How to manage your meeting room space

There's no mistaking that finding the perfect balance between open and private spaces will be tricky. However, there are a few ways to help you on your way to the ultimate office space.

Firstly, you need to determine how your team will work. In the Smartway2 Back to the Office Playbook, we identify four key people you can find in almost every office.

The lone wolf - these are the people who thrive on working remotely. They are the kind of person you see at a desk in a quiet area of the office, just absolutely struggling to get their work done.

Riding the wave - This type of person goes with the flow. They are flexible and can work from almost anywhere, all they need is a little flexibility from their employer.

Coffee Breaker - This person is here for the social aspect of the job. They are chatty, enjoy working together and are happy to be involved in most meetings.

The tried and tested - This type of person is the traditional strong person we have known for decades. They prefer to work in an office, and things have always been that way.

Each role requires a different workplace set-up, and each office has a combination of each role. The 'lone wolf' and the 'tried and tested' will feel more comfortable in a private space, while the 'wave rider' and the 'coffee drinker' will benefit from an open plan office. Determining which roles make up your staff is the first step to creating a perfect office space.

Neighbourhood

Another common practice we see in open plan offices is the creation of specific areas for particular teams or departments. These areas are often referred to as 'neighbourhoods' or 'zones'.

In the Activity Based Working (ABW) model, employees are empowered by being able to work in the environment that best suits their needs at the moment. This is similar to desking, but ABW is more targeted, designating specific areas of the office for specific activities.

There are several different types of space to consider when creating your office area.

Personal desks for individual work

Telephone booths for private conversations and personal calls

Gathering areas for informal or ad hoc meetings between small groups

Enclosed meeting rooms for more formal meetings and client calls

For more information on the different types of workspaces to consider, please see our guide to modern office décor.

Consider noise levels and acoustics - different activities will generate different levels of noise. For example, a brainstorming session will be much louder than a coding team meeting.

Build with flexibility in mind - we are experiencing the biggest change in the workplace ever, and it's not going to slow down. Prepare for future changes by creating a fully flexible workplace.

Personalise each area - set themes for your areas to help employees easily identify which office space is for a specific activity.

Use the right technology - workplace scheduling software makes it easy for everyone to adapt to any new way of working.