How to enhance collaboration for agile working using a huddle space

The key to successful teamwork is creating spaces that inspire collaboration. Enabling communication is vital particularly as workspaces are becoming more flexible and businesses are increasingly adopting agile working models.

Many advances allow us to communicate across long distances and share creativity via video conferencing and collaborative tools. However, research suggests that when employees are in the office, the quality and efficiency of the work declines. This is due to an open-plan working environment: Exeter University study found that open offices create a 15% reduction in productivity.

Huddle spaces are becoming increasingly popular in the modern working space to offer a more intimate and collaborative workspace that encourages productivity.

What are huddle spaces? Huddle spaces are small, intimate rooms dedicated to a collaborative setup. They promote the use of spontaneous and immediate meetings in privacy. They create a distraction-free environment that allows a group of up to six employees to meet informally and escape the busier atmosphere of the open-plan office. They are ideal for short, face-to-face impromptu catchups, hybrid meetings, ad hoc calls, or quick brainstorms with small groups.

What do they include? Within these huddle spaces, collaborative technology is used to be able to meet quickly and easily within the office as well as connect to those working remotely with clutter-free, wireless technology. This technology enhances communication by aiding discussion across video conferencing, content sharing and interactive elements, allowing creativity to flourish whilst many users are not there in person. Equipment that is found in these rooms include: o A video conferencing solution o An LCD or LED monitor or interactive screen o An all-in-one device (AIO) for speaker and camera o A small central table that allows for up to 6 individuals sitting or standing o Wireless connectivity for BYOD and content sharing

How do they collaboration? Compared to board rooms, these huddle spaces accommodate smaller amounts of colleagues and increase productivity and capability as everyone can communicate and share ideas. Board rooms hold more employees and consist usually of a structured formal meeting where observation is favoured over collaboration. In comparison, huddle spaces operate casually and allow for innovation through discussion.

The use of the interactive equipment is a huge benefit to huddle spaces. Colleagues can engage in video discussions with remote workers through real-time annotation, collectively sharing ideas. Whereas in board meetings, observation is usually at the forefront of the meeting.

Using collaborative technologies allows users to update the presentation in real-time and not wait for actions to be met after the meeting. Individuals do not need to rely on notetaking as digital notes can be shared afterwards even if some members cannot physically attend the meeting.

By installing huddle spaces into your activity-based office will enhance collaboration and creativity as well as benefit the agile working era.