If you think that an office pod merely serves as a quirky and contemporary aesthetic to an office space, you’re only half right. While they do offer a certain je ne sais quoi that traditional office furniture simply can’t compete with, their dashing good looks also extend to… office friendships!
Did you know that an office meeting pod, while often thought of as an escape from the surrounding workspace, can actually improve employee relationships?
No, we didn’t think so, and that’s why we’re about to explain how and why they make that possible.
Flexible movement
Office pods might seem isolating but they’re anything but! They’re actually aimed at offering
employees’ control over the way they work. If there’s a last-minute need for a gathering of minds, meeting pods provide the perfect space to brainstorm ideas.
Greater relationships are forged when ideas are formed collaboratively; bouncing ideas off each other and more flexible thinking! When you have a flexible and functional space, it draws more employees to it as an exciting hub of activity.
The perfect social alcove that provides a great space to build genuine relationships. Your team will be best buddies in no time!
Quality social integration
While remote working carries a whole heap of benefits, one thing that it doesn’t do is allow social interaction. Forging strong inter-personal relationships, and friendships, can be difficult from behind a screen in your home office! There’s nothing quite like being physically present in an upbeat working environment, it promotes productivity like no other place when all is well.
But therein lies the key. ‘When all is well!’
Oftentimes, social engagement and interaction can be challenging in open plan offices when there lies a fear of causing too much disruption, or the feeling of distracting others becomes overwhelming (Take note - self-consciousness is a major creativity killer!).
Meetings in particular can become quite animated at times, and rightly so! That’s what they’re all about, after all! An opportunity to freely debate and brainstorm to make improvements to the business as a whole. Believe it or not, removing the self-consciousness by holding a meeting within an isolated pod can make the office more social, not less.
The acoustic nature of meeting pods ensures that sound is kept within the meeting, as well as keeping external sound out. That means that a meeting can be as rowdy (within reason!) as required, without causing any disruption to the remaining office.
Having the team feeling comfortable in this free space increases opportunities to connect and collaborate with others.
Private meetings
There’s often a need for a private meeting space that allows for confidential work-related matters or, on occasion, a discussion relating to conflict or a personal issue. In a busy office, it’s quite natural for staff to clash from time to time. There’s no problem with that whatsoever, it shows passion and dedication. But how you resolve it is important.
Difficult conversations need to be constructive, and private meeting pods make that possible. In a quiet, acoustic space, employees are given an opportunity to bring up any concerns they’re facing while being offered safety and reassurance in return.
When an employee can speak freely and openly to a manager about sensitive issues, stronger working relationships are formed. In fact, difficult conversations can often be the most fruitful, providing a wonderful opportunity for relationship growth.
Moving forward, the question you need to be asking yourself is, are you keen to put working
relationships first? If we were to tell you that a ‘Friends and Happiness in the Workplace’ survey found that 57% of participants agreed that a close friend in the office makes work more enjoyable with productivity and creativity also increasing, would that convince you?
The statistics show that managers should look to foster an environment where friendships or, at the very least, good working relationships can blossom. In turn, this will lead to greater rewards for the business as a whole.
What meeting pods do Fluid recommend?
If you’re looking to make your office space more social, office meeting pods are the ideal
Meeting pods like Framery 2Q and Cube L boost collaboration by containing noise and reducing the stress associated with rowdy disruptions. With that, small or large teams can freely collaborate and build strong working relationships.
Small pods like Busypod L are great for promoting genuine relationships by offering the necessary space for more private meetings or sensitive discussions.
If you’re looking to promote collaboration and entice workers back to the office, we recommend social meeting pods where noise levels are no longer an issue!
If you’re keen to encourage good working relationships amongst your team, perhaps it’s time to think about renting or buying an office meeting pod. Feel free to get in touch with a member of the Fluid team and we’ll do all we can to help.
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