Strong leadership is vital to any successful office, but not one style of leadership works for every company, or even every department within a company.  One of the biggest challenges managers face is finding and developing the best leadership style to motivate their employees to complete work on time and to company standards.

Office design trends, once primarily a feature of the worlds of fashion and home design, have moved increasingly into the office space.  People look to hip, successful companies like Google and see their unusual office designs, often featuring amenities like slides, free snacks, and game rooms.  Articles are written equating the success of these companies to their unique environments, or listing the trendy amenities that will attract young millennial workers to your office.  While features like slides and in-office daycare facilities aren’t possible for many companies, other easy-to-add features like colorful walls, game rooms, and open office plans have become commonly adopted trends.

While a good office design is an essential feature to encourage employee satisfaction and productivity, what defines “good design” is more about the specific needs of your company than it is about current office design trends.  Chasing office design trends is at best an inefficient use of time and money, and at worst a colossal waste of funds with a powerfully negative effect on productivity.  Before you embrace a trend, take the time to think about how it will really work in your office.

Does Your Company Run on Collaboration or Concentration?

Out of all the office design trends, none has taken off more ubiquitously than the open office design.  It’s not hard to see why.  The big, open spaces look far more modern than the cubicles we’ve come to associate with the traditional office.  Natural light from office windows is no longer impeded by tall cubicle walls, making the space seem bright and fresh.  Employees can mingle easily and share ideas.  And, let’s face it, it’s a lot cheaper to fill your office with more people when you have an open floor plan.