Is the physical environment of the workplace conducive to learning? Does the arrangement of work space and traffic flow facilitate communication among employees? Are the people who need to learn from each other coming into frequent contact?
Most workplace learning takes place in informal interactions. A casual hallway conversation among co-workers can lead to a discussion where people compare experiences with a new process. A chance meeting between managers can result in a new strategy for dealing with a supervision problem. A free-flowing, lunch-time discussion among work team members can lead to an innovation in how they do their work together.
Tom Peters wrote this in Liberation Management:
Physical location issues are neither plain nor vanilla. In fact, space management may well be the most ignored—and most powerful—tool for inducing cultural change, speeding up innovation projects and enhancing the learning process in far-flung organizations. While we fret ceaselessly about facilities issues such as office square-footage allotted to various ranks, we all but ignore the key strategic issue—the parameters of intermingling.
Most traditional work space is designed for maximum control and maintenance of hierarchy. Line and lower-level workers are on the inside, perhaps in cubicles or in an open space with production equipment, while senior managers and executives are in outer offices with one window on production and one window on the outside world. The higher your rank in the organization, the larger your office and the more sunlight. But if we ask the question, What is the best design for organizational learning? we would probably end up with a much different configuration and allocation of space.
On an individual level, the workplace should accommodate the wide range of differences in how people learn. Some people need a lot of quiet and solitude, while others need contact with people and intense activity.
On a small-group level, the workplace should accommodate a variety of different needs: face-to-face interaction, cross-functional interaction, a variety of meeting spaces, and space availability on short notice.
On a whole-organization level, the workplace structure should be a visible statement that reinforces the values espoused by the organization. If organizational learning is valued, the design and management of the facility should factor in access to the information, people, and technology that people need if they are to help achieve the business goals. Space and the way it is used will reflect who and what is valued by the organization.
You might not have the authority to build a new facility, but you can try to influence how interior spaces are designed and used. As with any task outside of your experience, you should seek help from an interior design consultant. Using the benchmarking method, you can see many good ideas implemented at other companies. The major office-systems companies (such as Steelcase, Haworth, or Herman Miller) will be eager to show you examples of how work space can be designed to facilitate interaction and teamwork among employees.
Martha O’Mara suggests using decisions about the design of the workplace to begin discussing the values and goals of your organization. You can use the design problem to turn employees’ attention to the future and the organization’s strategic direction. You can ask, “If we have to live in this space for the next five years, what design would maximize our learning and performance?”
SOME TIPS ON PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT CONSIDERATIONS
Make space considerations part of strategic planning.
Use an open office plan, with work areas dedicated to teams whenever appropriate.
Provide space for team members to meet formally whenever a meeting is necessary.
Arrange people and offices so that informal, spontaneous contacts are frequent.
Locate the technology so that employees have access when and where they need it.
Give employees control over the comfort of their office environment (such as lighting, temperature, and furniture) whenever possible.
Minimize noise and visual distractions for those employees whose responsibilities or learning styles demand it.
Based on research conducted by the American Society of Interior Designers.
The design and management of the workplace can contribute to organizational learning.