Cavemen must have really liked their caves. After all, it’s where they went to paint, procreate, eat in, grunt stories, play with fire and generally stay out of trouble. There were terrible beasties out there otherwise that lay in wait, ready to pounce and tear you limb from limb, or worse still – bore you to tears with their inane ramblings.

And so we skip forward a few thousand years and you have the modern 21st century office, glistening and grinning like it deserves a place on the skyline. Within these unblemished buildings – nay, temples of power – the caveman still dwells. There are plenty more cavewomen and the light has improved, but other than that, not a lot has changed. The chairs are still uncomfortable, the heating goes up and down like crazy and there are dangers lurking everywhere. Territory is everything in a place so wild.

sharing desk space

Troubled Beginnings

 

It just doesn’t come naturally to many of us to be so open, so free, so boundlessly inviting of anyone and everyone. So then, how does a concept like space sharing, hot desking or flexible work manage to become a reality? Does it really work?

 

Well, not always. What started as a bit of a fad in the 80’s, quickly bombed because people realised that the rubbish technology they had at their disposal made the idea completely useless. In the 90’s, a few tried it out again and this new-fangled inter-web was seen as perhaps a way round the whole ‘on floor 3 one day, on floor 8 the next without any means of communicating quickly to anyone’ issue.

 

Less Desks for Success?

 

The 00’s then brought the whole notion to life and today, we see plenty of top businesses using space sharing. Of course, some use it well and others don’t. You can’t go in half baked. It’s all or nothing; otherwise you’ll have mass confusion and jealousy on an unprecedented scale.

So, why is it so important to share space like this and hop around from one desk to the next? Well, it may not suit you personally, but for the business, it can be a vital cog to keeping everyone afloat. Desk occupancy is shockingly low in traditional offices, making business owners scratch their heads and wonder ‘where did I go wrong?’ All this empty space just doesn’t look good, on all sorts of levels, but mostly financial.

 

The Shrinking Office

 

With technology now at a stage where people can work mobile and free, whilst still be in contact instantly, the scaling down of offices is inevitable. Why pay out for an office to accommodate 20 desks, when all you need is one with 10 and workers who float between each?

 

This shrinking of offices may make savings and cut expenditure, but at what other cost? We are creatures of habit and enjoy our spaces. We leave little mementoes on our desks, mascots, lucky mugs etc. It is our space, through thick and thin.

 

The Cold, Hard Truth

 

Well, no. It’s everyone’s and you have no less ownership of that piece of wood and plastic as Dave, who’s sat four feet from you. Hello Dave. It’s the adjustment phase that people find hardest, much like watching a badly dubbed film. Eventually, you get used to it. Sure, some people head for the exit, but there will always be more ready to walk in.

Space Sharing Does it Work?The key point to all this is that a reserved space to sit and work may not be all it’s cracked up to be. Everything else is redesigned in life, so why not an office? Maybe the old ways aren’t the best. Maybe we’re all just too scared to jump ship and swim to different shores.

 

Why Space Sharing Can Work

 

Space sharing has definite benefits and works for lots of businesses on many levels. It promotes communication and therefore builds amazing bridges between staff. The digital age means that we don’t have to all sit behind some antiquated desk anymore. Why not make it comfy, like at home and throw in a few sofas, or shared working pods? Let’s make the space feel organic and free-flowing and less rigid.

 

The fear of change still resonates strong for many, but working in tandem with a bright new age of technology means that our offices no longer have to feel like a cave. Phone or email Send Business Centre TODAY and feel less stone age with a complete list of stunning office solutions.