September 7, 2016

By Christy Fox, Marketing Specialist

Your work space is important to your productivity, your mood, and what you can get accomplished in the office.  Whether you are in your own office, a cubicle, or an open work space, your personal space as well as your surroundings can make a difference to how you work.   With that being said, sometimes professionals have the option to change desks at work or move to a different area, while there are also instances where the company makes the decision to rearrange work spaces and move employees around.  Some employees like the idea of changing desks, and others are hesitant.  Here are some factors to consider before deciding whether you may benefit from a desk change.

New People:  A new space can encourage new, creative ideas to come about simply because you are surrounded by a new group of people who think differently than those you were with before.  Being around different groups of people can change the way you think and spark innovation with the change of scenery.  Additionally, you will have the chance to absorb new knowledge and learn more from the new coworkers around you.

Collaboration:  Most commonly, desks or cubicles are grouped together based on departments.  This makes communication among your department easy, assuming that employees are collaborating the most with their own department.  On the other hand, moving desks so that separate departments are intertwined can help with cross-departmental projects and collaboration and depending on the nature of your workplace, could be a beneficial experiment to try.

Company Culture:  Moving desks occasionally helps you to expand the circle of coworkers you frequently interact with.  Since you essentially spend about 8 hours every day surrounded by the same people, moving around can help you become immersed in the company culture by knowing various employees across different departments and different spaces.

Distractions and Focus:  While some employees may thrive in an environment with noise, brainstorming, and collaboration happening around them, some employees’ performance could be hindered by that type of environment.  Being surrounded by too much noise could prove to be distracting to some, and they may not be able to work efficiently.

New Perspectives:  Moving to a different area in the office can offer a different view on the business.  For example, leaders in the company could gain insights from sitting among their employees.  On the other hand, it could be eye-opening for employees to have a desk near a leader to learn more from him or her.

Moving to different desks is sometimes a company initiative to experiment with how workers will be most productive, and other times, relocating desks is based on the individual.

What are your thoughts on moving desks to different areas in the company?  Do you think it is beneficial, or not?