5 Agile Office Tips to Make Your Workspace More Collaborative

Creating an agile office that enables a quick workflow and supports productivity should be among the top priorities of every startup team. The importance of having a creative office space cannot be underestimated. After all, this is going to be a place where your big ideas will be born and put into action.

One of the key principles when building an agile office space is finding a balance between focused work and creative freedom that is so important for a startup. Your office should support collaboration between individuals, small and large groups – it should keep people connected and inspire new ideas and productive performance.

1. Keep it open

It’s important to keep your office space open – no cubicles or cells. An open office will help your team collaborate effectively and co-work without the necessity to schedule a conference room.

2. Keep it simple

We know that the office space should enable creative thinking. But it doesn’t mean that it should have an insane futuristic layout where your team members will wander like Alice in Wonderland.

In many cases, it’s a simple design that creates the best experience. So don’t overcomplicate and always remember that less is more. Stick to a simple, intuitive and easy to use office design and let team members modify personal space to their taste.

3. Give options

Make sure you have a variety of spaces that can be used for either group work or individual work. There can be group players as well as people who would prefer to work individually or in pairs. So let your team members choose what environment suit them best.

For example, it can be a good idea to allocate several spaces where people can go and do two-three hours of concentrated work alone without being interrupted.

4. Be transparent

It’s important to keep your team connected to your goals. Choose a wall (or walls) where you can put your goals and ideas. This will promote transparency and help you team come up with more creative solutions

5. Have time for fun

The research has found that doing fun things at work increases employees’ happiness and subsequently overall productivity. It doesn’t mean you should build an amusement park. Simple entertainments like ping pong, table soccer or pancake Fridays may work magic. After all, it’s not just about having a break – it’s about getting to know each other and building a real team.