For Best Employee Results, Change Things Up Every Few Months

In October, The Wall Street Journal ran a story about how some innovative companies are asking employees to switch seats just for the sake of it. “By shifting employees from desk to desk every few months, scattering those who do the same types of jobs and rethinking which departments to place side by side, companies say they can increase productivity and collaboration,” the Journal reported.

As someone who recently changed seats to sit with a new group of people, I see the value in this disruption. But perhaps more important is the message behind these types of shifts: Change things up every once in a while to keep things fresh. People have a tendency to fall into patterns unless you do something to force them to do things differently. Think about all of those workshops and seminars that require attendees to introduce themselves to a neighbor. Without that requirement, how many of us would, even though we know we should?

So while you may not need to go to such drastic measures as moving your workers around every 90 days, it’s worth contemplating how on an individual level we can ward off staleness and boredom. The traditional recipe to this success is through select promotions. Yet, what can be even more effective for the entire workplace is a restructuring of roles, without eliminating any, that conveys to everyone that you want people to stay sharp, to pursue new opportunities, and to work with others they may not have in the past.

This could turn out to be a failed experiment and can blow up on your face. However, good managers figure out how to manage.