Many modern businesses have championed the push towards more open plan offices that are communication-friendly. And while this collaborative shift has certainly revolutionised the way projects are implemented, it hasn’t come without its drawbacks. When the need arises for individual concentration on a particular activity, quality can be lost when an office’s plan opens the worker to a plethora of distractions. As a result, it can be important for an office fitout specialist to create a space that promotes focus when necessary in an open environment.

Below are a few ideas to get you started on the right foot, but do remember to tailor the solutions to the specific needs of your company.

Quiet concentration spaces

Create spaces in your office with the specific purpose of being a space to do focused, and sometimes solitary, work. These kinds of spaces ensure your employees can still thrive in an open environment, but also produce quality work when an extra level of concentration is required. Quiet spaces have been implemented successfully at some of the more successful and progressive companies around the world (from Atlassian to Amazon) with a great degree of success in creating quality work when required.

Having “hot and cold” zones

Some businesses are starting to implement the use of hot and cold zones around the office on any specific day. These zones are labelled based on the levels of collaboration and worthwhile distraction expected within these zones, and can be used by employees to find a circumstance that best matches their specific work requirements for any given day. If you can’t adopt this across your entire office immediately, try testing it across teams first.

Implementing a signal system

Using a signal system in your office space is another way you can encourage focus to be respected in open office environments. This can be as simple as a sticker or label that employees hang off of the edge of their desk that shows that they wish to not be distracted for the time being. This means that employees can get stuck-in to their work, without having to worry about the numerous distractions that an open-plan environment can create.

Flexible work from home days

If your team require focus days to concentrate and work on tasks, giving them the flexible to work from home is a great way to show your trust in them, and give them the space for productivity. While you might not be able to control the day to day noise and activity in your office, with a proper workspace set up at home, your employees will be able to get the quiet space they need. You can also ask your office fitout specialist for tips on a home office setup that you can pass along to your team.

There are many options at your disposal to recapture focus in an open working environment, and through research specific to your business, you’ll discover more options that you can perfectly tailor to your needs.