From Open Space to Collaboration: Say ‘No’ to Underperformance
I have worked in open plan offices with teams for over 25 years, and while I personally enjoy it, I have seen cases of underperformance caused by the stress of working in such environments.
Open Offices Destroy Motivation, Productivity and Health
Based on my experience of the past twenty-five years, I have encountered various causes of underperformance, and I have successfully resolved many of them. In some cases, the root causes were organisational failures such as poor job design, mismanagement, incompetence, lack of policies, or inadequate resources. However, I have also come across cases that were caused by individual factors. Nevertheless, the most severe cases that I have seen, which significantly impacted the health and productivity of employees, were those caused by the stress of working in open office spaces.
Open offices can have a detrimental effect on employee productivity and health. The noise, distractions, and conflicts that arise in these spaces can create stress and reduce motivation and engagement. We have observed these negative effects firsthand in our projects, where we measured the productivity of employees in specific jobs and locations across client organisations in industries such as manufacturing, wholesale, and banking.
Our findings show that the average productivity of employees who work in open offices is only 50%, while those who work alone in secluded spaces have a productivity rate between 64% and 76%. A survey conducted by IPSOS a few years ago also confirms these findings, revealing that 10,000 employees from 14 countries were losing 86 minutes a day due to distractions.
Moreover, research conducted by Harvard, titled “The impact of the ‘open’ workspace on human collaboration” by E. S. Bernstein and S. Turban published in July 2018 found that collaboration in open-plan offices decreases because people feel uncomfortable discussing sensitive and confidential information in the presence of their colleagues.
If You Were in Their Shoes
Let us take a moment to consider what it would be like to work in such an environment. Imagine yourself in a noisy and tense workspace with constant chatter and conversations around you. People speak loudly and with little regard for others, and it is difficult to concentrate on your work. Would you find it challenging to focus and be productive in such an environment?
You often observe conflicts and tension among individuals and groups in the open office environment. Despite your efforts to avoid conflicts, you sometimes find yourself getting involved to try and resolve issues. Bullying is also present in the office, and you may have experienced it yourself or witnessed it happening to others. Unfortunately, some employees may not even realise that bullying is occurring. It’s disheartening to note that many leaders are unaware of these problems or choose to turn a blind eye, including your line manager, who has not taken any action even after you’ve brought it to their attention multiple times.
- How would you feel working in an environment like that?
- Would you be able to to cope with the constant noise and distractions, gossip, occasional conflicts, and bullying?
- Would you feel motivated and engaged to perform at your best?
The stressful and unhealthy environment could negatively impact your work performance, leading to a decrease in productivity and engagement. It could also affect your mental and physical health, leading to stress, anxiety, and even burnout. The toxic atmosphere could also spill over into your private life, affecting your relationships and overall well-being.
The Employees' Perspective
As part of my fact-finding and evaluation process for underperformance issues, I conduct individual interviews with affected employees. During these interviews, I often hear employees complain about personal inefficiencies and the frustration of not being able to meet work expectations. Some employees become emotional during the interviews and describe the situation as unbearable. Most employees express frustration towards management and claim that they simply need a quiet and friendly workspace to do their job effectively.
Low motivation is a significant issue, and many employees frequently take sick leave or are absent from work. Some resort to taking sedatives to manage their anxiety and frustration. Others are fearful of losing their job or resigning due to the challenges they face in the workplace.
If You Can't Help, Ask Someone for Help
After documenting the case, I had several meetings with the management of the client company. It was not difficult to discover that the board was not aware of the problem even though it had been affecting twenty employees for a couple of years. The management asked me to help their CEO to resolve the case, and I eagerly agreed to help in any way I could.
Irresponsive Leadership Makes Things Worse
Despite the severity of the problem and the impact it had on the employees, the CEO appeared to be indifferent to their suffering and unwilling to take any responsibility for finding a solution. His dismissive attitude towards the issue was disheartening and demonstrated a lack of empathy and leadership. It was clear that the CEO needed to be persuaded to take the issue seriously and to understand the consequences of not addressing it.
As a result of the CEO’s lack of response and leadership, the problem continued to worsen, and employees continued to suffer. The underperformance issue persisted, and productivity continued to decline. Absenteeism became more prevalent as employees became disengaged and disheartened. The lack of a reasonable solution and the CEO’s indifference only served to exacerbate the problem.
What Leaders Can Do
Leaders can do a lot to improve employee performance. It is in their power to facilitate it.
1. Provide Private and Quiet Spaces for All Employees
Since office design layout makes a huge contribution to employee performance, leadership can do a lot to improve the work environment. It is wise to avoid open office plans wherever possible. However, if you struggle with space, ensure that your office design provides enough quiet and secluded spaces for everyone.
2. No Excuses for Being Inactive
Leaders do not make excuses for problems that arise. Instead, they take action to address and resolve these issues.
3. First Understand and Then Take Action
Effective leaders strive to gain a deep understanding of what has been happening. They thoroughly analyse the situation, identify the causes and effects, and then take decisive action to bring about improvement.
4. Embrace Accountability
Avoiding the responsibility of helping employees by reducing and eliminating the factors that impact their performance is not leadership, but lack of accountability. Leaders embrace accountability and take action to improve the work environment and support their employees.
5. Efficiency and Effectiveness Matter
Leadership is not about finding ways to avoid responsibilities, but rather about fulfilling them efficiently and effectively.
6. Leadership Is a Commitment
Leaders who are irresponsive to employees lack commitment and fail to perform their role and duties effectively. They not only fail themselves but also fail to fulfill their responsibilities towards others and the employer.
