What's the average workspace?

If we took the downtown area of any major city in the U.S., we'd find that most of the white collar workers have a space dedicated just for them. Most people are going to be employed in the business world but maybe not. The average office worker is going to take up about 70 sq. ft. of office space. Usually that's a "Dilbert" cubicle but perhaps not.

The average worker is going to have a chair that they sit in for about 6 hours out of their day. That's a long time in one chair and that chair is a very personal item. How many of you like your chair? Wow, only about 20% of the people really like the chair they sit in. So, that means 80% of you don't like your chair, you'd rather have something different. Is it the comfort, the function, the ability to customize it to fit you? We've got to work on that.

Okay, how about the noise around you? Do you find there's a lot of noise and distractions? Well not you if you have a private office. There are workers with nice large offices with a door! Now that's something special. The average worker doesn't have one. So, they're left out in the open and if they need to make a private appointment or call home or talk to their doctor they either have to talk real quiet or go somewhere else. Maybe they have a cell phone, wow! Then they can move around and make that call in a place where there is privacy.

How about your paperwork? What do you do with it? Are you a "piler" - someone who puts their paperwork that they're working on in piles, always knowing where that certain piece of paper is. Or, are you a filer? Someone who puts that paperwork in the exact file it needs to be in. If you're out sick, anyone can find your paperwork. Most of us are in-between, we have some stacks and we have some files. How many are happy with their filing system - where it's located, the amount of storage available and how easy it is to find stuff... wow that's not very many either.

How about your technology? Do you like your computer or do you have one? Is your screen easy to read or is there that darn glare from the lighting? Is your keyboard and mouse handy, easy to reach? Are you getting carpel tunnel syndrome because nothing adjusts - your chair, keyboard, etc. while the boss gets all the good stuff? The private office, the adjustable chair, the cool computer with adjustability? And you're in the office more than the boss? What's wrong with that picture?

We're going to explore that stuff more, there's a lot that goes into a comfortable environment. A lot more than just furniture, technology and people. To be really effective and efficient, we've got to have a lot of things that work and work together. Let's start breaking it down more so we can fix some things and make those hours at work a little bit better.

More on my bio here: http://www.gombi.com/blog/scott-bio.html

posted by Scott Messmore @ Wednesday, July 12, 2006   0 comments

Lots of Opportunity in Work Spaces!

I'm not sure if anyone is writing a blog that addresses the work places where most people go to do their jobs everyday. Some of us work out of our home, some work out of offices that look and feel like most any old office space, some of us work on the road and find places (including hotels) to get our work done. And then there are some of us that work out of really cool offices - places we want to show our friends and family and where we are really delighted with our settings.

Unfortunately, the number of people that work out of these really cool spaces is relatively small. So if you are one of those, you should feel very fortunate. What is it about your work space that makes it so cool? Is it the design and character? Is it your home and you can do whatever the heck you want when you want? Or is it a really cool company or organization you work for which provides work spaces that are unique and forward thinking?

In this blog, we're going to explore these spaces where work gets done. We're going to take a look at what works and what doesn't and why things work the way they do. As a student of the workplace for 26 years working with Steelcase, the world's leading manufacturer of office furnishings and now owning my own interior design and office furnishings company for 11 years - I have seen a lot of workplaces, read a lot about our work world, and done research or worked beside researchers for years. After all that, I'm still a student and learning all the time. Maybe there's something I can share that can help you or your organizations work better. If I can make one little or one big difference, I've accomplished my objective with this blog.

posted by Scott Messmore @ Wednesday, July 12, 2006   0 comments