Dr. Marla Gottschalk is a woman after my own heart- she’s a physiologist who studies the interaction of space and workplace behavior.
She just wrote this great little post on Linked In about how how Office Art is making a comeback, and cites gapoingvoid, to boot [Thanks, Marla!].
“An often overlooked driver of organizational change — our visual surroundings can energize us to become more creative, innovative and engaged.””
Here are some ideas she offers:
1. Consider “quiet time”. Create areas where employees can go to think in a calm, quiet environment. Offer a small library setting which is both comfortable and conducive to deep thought — many of us need this to be effective.
2. Offer “strategy” spaces. Often developing ideas need to be explored in smaller groups — away from the “madding crowd”. Offer a dedicated space to continue spontaneously developing ideas in a more controlled setting. Include white boards for ideation.
3. Send a message. Workplace walls can have inherent value when they communicate something vital. Utilize walls to reinforce vision and express your organization’s culture. In this regard, a wall is no longer “just a wall” — but serves as a reminder as to where your organization is headed.
I hope you’ll read the article… It’s really awesome how much more influential voices like Dr. Gottschalk’s are in the business world, compared to say, twenty years ago. And no, I don’t expect that influence to lesson anytime soon. Very exciting…
