The director's office - be it a large factory or a small store - is the main "think tank" of the organization. Therefore, the conditions in which the company is managed should be as comfortable as possible for the person working in them. Today, organizing the space of a manager’s office is an integral part of a successful business process, and, according to experts, it should be approached with full responsibility.
Most people's standardized ideas about a manager's workplace are quite meager: a larger office, a more comfortable chair or armchair, a table and a computer or laptop - whoever is used to what. Going beyond the usual, managers arrange their offices based on personal ideas about status: bosses of the old school prefer interiors in the style of “director of an iron foundry” - heavy oak furniture, a leather chair, red-brown curtains, a green carpet and - of course - marble writing set. Modern managers are inclined towards high-tech and minimalism. Their snow-white offices with bent tubes of unknown purpose, designed to imitate furniture, are more reminiscent of operating rooms.
Coaches and design experts agree that creating in the above-mentioned interiors can sometimes be quite difficult: piles of furniture and details, as well as their complete absence, do not have the best effect on work and brain activity, and sometimes the process of disharmony occurs unnoticed for the person himself.
But the manager’s office is the place where he sometimes spends the most time. Even if we take a standard 8-hour working day (which is an unaffordable luxury for a manager), we already get a third of a day. People spend about the same amount of time in their own beds. However, we approach the choice of bed, mattress and other bedding much more carefully and in detail. So why not use the same principle in organizing your workspace?
It is quite obvious that the better the workplace is adapted to perform the functions of a manager, the more productive and efficient his work will be.
Proper organization
So, what is a manager’s workplace? According to the formal definition, it is “a separate part of the premises of an enterprise, equipped in accordance with the nature of the functions performed with the necessary means of labor.” At the same time, the rational organization of the manager’s workplace includes: selection of the necessary means of labor; their rational placement; ensuring working conditions that contribute to maintaining the manager’s performance and preventing harm to his health. Alena AUGUST, VIP coach, communications expert, psychotherapist , believes that a manager’s workplace in its design and organization clearly reflects the degree of self-confidence, understanding of one’s individuality and... satisfaction with activities: “As a rule, for novice managers, the workplace resembles either “any other strictly organized place in the office”, or is a pile of papers (demonstrating either an inability to organize, or a frenzy of activity - both for oneself and for subordinates). For the more experienced and successful, the workplace is customized: documents, if they exist, are only where they are needed and where it is convenient, zones for “their kind and the not-so-friendly” are clearly distributed, the environment itself is comfortable for the individual.”
And then our expert gives a number of tips on how to properly organize a successful workplace.
FIRST RULE: systematize tasks. Do you have a lot of meetings? Organize a comfortable area for negotiations. Do you work a lot with documents? Use modern document storage and classification systems. Need to hold meetings? Choose a placement system depending on your leadership style: strict managers of the traditional type choose a letter table (types of the letter “P” or “T”), communicators prefer an open space with comfortable chairs or armchairs.
RULE TWO: a sense of personal comfort. Here it is important not so much to think as to first feel. Not enough air? Then - not only an air conditioner, but also an individual portable mini-fan. Life is not enough - large videos, music, photographs and other attributes of activity are at your service. Do you want something homey? A cozy soft carpet, a sofa - take your pick. Does switching activities help you recover? Then let the office have something that warms the soul - mini-golf, tennis, fish and animals. Search and try.
RULE THREE: do not forget that your office is your self-presentation. How would you like to be perceived by colleagues, guests, partners? Important? High-class paraphernalia is used: natural wood, leather, etc. Democratic? Then the interior will be simpler and the office more spacious. Original? Take a closer look at creative agencies - there juicers live in the center of the office, and there may be a carpet for lying on the floor. The main thing is to find your balance of what is desired and what is possible.
Irina Volodina, development director, agrees with her colleague, emphasizing, however, that the manager’s workplace should, first of all, be comfortable - a person should feel natural and relaxed: “Accordingly, everything depends on the tastes of a particular person, as well as the characteristics of the business itself and the use office. If the office also serves as a place for negotiations with clients, then its design should be carefully developed; it should not only be convenient for the manager, but also emphasize aspects that are important for a particular business. For example, the director of an advertising agency can easily afford to be decorated in flashy colors, furnished with non-standard furniture, and in addition, he can have a large talking parrot who is trained in various funny rhymes or sayings. And it is absolutely clear that the director of a company offering financial services should not have such an office. People tend to build financial relationships with a serious and conservative person, therefore the workplace of such a leader should be closer to the classical style, and only discreet inclusions of several objects of avant-garde art in the interior can be allowed as highlights.”
Our next expert, Alexey Belozerov, director of the People's Initiative Foundation, is definitely in favor of order: “The manager’s workplace should be minimally loaded with any items - then it creates in visitors the feeling that this is an organized person who controls everything, and that he can trust. There may well be things like iPads and Macs on your desktop. The manager's desk can also be organically complemented by the press - popular business publications and some non-vulgar gloss. Such an environment on the desktop will not only be well received by visitors, but will also help the person himself to get into the right frame of mind. Even if the manager is not a very organized person, prone to chaos, he can easily place the mess in the desk drawers, but the work surface, accessible to the views of subordinates and visitors, should be exactly as mentioned above.”
SPACE STANDARDS FOR EMPLOYEE ACCOMMODATION IN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES (m2)*
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Size matters
Should the size of an executive's office be directly proportional to his status? Many directors ask this question when trying to choose a place with large areas. It’s good if the room allows you to do this, but if not, don’t be sad: experts say that the size of the office can start from 20 square meters. And if desired, or if the occupied space does not allow, it can be made even smaller. For example, a director who is constantly on the move does not need an office the size of a football field. The same applies if we are talking about the head of a small jewelry store with a staff of no more than 5-7 people. It’s a completely different matter if you are the director (owner) of a large network and periodically hold meetings with a large number of employees and receive partners. Then, of course, you need a larger office that can be used for large meetings if necessary.
So, the main factor that needs to be taken into account when planning a space for an office is whether meetings and business meetings will be held there, and if so, what is the maximum number of potential participants. The question of what exactly you need to have on hand in your office is also important. For example, a safe or for directors of jewelry factories - display cases with product samples. For store managers, displays can also be important if they plan, for example, to show the product face to face. Although in the latter case it is much more important to equip a good place for a safe and a place to store store documentation. And meetings with directors of small retail outlets can be held in small offices - especially considering that they are unlikely to be long-term.
Depending on the rank of the manager, the acceptable office area is from 20 to 50 m2, and the height is at least 3.5 m. In this case, the most rational is the rectangular shape of the room with an aspect ratio of 1:2.
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Our online store offers a large selection of ergonomic modern furniture at an affordable price. In the catalog on the website you can familiarize yourself with product offerings, look at photographs and find out the characteristics of the model. Most of the product offerings are in stock at the Moscow warehouse, which saves the buyer from long-term waiting for the goods. If you need to decorate your office in a modern spirit, then contact our online store. Consistent business style with a touch of solidity and practicality, durability and safety, thoughtful configuration - these are the qualities our products possess.
A work area equipped with our director's desk will definitely become the key to the success of the company. Call our specialists by phone and ask questions. Employees will help you choose color, size, and inform you about the characteristics of the goods. You can order office furniture on the website using the feedback. Personal managers promptly process your application and organize prompt delivery of your order to any corner of the country. To help you with competent space planning, we offer the services of a designer and measurer. He arrives at the address in a short time to carry out the necessary calculations.
Always at hand
For normal work, a manager must at least have:
• stationery;
• ideally - two telephones (one telephone should be internal - meaning a telephone for communication within the organization, and the other - for calls outside the organization). Although two devices may not be needed if your entire organization consists of you and sales consultants. After all, the same telephone can be both internal and external - these functions are fully provided for on modern mini-PBXs for the office;
• computer;
• diary.
You can also add a desk calendar here.
Alena AUGUST identifies the following mandatory components of a manager’s workplace: “Of course, this is everything that relates to the activity - organizers, documentation, office equipment, communication systems, possibly product samples, tables, diagrams, models.”
Irina Volodina believes that the workplace of a manager, like any other modern person, is unthinkable without a computer and a telephone: “Everything else depends on the specifics of the manager’s work and the topic of the meetings taking place in the office. If presentations are being made, the office should be equipped with appropriate equipment, since presenting something to clients on a computer monitor is not very impressive and is also inconvenient.”
In addition to the so-called mandatory components, there are also optional ones, but sometimes much more important than everything taken together. Family and children's photographs, photos of pets, souvenirs dear to the heart, memorable diplomas on the walls and other things that sooner or later every person acquires are a kind of constant source of positive emotions, and in the midst of a hard day of work, looking at them simply relaxes. In addition, family photos will serve your image - it will immediately be clear that you respect traditional values and, therefore, will be a reliable partner.
A little about furniture
The furniture with which the manager's office will be furnished should, according to experts, be selected taking into account
a) image and level of the enterprise;
b) in such a way that it is as convenient and comfortable for work as possible.
When selecting furniture for the manager’s office, the following points must be taken into account:
• anthropometric indicators (height, body length, arm length, etc.);
• ensuring a comfortable position of the human body, which creates conditions for less fatigue, good visual perception, freedom of movement and more;
• rational planning and arrangement of furniture;
• furniture should look aesthetically pleasing.
Alena August recommends when choosing furniture for your office to pay attention to the following things: “organizing access to documentation - if you are a visual person, it is important for you to see the process and documents (put a large table just for documents), if you are an auditory person, you may not need this (secretary reads the document). For kinesthetics, the material from which the furniture and office equipment are made is important - take care of this when assembling it. The main rule is convenience and ergonomics.”
Experts also advise paying attention to the following point. If you hold meetings in an office and receive visitors right there, and in their absence you work with important secret documents, it is better to have a separate table for meetings and meetings, since a visitor may inadvertently see something that is not intended for his eyes.
“Such things include, for example, a photo frame with a wife and children,” says Alexey Belozerov . - This will work on the image of the leader and create the image of an exemplary family man, which is usually useful. In fact, the little things on the table depend on the character of the person and the image that he wants to form among visitors. But at the same time, guests understand that judging a person’s character by his office is not entirely correct. The place where a person lives really reflects the character of a person, speaks about his personality, etc., and an office is often the result of the work of a designer, secretary, etc. Sometimes thematic calendars depicting, for example, war, victory, or, on the contrary, peace in the form of beautiful relaxing park landscapes work great for the image. This can create a certain mood among visitors and ultimately influence the success of negotiations. Therefore, such little things should be selected depending on the character of the leader himself, his manner of communicating and negotiating, as well as depending on the general concept of office design.”
“The workplace does not have to be a model of functionality and conciseness,” says Irina Volodina . — Often, trinkets not related to work, which for some reason are dear to their owner, work for him, his mood, and self-confidence. For example, you should not hide the merits of the company and the manager personally. You can post ratings, certificates, etc. For some, photographs with famous and influential people can also play an important role in negotiations. Perhaps it is little things of this nature that can turn out to be very useful and necessary for the successful work of a manager.”
“It’s these little things that can both help you recover and maintain a sense of yourself in a routine and under a torrent of stress, or become a special feature - however, this can work both for your image and against you,” warns Alena August . — In addition, it is important not to overload the workplace with trifles. It’s like in life - only what really helps. What happens in practice? Plush friends - and not only for women, photographs of loved ones, photographs of hobbies and recreation, attributes of a preferred hobby, souvenirs. But, if business is your priority, do not forget to look at your office through the eyes of a guest - is there too much teddy bears and photos? After all, the office is your business card.”
Zoning
Dividing an office into zones is an excellent design solution and a guarantee of order in work. Even a small room, skillfully zoned, will be comfortable and multifunctional. The design nuances are as follows.
- The negotiation area must be equipped with a long table and an appropriate number of chairs. As a rule, the meeting area is located next to the manager's desk, but this is not necessary. You can place it in another place.
- The work area is the place of the director of the enterprise. The main attribute is a comfortable and inexpensive chair with good upholstery. Shelves or filing cabinets are located near the desk. It is very good if the manager’s desk is located near the window. Natural light doesn't make your eyes so tired.
- Rest zone. The ideal option is if it is located in a separate room or at least visually separated. A low coffee table and comfortable upholstered furniture are the bare minimum for this area.
Color solution
Another point that experts advise paying attention to when organizing your workplace is the color scheme of the space. Here all the advice boils down to the fact that the tones should be unsharp and soft. It is better to choose colors from light tones (pale green, yellow, beige); light colors not only help reduce fatigue, but also increase the volume of the office. It is also important that all surfaces are matte, as shiny surfaces are harmful to health.
And if you are not confident in your own abilities, but want to get the right office, or if you want to stand out from the general number of colleagues, it makes sense to invite a specialist designer to work on your office. However, its choice must be approached with no less responsibility than business development. The right designer can create a miracle within 15 boring meters. And the creations of his “wrong” colleague, instead of setting him in a working mood, will cause a headache. Before you sign a contract with a designer, look at the portfolio of his work, meet with him, invite him to your future office, tell him what you would like to see, and try to look at the future result through his eyes.
A competent specialist will ask a lot of questions - about your character traits, habits, inclinations, and sometimes it will seem that these questions have nothing to do with your office. In fact, in this way the designer will study you, look at the cabinet from your position, taking into account your habits and characteristics and, using his taste and experience, professionally create what is needed. Avoid designers who, without listening to the client, begin to make statements about their uniqueness, originality and how lucky you are to have such a wonderful specialist on your way. Most likely, working with such a person will not bring you satisfaction, and the result will be very unexpected.
“If the manager’s office is also the main point of sales, where negotiations with clients often take place, then the solution to design issues should be delegated to professionals,” says Alexey Belozerov. “In all other cases, the design of the office is a rhetorical question.”
“It is logical to involve a specialist, but it is important to choose a professional who understands the essence of the requirements for organizing a workplace, and does not strive to realize his love for certain design delights within the framework of the project. You must understand and like each other, be sincere and - you still have the right to your opinion, remember this,” advises Alena August .
