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Key Takeaways Workspaces influence employees’ feelings, how they communicate and their level of trust. Open workspaces can encourage collaboration and accountability but may reduce privacy and autonomy.
Cubicles provide a sense of control and personalization, and they create a buffer against constant stimulation. Hybrid designs offer open environments with semi-private stations, which allow for collaboration while maintaining focus.
To design your office for trust, you should embrace zoning, use transparency carefully, bring nature inside and prioritize ergonomics.
Take a stroll through a contemporary office. Before a word is spoken, you recognize something about the culture of the company. The layout of the office speaks for itself. Are the walls high or low? Is leadership visible from your desk? Is there a place to escape for focused work, or are you always “on stage”?
The design of a workspace has meaning far beyond the visual appeal. Today’s workspaces psychologically influence the employees’ feelings, how they communicate and the level of trust. In the new era of open-plan offices, a crucial question comes up: Does the openness actually build trust, or does it “quietly” take away the psychological sense of safety a person needs to be productive?
Related: Do You Trust Your Employees? Your Office Might Be Telling Them Otherwise.
The psychology of openness
There is a reason why the phrase “open door policy” is often associated with approachable leadership. It is a psychological sign of accessibility, equality and collaboration. When applied to physical space, these same principles come into play.
Open workspaces utilize “social facilitation” as a tool to promote productivity. The phenomenon states that an employee’s work productivity increases in the presence of their peers. Seeing a co-worker actively working can promote a sense of accountability and perceived fairness. When everyone from interns to executives shares similar workspace conditions, hierarchical barriers dissolve.
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