads are better than one,” so it should be no surprise that collaborative workspaces offer many benefits. If you need a space for your business to work with, give extraSlice a call, we have coworking office spaces all around the country. Whether your an individual or owner of an enterprise business, we can help you find a place to get work done.
