Take Down the Cubicle Walls
Collaboration is the name of the game when it comes to creatives. Recently we made the decision to drop the cubicle walls and open up the flow of the workplace a bit so we could start operating more like a team. I’m not saying that everyone needs to put up a basketball hoop, set up a “hot-desking” system or add a couch in the middle of the office (although, couches in the workplace are dope!) but I am saying that it’s a manager’s job to make sure that he’s getting the most productivity out of his team. Whether you like it or not, cube walls have a direct effect on your team’s work output, and it’s your job to figure out if it’s positive or negative.
Spoiler alert: I think cube walls have a negative effect on team members responsible for marketing and design type work. If you’re scared about taking down your team’s cube walls, here are four suggestions on how you can keep your team performing at a high-level once your remove the cubicle walls:
1). Get noise cancelling headphones for your team — Noise cancelling headphones actually can act as makeshift cube walls. Music streaming services Spotify, Apple Music, Tidel are all great companions when your team needs to “plug in” and crank out some work. Note: Studies show that employees perform better when you create an environment in which they can thrive. Most people love music so why not them them enjoy the simple perk of playing their music during the work day, especially if it increases productivity.
2). Add a designated collaboration area — Create a space within your office where people can come together to collab on projects. I’ve seen companies have success with areas that feature circular or long tables so their team members can leave the isolation of their cube walls and work on things together. You might be thinking conference rooms serve the same purpose, but we’ve found them to be too confining and stifling.
3). Whiteboard paint — Turn walls in part of your office into idea boards with whiteboard paint. Take those “hallway meetings” and capitalize on them by fostering collaboration in more places within your office.
4). Weekly team lunches — In Mark Cuban’s “Guide to Start-ups”, he talks about using lunch time as an opportunity to get outside the walls of your office and talk. It’s a novel concept but the perspective gained by stepping away has helped me immensely in my professional life. Consider scheduling a weekly team lunch where the team can get offsite and talk through the things you’re working on.
Bottom line, as a manager you need to constantly be taking the temperature of your team and recognizing whether or not they are performing at their absolute potential. Consider rearranging your office environment in order to pull this off.
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