(Space Has Its Place... page 2 of 3)

Each of these models has developed its own methods for setting goals and making decisions. Similarly, each model depends on varying degrees of collaboration among its members ranging from minimal, where an individual independently plans and makes judgments, to maximal, where total group involvement occurs.

For example, in working groups, a clearly identified supervisor manages a number of direct reports and is responsible for setting goals and making decisions. Only minimal collaboration is needed in this case.

However, in the team model, the team leader may still make most decisions but only after setting goals with the entire group and gathering their input for decisions. A high degree of collaboration is needed in this case.

In a service partnership, each group member has considerable individual expertise pertinent to specific business needs. This model is driven by the marketplace to provide a single point of access to resolve multiple business issues. A service partnership requires that a group of decision-makers be aligned around mutually set goals. Leadership and collaboration are determined by the specific business issues that the partnership must face. Ultimately, each individual member plays a role in decision-making and collaboration.
 

Lost in Space
In today’s economy, more and more businesses need to operate as a service partnership. Unfortunately, traditional workspaces have been primarily designed to support the working group model, focusing on individual work with minimal collaboration. As any office worker knows, the modern cubicle is notoriously inefficient when it comes to communication. The familiar cloth-sided structures have become the visual equivalent of the Berlin Wall, inhibiting people from talking freely with one another.

For many companies struggling to create teams and service partnerships, their physical environments can be one of the biggest impediments to collaborative work.

If you were to do a fly-over of a typical floor in a typical office building, it would bear a striking resemblance to a mouse maze. Your first impression would likely be three-fold:

• Individual work spaces focusing on individual achievement
• Public space for traffic flow only
• Walls to provide privacy

The behavior that these types of environments elicit is equally predictable:

• Focus on “‘my” tasks
• Use hallways/pathways to get from Point A to Point B
• Honor the privacy of others

For many businesses, these types of physical environments are at direct odds with their business strategies. For example, if the business strategy is to be customer intimate, but the customer service department is located in the far corner of the building, what does that say about the company’s commitment? Or if the management infrastructure demands collaboration between two departments but there are no common areas connecting them, what message is being sent?
 

Strategic Considerations
Understanding the connection between space and the operating model requires asking oneself some questions. Here are some to consider:

• Which work units need to be located close together to aid communication and collaboration? Your floor plan should link departments consistent with the macro workflow.
   
• Is there a need for public space to promote information sharing and interaction? If so, what is the best configuration? Where can people go to just relax?
   
• When customers enter your building, what tangible evidence shows how the business supports their needs? A product driven company may want to showcase a product gallery at its entrance, while a customer intimate company might prominently display photographs of customer interaction with its staff. On the other hand, a company focused on operational excellence might feature a lean and efficient look to its lobby area.
   
• How does the senior leadership group need to operate? Should they be co-located on an executive floor because the business strategy demands collaboration and synergy? Or should they be located with their respective functional areas?
   

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