With the knowledge that collaboration can be a great way to increase creativity and productivity, many business owners are opting for open designs in their workplaces. In fact, 77% of surveyed employers said they were planning to switch to an open office space.
A recent survey suggests that this tendency toward open spaces might be doing more harm to productivity than good. Why? As it turns out, employees need focus in order to effectively do the other aspects of their job.
Why Focus?
For most people, the brain takes in information and then processes it. How many times have you been talking to a friend, gone home, and suddenly made a decision after processing their advice?
The same truth applies to collaboration. When employees can collaborate and then process the information they have gained from the collaboration, the results are an increase in every area of work.
Employees who had time to focus were significantly more likely to be more effective in collaboration, learning, and socializing!