Corporate culture is changing rapidly, and C suite office design is one of the biggest changes taking place. The modern American workplace is becoming an environment where C-level executives are more approachable to the average employee. Because of this, more companies are completely doing away with the idea of the corner office.
What is Replacing the Corner Office?
The traditional corner office is being replaced in many ways. Ultimately, these new styles of design center around C-level executives being more involved with the day-to-day of their employees. So, closed executive offices are being replaced with open floor plans in a shared workspace.
That’s because modern C suite office design is more about collaboration than designing to impress. Companies have adopted different styles to ensure their executives have workspace within an open design. Here are some common solutions used in an open design:
Partially Open C Suite Office Design
If your executives are hesitant to completely let go of their private space, consider designing a partially enclosed office space. Use panels to carve out a corner or central desk for your executives. This workstation should be reserved for top-level employees to work from, but open to anyone who may need executive input.
Make sure it is centrally located so your executives can easily come and go. This ensures that better collaboration continues to grow over time.
Fully Open C Level Workstation
This style of design provides a set workspace for executives but still leaves them openly available to employees. This idea works best if the C level workstation is designed as a central hub. That way, it is easily accessible as people come and go.
Use a design that stands out from other workstations and offers all of the technology integration necessary for effective collaboration. The entire reason that c suite office design is changing is to encourage better coordination among employees of every level. So, your central hub should be designed for collaboration.
Meeting Nooks
New C suite office design makes executives more available to employees, but what happens when executives need to hold a private meeting? The truth is, employees always need a quiet corner to hold meetings, collaborate, and coordinate. So, you need these spaces even with an open design.
The difference with an open design is that meeting spaces are open to every level of employee. So, the answer is to design meeting spaces for different work environments. Create some open spaces meant for more casual meetings, as well as enclosed spaces designed for private or more focused meetings.
These meeting spaces should be open to all employees, regardless of their status at the company. So, executives still have a private place to meet. However, this space is not separate from the common space shared by all employees.
The way we work is changing, so it makes sense that where we work is changing too. C suite office design is only one part of this shift. Contact us today to see how we can help you create the perfect modern workplace.