The War for Desk Space

Desk space is a necessity when you work in an office. Unsurprisingly, you need a space to get work done and having a desk serves that very purpose. Here at Bamboo Nine we have communal desks where everyone works at one big desk, almost resembling a rustic dining-room table. This allows for easy discussion of ideas during teamwork projects and is generally more social.

However, being host to such varying personalities has created a slight war for desk space. Whether that be needing more desks for the office due to the success for our company and its continual growth, or whether it be the literal space on the desks and the personal items cluttering up the work space. There are multiple theories on whether bringing in personal items to work helps engage or distract us from our professional responsibilities.
It can be a difficult job nurturing a workforce and the individual needs of each one of our employees but we want to serve our employees to the best of our ability, thereby creating a satisfaction in the workplace that makes coming to work enjoyable.

Plants

Plants are wonderful to have in the office and it may come as a surprise to know that, here at Bamboo Nine, we even have our own bamboo plant! It helps keep us rooted in what we are all about or something like that.
It also just looks pretty cool in its pot.
Bring the great outdoors into the office. Plants will not only improve the aesthetics of your office environment but they will also improve the air quality. Our humble bamboo plant doesn’t just look nice, it also works hard behind the scenes to absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen back into the office. By having plants dotted around your office you will be positively contributing to the good health of your employees.

Bring in your own mugs

If you’re a nut for hygiene, we totally respect that. Some employees decide to bring their own mugs into the office because the thought of sharing the office mugs provided for everyone is just too horrifying. So, to save on any discrepancies, some people prefer to only be responsible for their personal mug and nobody else’s.
But what happens when your mug goes missing or somebody else ‘accidentally’ uses it..

Dressing up your desk 

Some of our employees enjoy dressing up their desks with personal items that help them to feel at home in the office. These desk decorations can range anything from pictures and pen pots, to seasonal decorations such as tinsel around Christmas time. A personalised desk space can often encourage productivity and a sense of belonging in the office environment. As long as it doesn’t get out of hand and the work place still looks professional, we are happy.

Changing the Culture of Possession

Communal desks can be the make or break of some businesses. More often than not, people prefer their own work space that is separated and cornered off from everyone else’s. We are like that in the office. We like our own space, even if we’re not in it for a long time. We make sure that others stay out of the invisible lines we have marked either side of our computer screens. If somebody invades our personal space, crossing those invisible lines we have so carefully put in place, we can’t handle it.

Of course, not everyone understands. There are some rather questionable people out there, in the big wide world, who don’t care about personal space and tend to have no problem invading other’s. Of course, it is all  personal preference. But if you don’t care about personal space, that’s not okay.

And then comes the day when your boss announces that the whole office is going to start hot-desking.

If I can’t have my own desk…

Whatever it takes.
What’s your office like?