Ben Johnson's Blog

Finding your comfort zone : The Boardroom (Part 4)

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 10:15:34 +0100

If you read our previous Boardroom post about privacy and confidentiality, you’ll know we like you to think about your own space and ways of working before we suggest how to spend your hard-earned cash. So here goes:

Comfort = Good

Boardroom meetings often require intense focus.
They tend to be more formal than meetings held elsewhere in the workplace, often involving important visitors & clients.
Let’s face it, board meetings can go on a bit.

For these reasons the boardroom needs to be welcoming with the minimum of distractions. Get your comfort level right and you will have a happy, engaged and focused team. But let us challenge you a moment …

Too comfortable = Bad

Whilst it is a widely accepted cultural norm that boardroom meetings can go on (and on, and on) we would like you to ask “why should they?” If we are really honest with ourselves, a large chunk of our time could be saved by being more efficient with our agendas and leaving the ego at the door. Shorter meetings will – over time – improve the bottom line.

Firstly: Think about where you host your meeting. Does it have to be in the boardroom? Could you meet in a more informal setting and free-up valuable space? Or even hold it standing or walking?? This Wall Street Journal article states “a study back in 1998 found that standing meetings were about a third shorter than sitting meetings and the quality of decision-making was about the same.”

Next: think about when you host your meeting. The same article suggests holding a meeting just before lunch to encourage quicker, more focused and efficient input from team members. Whether you think hunger is a motivating factor, or just a distraction, the timing of your meeting could make all the difference.

Where comfort is King we would recommend the following:

ENVIRONMENT & DESIGN: Ambient comfort
Let’s deal with the basics first:

Light and ventilation
Feeling like you are sitting in a greenhouse or a fridge/freezer is not conducive to a productive meeting. So, Can you open a window into your space? And do you have blinds to block out the light if needed? Sounds basic, but if your boardroom has no natural light or your glazing is fixed and you have no natural ventilation, you will need to think of introducing alternatives such as air conditioning, blinds, and dimmer switches.

Space planning
Zoning: If you are endowed with a large boardroom, you may like to make the most of it by introducing additional break out space with soft seating. This is also beneficial if the room is used for long training sessions where breaks are necessary or lunch is served.
Planning: For those with just-enough space for a table and chairs, you may like to plan your room using the following guidelines:

From the edge of the table leave 1100mm-1200mm to allow for chairs & circulation space.
Decide on the length of your table by allowing 760mm per chair. (A minimum would be 710mm, a generous amount would be 910mm.)
Guestimate the maximum number of people you will have around your table at any one time. E.g. A board of ten members, arranged with one at each end and four down each side would require a table length of 3040mm.
Be aware that chairs differ in size of footprint. “Executive” chairs tend to be noticeably wider and have a larger footprint than a training chair. Which leads us nicely onto our next item…

STUFF: Physical comfort
Once you have addressed the ambient comfort and roughly planned your space, how and with what do you fill it?

Firstly, Chairs : There are infinite options on the market, so here are some questions to help you decide what’s right for you:
• Do you need a flexible / stackable chair?
• Do you want an “executive” look or something more casual?
• Think about more than just the seat: does it need castors, arms, or an adjustable back?

From our experience in specifying furniture, we would recommend the following:

* Choose a cantilever chair for greater flexibility (compared to a chair with four legs). Flexibility is key in maintaining comfort as it allows the user to move more. Cantilever chairs can be stackable depending on your specification.

Our top recommendation would be a hi-brid chair like the one on the right. So-called because it sits somewhere in between a task chair (with full flex and adjustability) and a traditional meeting room chair (with none of the above). This chair has a fixed back and arms, plenty of flex, castors and an adjustable height mechanism.

Next Ergonomics : If any of your team members have special requirements when it comes to ergonomics, you may want to think about introducing foot rests or lumbar support. These products are relatively cheap and easy ways to improve the comfort level in the boardroom, especially if you are not in a position to invest in all-new furniture.

And the Final touches : Homely touches like Plants lend a boardroom more personality, can be used for zoning if you have a large space and improve the air quality at no extra cost!

Private & Confidential - The Boardroom (Part 3)

Wed, 29 May 2013 10:58:27 +0100

If you read Part 2 of our boardroom series you’ll know that Privacy & Confidentiality is the number 1 item on our Performance Wishlist for the boardroom. Think about it; without the need for privacy there would be no need for a boardroom: we’d all be having our meetings in open spaces.

But before we get carried away giving you tips on how to achieve a Fort Knox level of privacy, we’d like you to consider a few things:

#1 : Decide what level of confidentiality is required. It’s important to identify how crucial a good acoustic performance is before you invest in any special measures. It’s easy to get carried away in the midst of a project, but agree this at the outset and your aim will be clear.

#2 : Good Acoustic performance is key, but what about visual privacy? The trend for glass partitioning is here to stay, and does bestow a room with more ambient light. However installing lots of it will reduce acoustic and visual privacy, meaning extra measures are required to bring these levels back up.

#3 : Familiarise yourself with the structure of the building. Before committing to major alterations, you may need to investigate further. Hidden items such as ducting may make it impossible to achieve the level of acoustic performance you hope for as these are natural carriers of noise, and cross the boundaries between rooms. Also, you will be responsible for returning the space to the condition you found it in once your lease is up (known in the business as dilapidations, or Dilaps). Drastic alterations such as slab to slab partitions (more on this later) are harder to reverse.

Once you’ve pondered these three elements, our top tip is this:

Consider the location & position of your boardroom first.

Proximity is crucial. Consider how close your boardroom is to the general office space; could it be moved further away? What other rooms does your boardroom sit next to? Planning a suite of meeting rooms together may seem like a good idea but as these areas have a lower level of ambient noise you may find yourself earwigging on next door’s meeting without meaning to.

If you are planning a fresh space, this is your opportunity to get it right. For those working with an existing plan and finding it wanting, don’t despair; you may be able to relocate your boardroom wholesale without tearing down a single partition. In our own office refurb we swapped the functions of two existing ancillary spaces meaning the boardroom was further away from general traffic and noise, and was already endowed with a greater level of acoustic performance.

If you already have the perfect location, or are stuck with what you’ve got and unable to move it, then you can start to consider the elements that make up the fabric of the space. Download our PDF document below for our full list of recommendations and points to consider.

Broad Gate gets glossy!

Tue, 14 May 2013 10:27:00 +0100

Our recently completed project in Broad Gate, Leeds has been featured in the April issue of Surfacing magazine. Surfacing focusses on all aspects of interior & architectural finishes from tiles and reclaimed floor boards, to carpets and wall coverings. This article looks at the potential for using Digital Print in your interior.

The full story on Broad Gate can be found in our case study, and you can read the full article (with some fab images) in our download below.

Thanks go to Jess at Divine Clark PR and Editor of Surfacing: Gemma Ralph who provided us with the files to share with our readers.

Our Performance Wishlist - The Boardroom (Part 2)

Wed, 08 May 2013 16:19:53 +0100

For some, a boardroom that comprises four walls, a door, a table and some chairs might be OK. But if you read our first Boardoom post you’ll know how many (and how varied) the demands can be on this part of the office. With that in mind, it’s easy to get a bit overwhelmed; where on earth do you start? Well, fear not! We got our thinking caps on and decided on six of the most important features to consider before you begin. These are summarized with our performance wish-list below. In the following weeks we’ll give you the 101 from our office experts on how to achieve every one of these elements.

Privacy & Confidentiality
With modern office design leaning ever more toward an open plan “collaborative” style, your boardroom should allow you to have conversations that can’t be had anywhere else in the office. Whether it’s one-to-one or a full board meeting, you shouldn’t have to worry about poor acoustics or feel like you’re sitting in a goldfish bowl. Get the fit out elements right and you will be able to speak with ease.

Comfort
Your employees, clients and partners can – and do – spend a lot of time in here. If you’ve ever sat through an epic all-day meeting you’ll know that it’s vital to get the level of comfort just right. Seating, air temperature, elbow room, lighting levels; all of these should support the high level of concentration and focus that is required here.

Flexibility
As we’ve already said, your boardroom is required to do lots of different things during its lifetime. Make sure you consider how flexible you need the space to be, and crucially; how often, before you make choices on your fit out, furniture, or AV. Taking time to stop and think about this could save you time, money and frustration in the future!

Branding & Ethos
This room is a great opportunity to broadcast what you stand for as an organization. You can spell it out with branding and graphics, or take a subtler approach with your furniture choices and layout. If yours is a creative organization you may want to create a relaxed environment to encourage creativity and collaboration. For the blue chips & corporates among us the space may require a more formal feel. Regardless of style, think of it as a way to cement your brand in the minds of “outsiders”, and remind employees and colleagues what they are working towards.

Free-flowing communication
Meetings are about two-way communication and collaboration. As the host you will need to be a great facilitator by making good, timely choices on your equipment such as conference telephones, built-in power, clear and easily accessible projectors, and brainstorming tools. Whether your collaborators are physically present or not, technical hitches and poor equipment needn’t get in the way of the conversation.

Food & Drink
This may seem whimsical but keeping your clients / colleagues fed and watered can make all the difference between “engaged” or “switched off”; at the very least it’s common courtesy to offer refreshment. If you are unable to build facilities into your space to cater for everyone’s basic needs, you can position the boardroom in close proximity to a kitchen or tea point making it easier to be the perfect host.

So there you have it: our top six wish-list items for a high performance boardroom. Over the next few weeks we’ll give you tips from each of our divisions for ticking every one of these boxes so keep checking back with us!

The Unsung Hero of the office: The Boardroom (Part 1)

Wed, 08 May 2013 11:47:05 +0100

Recently we’ve had a number of clients undertaking staged refurbishments, updating their offices one area at a time (very wise if you’re looking after your cash flow). It got us thinking: if we were to take this approach, where would we start and why? Instinct may lean towards the reception area, but we would suggest investing in the Boardroom. Here’s why:

Your boardroom is your company’s game face…:

Whether your meetings are internal or external, “Boardroom” means Business. In here you impress clients, partners, and suppliers. In here deals are done, relationships forged, and policies thrashed out. Your reception area might be your shop window, but after sitting through a three hour meeting it is The Boardroom that leaves a lasting impression on your clients. People spend a lot of time in here. It’s vital, therefore, that you put your best foot forward and make it work for you.

… and it works really hard:

You may think it’s “just” a meeting room. After all, people don’t (usually) sit in here 8 hours a day, every day, like your main office space. But what about those ad-hoc one-to-ones, big monthly board meetings, and quarterly company updates? Then there are the casual staff gatherings, lunch times & breakouts, team workshops, training, not to mention the quiet-space take-over when staff members need space to focus. When you think about it, your boardroom works really hard, at a lot of different things. By all means dress it up and make it look the part, but most of all make sure it performs as it should.

If your boardroom is in need of an update, you’ll love our up-coming series of case studies and blog posts in which we’ll be covering everything you need to know / consider / look for before embarking on a refurb.

Look out for our next blog feature; the performance wish-list. We feature a short list of criteria your Boardroom should fulfill once it has been transformed. You won’t want to miss it!