MyIdealWorkplace

I’m curious what it takes to support a workplace (or, rather, a worker). And I don’t just mean rent. What’s your estimate of how much you (or your employer) spends per year on the following expense items?

• Rent and related space costs (heat, light, power, etc.)
• Desk, chair, filing cabinets, etc.
• Technology (a computer, software, Internet access, and related items)
• Tech support
• Office supplies (paper, file folders, pens)
• Outside services (postage, FedEx, etc.)
• Books and professional magazine subscriptions
• Membership in professional associations
• Travel(whether reimbursed or not)
• Life and health insurance

I’m really curious, because when I add all those things for myself, it’s easily over $25,000 a year - and I work out of a home office, so my space cost is relatively low.

If you are employed and work out of a corporate facility, you probably have no idea how much it costs the company to support you - but take a guess. Am I way off?

Tags: workplace work

I had a very interesting call this morning from a friend who works for a major national architecture firm. He was looking for articles and/or data on what impact going wireless has on interior office design - and more importantly on office work.

We had a good conversation about the question, and we’re both doing some background research on it, but my personal observation is that having WiFi in the office has a major effect on peoples’ behavior.

When folks can be online anywhere and aren’t tied to their desks and desktop PCs, all kinds of things happen — meetings in the cafeteria (generally a good thing, in my experience), folks checking email during conference-room meetings (not so good), more spontaneity and more variety in where work is getting done (good), and lots of other more subtle changes.

So, what’s your perspective? Have you been through a transition to a wireless office, or moved from one that isn’t to one that is (or vice versa). What difference does it make? What do you like, or not like, about a wireless office?

Technorati Tags: workplace wireless WiFi mobilework futureofwork

I don’t need a workplace; I need workplaces.

Of course, I can only be in one place at a time. But sometimes I need to be in one place, and sometimes in another.

I am a knowledge worker. I use my head to create value. Sure, I use my hands too, but mostly just to hit some little square pieces of plastic in a particular sequence that produces images of text on a plasma screen. Sometimes I hold a pen and spread ribbons of ink on paper as another way to create and communicate my ideas. But however I record my ideas, it’s what goes on in my head that matters.

But here’s what’s bugging me: I use my head in a lot of different ways, and I’ve begun to realize that where my head is physically (and where it’s been) has a lot to do with how well that head produces what I want it to.

Sometimes I need to explore, to think, to create new ideas. Other times I need to express an existing idea, to produce an article or complete a report. Still other times I am searching for new information, often via the web, but sometimes in a book or magazine. Continue Reading »

Where do you spend most of your workday? In a cubicle? In a home office? On the road? In a coffee shop? Why? How much choice do you actually have? How does where you work affect how well you work?

Please leave a Comment and let us know what you like or don’t like about your workplace. We”re launching a global conversation and invite your active participation.

Welcome!

This is a brand new blog that we at Future of Work are launching to promote a global conversation about work. We want to hear about your likes, dislikes, and wishes - about your workspace, your work culture, the technologies you use (and wish you could use), and anything else that affects the way you work.

What would your ideal workplace look like? What bugs you about your current workplace? Where do you go to do your best work? Do you want it quiet all the time, or do you play music? What technologies do you rely on to be productive, to stay up to date, to connect with the rest of the world? What technology features and functions do you love, hate, or wish for?

Those are the kinds of questions and topics we’re going to be exploring here. Come along for the ride - it’s certain to be engaging, insightful, and maybe even influential.

Our goal is to post a question or topic several times a week, and then jump back and get out of your way. The focus here will be on reader comments and responses, not on the posts or the authors.