How Effective are the Latest Office Trends?

Office Trends That Are Here to Stay

The workplace has changed over the years, often in gradual steps, and sometimes in drastic leaps with sweeping technological and cultural changes. Some changes have been valuable, but others proved to be superfluous and short lived. With all of the change happening, the statement comes to mind:

“Change and change for the better are two different things.”

Simply put, not all new things are good things. As obvious as this might seem, it's easy—almost a subconscious reaction, in fact—to fall under the spell of what's new just because it's new.

Over the last few decades, companies like Google and Facebook have sent seismic waves through the business world with their unusual workplace setups and initiatives. Sleep pods for workday naps; slides leading from floor to floor; bath tubs filled with foam cubes facing fish tanks for… well, we’re not totally sure what for.

A lot of trends have come from these companies, some innovations and others mere fads (e.g., the whole bath-tub-fish-tank thing never caught on).  We’ve highlighted three modern office trends that are proving to have true staying power. These innovations aren’t just change, but change for the better.

Ergonomic Furniture

As doctors uncover new research in human physiology, we begin to realize how common, everyday behaviors affect us—sometimes in negative ways. Over the years, the physical effects of our workplace habits have caught up with us. Recently, science has caught up as well.

Medical research shows that prolonged use of chairs and desks coupled with bad posture have created a number of ailments in workers. The most dangerous of these ailments is sitting disease, a condition that can lead to premature death as the result of diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.

As we’ve recognized these ailments, ergonomic furniture has increased in popularity in an effort to combat these problems. Exercise-ball chairs, oddly shaped mice and keyboards, treadmills, ergonomic office chairs, adjustable standing desks—these are just a few of the innovations that started popping up in new companies. However, we can now conclusively say they’re not reserved for trendy, hipster tech startups.

Although some efforts may go a little too far (like this “desk"), ergonomic furniture is an innovation that’s here to stay. It does exactly what it needs to do: diminish the negative physical impact of the modern workplace. For centuries, our work required more physical activity, but with the advent of the computer we find ourselves bound to our desks. Ergonomic furniture, like the standing desk, is the natural evolution of the office. It minimizes the physical impact of recurring actions like typing and sitting, helping us stay energized and—most importantly—alive.

Collaboration

In recent years, open and collaborative forums became a more valued aspect of business and as new, mobile technologies made ongoing connections easier, open dialogue was built into the culture of many workplaces. Collaboration was born.

Collaboration is a highly valuable innovation that’s here to stay… as long as it is not over done. Too much collaboration can take a toll on productivity. For example, Atlassian estimates that up to thirty-one hours are spent in unproductive meetings every month. That’s over three-quarters of your week.

While collaboration can ignite sparks, the spark is only half the battle. The work still needs to be done. A healthy balance of collaboration and “individual work” leaves time for both creative group brainstorming and strategic execution.

Although it sounds like a buzzword, collaboration is a valuable innovation that, in moderation, will help you reap many benefits.

Open Offices

Open offices have become a common sign of innovative efforts—a trend that has spread rapidly as companies attempt to increase employee interaction. It began with tech-startups-turned-major-corporations removing cubicals or obstructions from between workers in order to catalyze valuable conversations. Some believe that open offices are merely a fad and will curb productivity by presenting unnecessary distractions. Which is it?

A study conducted by the University of Amsterdam’s Academic Medical Center has concluded that an open office doesn't harm but actually improves productivity. After monitoring a number of business and health elements, their fifteen-month study determined:

“There was a significant increase in perceived quantity of performed work between 6 and 15 months after the implementation of the innovative office concept… [and] the perceived percentage of work quality significantly increased after 15 months.”

They also determined that work-related fatigue was not affected by the open office concept and that the health of employees actually improved. The company accounted for distractions by building workplaces where employees would go for more focused work and collaboration rooms where meetings could be held.

The open office concept, when executed correctly, does exactly what it is meant to do: increase collaboration and improve productivity.

Be the Change (for the Better)

As has been seen with standing desks, sometimes only time can tell what will become “change for the better” and what will fade away as a trend. Although the standing desk is a trendy product, it is more than a trend. Its history and documented health benefits make it an established office innovation. And the recent medical discovery of sitting disease has highlighted just how badly we need it.

Make a change for the better in your workplace with a new standing desk. Shop now, or contact us today to learn more!