Organize your workspace to optimize team performance

A well-designed workplace improves teamwork!‍

Comfort and well-being at work are key to your team's concentration and performance. A well-organized, functional and well-designed work environment increases productivity.

The "Organizing your workspace" template ensures that everyone has the equipment they need and feels comfortable in their workspace. Whether you are moving to new premises or just want to reorganize your current workplace, you can have the layout, the dimensions, all those brilliant ideas and everything else you need all in one place.

Optimizing the layout and interaction between workstations makes communication and teamwork easier.

Why is it so important to organize your workspace?

Workplace design is a real challenge. Improving the comfort and usability of workplaces has a direct impact on collaboration and communication within an organization. Working as a team in good physical conditions is more efficient and fluid. If you decide to organize your workspace, it will have a direct impact on the effectiveness of your team.

In a well-designed office, people are comfortable, focused, relaxed, calm and fulfilled. It is a state of mind that managers are looking for if they want to work as a team in the best possible conditions.

We furnish a house in our own image, and the layout and decoration are imbued with the personality of its inhabitants... Well, it is the same with offices! The identity and culture of a company or organization is also conveyed within its premises. Teams are immersed in this culture on a daily basis through the design of their offices. The architecture and design are meaningful, and the spaces are there to serve the teams, which has an impact on people's engagement with their work.

Depending on your industry, you should also be aware that the layout and decoration of your workspace will more or less stimulate your teams' creativity. For example, some colours are more stimulating than others.

7 tips to organize your workspace for effective collaboration

1. Allow enough space

A smooth flow of people is essential, because people who move around easily mean that information flows easily, and communication is very important.

It may seem obvious, but it is important to remember that everyone needs a place to work. There needs to be enough space for everyone so that no one feels crowded. Lack of space is uncomfortable and therefore distracting.

2. Allow a place for everything

It is essential if you want to find your way around easily! It is easier to organize your thoughts if the space is visually clear and tidy.

For example, make sure you have a wardrobe and enough storage space for your team's needs, depending on what you do. You won't waste time looking for a file or tool!

3. Choose ergonomic furniture

First and foremost, a good chair for every employee is key! Prioritize comfort over design, and if you have both, that is even better.

The well-being of your teams is paramount, and sitting correctly is the key to avoiding back or posture problems.

4. Design quiet corners

Open spaces, of course, but not only! If you opt for an open space, you should also consider reserving smaller, enclosed areas for meetings, confidential discussions, etc.

It is important to be able to isolate yourself, in particular to synchronize quietly with a small number of people, to make phone calls or take part in video workshops, to exchange information remotely with teleworking colleagues, etc. Or simply to be able to isolate yourself from time to time, if you wish, and work in your own bubble.

5. Organize your workspace in a modular way

Make sure that the layout you choose is not set in stone and that it offers several layout options that can be easily implemented.

More and more teams are working in hybrid mode, so the people in the office change from day to day or week to week: some people are in the office and others are working remotely.

It is a big advantage to be able to adapt the office layout to the team configuration on the fly: it means you are always efficient! This could mean, for example, putting certain pieces of furniture on castors so they can be moved around easily.

6. Don’t forget the lighting

It may seem like a small thing, but daily light is a source of well-being. We need to be aware of the lack of light, especially in winter when the hours of sunlight are reduced: we arrive at the office when it is still dark, and leave when it is already dark again!

But that doesn't mean we don't want to see daylight to keep our spirits up and avoid seasonal blues. When your organize your workspace, plan for as much natural light as possible, and direct it in the right way to avoid annoying backlighting on screens.

There is also an alternative in the choice of light bulbs. Choose lamps that emit light that is closer to natural light, which is more relaxing. Think of the environment by choosing low energy consumption models, and consider training your teams to switch off lights and other energy-consuming equipment, or set up a programming system to reduce energy costs.

7. Don't forget the relaxation areas

Informal breaks are necessary for employees to maintain their balance at work, and therefore their efficiency.

A workspace should also provide space to take a break when needed. And why not think about hybrid zones that can be adapted for work or relaxation, depending on the time of day or the team using them?

When is the best time to organize your workspace?

While it may seem obvious to organize your workspace when you move to new premises, move house or open new offices, there are other times when it is just as important:

• Changes in the workforce: for example, after a new recruitment phase;
• Redistribution, with part of the workforce moving to teleworking;
• Reorganization of departments;
• New market(s);
• New processes;
• Renewal of equipment;
• Revision of the company's image: change of name, brand guidelines, etc.
• Unprecedented situation requiring a rethink of space and circulation (e.g. the Covid-19 pandemic, which imposed a strict health protocol).

So many changes that could trigger a new workspace layout!

Is there anything on this list that affects your team? If you simply feel the need or desire for change, go for it!

You need to organize your workspace to give your team a new dynamic, first and foremost through the project itself, because everyone can get involved. What's more, by optimizing the space, you can also naturally reorganize some existing processes, improve things together, communicate better, etc.

The whole team will benefit, and it doesn't have to be a long-term project or one that prevents your other projects from moving forward, especially if you use this Klaxoon template to set it up.

What are the benefits of the “Organizing your workspace” template?

• Think your project through, plan the layout, try it out, start again…The template is available on Board, Klaxoon’s digital whiteboard, with unlimited space and options via a comprehensive toolbox and palette. Shapes, colors, text, pictures, etc. You can visualize your project, creating as many plans and trialling as many different layouts as you want, without wasting time.
• Follow the guide! The “Organizing your workspace” template features ready-to-use areas and tools to set out your plans and everything is clearly explained in the comprehensive user instructions. This applies to all our templates and methods in our template library.
• Work at your own pace: All changes made to the Board are saved automatically. You can work stepwise and go back to the Board whenever you like, stepping back and taking a fresh look at the layout you designed the day before. Also, several people can work on the project at different times, whenever it is convenient.
• Work on the layout as a team: Board is a collaborative tool, which means that everyone can share their ideas at the same time. The screen can be synced even remotely, with some people working from home. Klaxoon’s digital whiteboard also has a built-in videoconferencing tool, Live. That is all you need to be efficient.
• Build on your collective strengths. A collaborative tool is more stimulating and gets the ideas flowing from all those involved. It also means that decisions can be taken together, thanks to the Question tool, which lets participants interact easily and vote on Poll questions.

In Klaxoon's collaboration platform, the “Organizing your workspace” template is ultimately about improving team performance, thanks to forward planning and working together hand in hand. Working as a team to work better as a team: we’ve come full circle!