Ambience is crucial for productivity, what are the reasons?

One day after a#nbsp;long time working from home, I#nbsp;entered to#nbsp;our brand new office and realised that my#nbsp;working life herewill be#nbsp;different from my#nbsp;home-office where I’m alone with my#nbsp;Zoomy Teams, two laptops and printer.

It’s almost instantly become evident that the office is#nbsp;super nice socialisation instrument where I#nbsp;can meet people in#nbsp;person and talk about things, but my#nbsp;productivity and free time dramatically impacted by#nbsp;the change. It#nbsp;wasn’t very clear that myinteractions with people are meaningful and make things happen or#nbsp;they all more like a#nbsp;kind of#nbsp;a#nbsp;long small talk.

You know, when people quietly worked in#nbsp;offices, the question of#nbsp;the relationship between productivity and environment existed in#nbsp;some kind of#nbsp;parallel universe.

Managers dealt with it#nbsp;— they communicated with designers, created an#nbsp;openspace, bought furniture, filled the space with details, applied aroma and neuromarketing. Having worked during quarantine from home, everyone thought about the importance of#nbsp;the right environment. In#nbsp;a#nbsp;pandemic, the house gave people a#nbsp;sense of#nbsp;security and … confusion.

First, the remote happened suddenly. Everything that happens suddenly evokes polar emotions: either you really like it#nbsp;or#nbsp;you don’t really like#nbsp;it. Secondly, a#nbsp;new experience. Everything new requires adaptation, support, maintenance. Thirdly, something else, everyone has their own. Everyone worked at#nbsp;home on the couch, on#nbsp;the balcony, in#nbsp;the kitchen and got new sensations in#nbsp;full and … wanted to#nbsp;return to#nbsp;the office, well, or didn’t.

Where exactly to#nbsp;return? Some offices today look like after the apocalypse#nbsp;— dividing tapes, office acoustic partitions#nbsp;— anew trend, recreation areas have become isolation zones … Previously a#nbsp;concern was on#nbsp;how to#nbsp;unite people, now it#nbsp;is how to#nbsp;separate for security reasons. Open space office the system that stimulates team spirit has become not so#nbsp;open. The classic closed office-corridor system remained intact. By#nbsp;the way, the latter is#nbsp;very conducive to#nbsp;productivity. True, and costs considerable. Closed small spaces are especially important to#nbsp;fill with quality furnishings with a#nbsp;claim to#nbsp;success. Otherwise, the only desire will be#nbsp;to#nbsp;leave the premises as#nbsp;soon as#nbsp;possible.

But open spaces are often filled with ultra-modern furniture, the main thing here is#nbsp;that everything looks innovative, not respectable. Here everything is#nbsp;in#nbsp;plain sight, modern forms of#nbsp;management "enter" well, a#nbsp;zone of#nbsp;increased creativity and productivity.

In#nbsp;general, for financiers#nbsp;— a#nbsp;classic, for creatives#nbsp;— design solutions. And the smell of#nbsp;coffee periodically walking around the office, bright walls, flowers and vertical gardens#nbsp;— all for a#nbsp;reason, all in#nbsp;the name of#nbsp;productivity. In#nbsp;general, the office is primarily socialization. And then the situation. With regard to#nbsp;the latter, I#nbsp;am#nbsp;sure that changes are coming in#nbsp;office design. Well, how long will we#nbsp;be#nbsp;separated from each other by#nbsp;a#nbsp;piece of#nbsp;plastic?! Soon they will come up#nbsp;with something futuristic and make it#nbsp;a#nbsp;trend.

Home Sweet Home

Working from home is#nbsp;good, but in#nbsp;the end it’s not cheaper or#nbsp;better. Just different. You save time on#nbsp;home#nbsp;— office trips, but blur the line between personal and business life. A#nbsp;pretty orange kitchen is#nbsp;equally inspiring for creativity and for another snack. An#nbsp;insufficiently ergonomic workplace is#nbsp;good for the soul, but bad for the back, productivity and, as#nbsp;a result, for the wallet. Inspirational factors in#nbsp;everyday life, like cats and children, are also distractions when you need to concentrate on#nbsp;a#nbsp;work task.

As#nbsp;a#nbsp;result, some people repaint warm beige walls in#nbsp;a#nbsp;productive blue. It#nbsp;is#nbsp;understandable: few people planned to#nbsp;work at home, only to#nbsp;relax. Others spread lemon slices, sage and rosemary sprigs around the apartment and practice aroma marketing. Still others invest resources in#nbsp;equipping a#nbsp;full-fledged work area.

As#nbsp;practice shows, those who have a#nbsp;personal office in#nbsp;the office also have it#nbsp;at#nbsp;home. I#nbsp;mean leaders. They are a#nbsp;little easier in#nbsp;this regard.

In#nbsp;general, I#nbsp;am#nbsp;convinced that the home office cannot be#nbsp;a#nbsp;full-fledged replacement for the traditional one. Although I don’t see the point in#nbsp;going to#nbsp;the office on#nbsp;a#nbsp;five-day week either. We#nbsp;need a#nbsp;balance. It#nbsp;is#nbsp;not yet completely clear what we will eventually come to, but it#nbsp;is#nbsp;very interesting what will happen next! In#nbsp;the meantime, all means are good for productivity#nbsp;— a#nbsp;personal motivation system, and invigorating aromas, and cosmic blue walls.

Another important though here is#nbsp;about open-space itself. From one hand it#nbsp;is#nbsp;great pleasure to#nbsp;feel all the colleagues around you, communication becomes very easy and fast, but at#nbsp;the same time very distractive#nbsp;— people coming to#nbsp;your desk asking questions and seeking for instant answers. Another example is#nbsp;when people start talking around you#nbsp;— having a#nbsp;chat or#nbsp;a#nbsp;call or#nbsp;a#nbsp;conference… Many of#nbsp;us#nbsp;put headphones on#nbsp;and listen to#nbsp;the music, but I#nbsp;read a#nbsp;few articles that is#nbsp;is#nbsp;unproductive too. Only this is#nbsp;enough for me#nbsp;to#nbsp;start get ridding off complete open-spaces and make hybrid working a#nbsp;standard.