Huddle Up For Success: The Smaller More Focused Way To Meet
Today’s more open plan, flexible work style has brought many exciting changes to the way offices function. Depending on how your teams and individuals gather and communicate, smaller more efficient huddle rooms may be a better fit for collaboration. Encouraging dialogue and brainstorming keep your business acumen fresh. Providing the same technology as a boardroom, but catering to the more BYOD impromptu meeting style of today’s mobile workforce, the huddle room provides a low-key environment designed for collaboration.
A casual huddle space can find a spot in any underused space in your existing office with some planning ahead. Allow for electrical and BYOD [Bring Your Own Device] sharing and you’re set. Updated soft seating options are now integrating electrical, so you could even outfit your lobby, lounge or break room if space is tight. The sit/stand option can also be accommodated with bar height tables in a break room area if needed. Of course, private offices for remote staff make excellent huddle spaces. They can be set up to multi-task and allow private work, small team gatherings and information sharing.
The cost to set up a huddle space is much less expensive than equipping a larger conference room. You can set up a huddle room with furnishings and technology for around $5k per room. A huddle space should be designed to encourage communication with straightforward technology that is easy to use and quick to navigate. The exact elements inside of a huddle room will vary depending on the needs of your organization. Get started with some pragmatic elements:
- Make device sharing easy
- Provide some type of display, usually an LCD or LED monitor or television, mounted against a wall to maximize space
- Incorporate a table or central workspace with comfortable chairs
- Integrate video conferencing setups if needed for communication with those off-site
- Provide vibrant, adaptable furnishings that can quickly adjust to accommodate the style of meeting and the number of participants
- Integrate chalk or whiteboards to facilitate brainstorming
A modern office is a place of collaboration and an open sharing of ideas. Accommodating that acumen should be open, vibrant and transitional, just like the variety of office furnishings on the market today. Work happens everywhere: in project rooms, learning spaces and impromptu collaborations where small groups of 2-3 come together to solve a problem or share an idea. Mobile office furniture was made for this type of collaboration, but think outside the box and look at your overall office plan to see where you can better utilize your space to provide opportunities for your team to meet.
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MEET TERESA ALVAREZ: Teresa is an office furniture specialist who can help your workspace become more intuitive with its design and furnishing options. With 12 years experience in the office interiors and office supply business, she can help you find creative solutions for huddle spaces and meeting areas. Contact her via email at teresa@officefurniturenow.com or give her a call at 888-910-3769 x139.
