I'M THE BOSS. WHERE SHOULD I SIT?

It has been proven that office design (open plan or compartmentalized) plays a major role in determining team productivity. Over time, bosses have contemplated available options to decide which one has more advantages than disadvantages, and therefore, which is the 'safest' arrangement to ensure seamless work and increased productivity, while maintaining solid rapport and authority with employees.

The recurring question remains - should the boss sit openly with the rest of the workforce, or should he settle for a private office? Both have attractive pros and depressing cons as you'll find out presently.

Open Plan Office - Advantages:

1. Enhanced Rapport with the team - The boss who works in very close quarters with his staff is more likely to build better relationships with them, either individually or as a group - the type of rapport that engenders much-needed sense of belonging and loyalty among employees.

2. Improved Communication - Every boss wants to know as much information as possible , and as soon as information breaks. A boss who shares an open space with his employees would not have to wait to get important information in arrears. He is able to act promptly and effectively since he's always on the same page with his team.

3. Saves Cost - Pulling down the architectural barriers that separate the boss from his workers is an efficient cost-saver. The boss does not have to have her own exclusive electrical writings and sockets, gadgets like air conditioners, printers, fax machines and copiers. She can conveniently share these with staff. Also, more room means the possibility of more work stations being set up.

Disadvantages:

1. Erosion of Authority - The leader who appears too approachable also runs a huge risk of having his authority undermined. A fine balance must be struck before employees begin to mistake the boss's personable demeanour and ways for weakness.

2. No Privacy - Every boss needs quiet, secluded moments to make and receive private and confidential phone calls to and from clients - lawyers, accountants, doctors etc. Employees should not listen in on every conversation , not to mention the near-impossibility of holding conference calls. The 'din' in an open plan office does not guarantee this.

3. Creates Office Tension - Some employees feel absolutely uncomfortable with the idea of the boss sitting very openly and close to their work stations. They experience a level of anxiety which can impact productivity negatively. To these people, even an easy-going CEO appears to be "breathing down their necks" in an open plan set-up.

Private Office - Advantages:

1. The boss can fully enjoy the privacy of conducting her own affairs without undue distractions.

2. A private office creates the necessary distance from employees which ensures that the boss's authority/respect remains unviolated.

3. Researchers have stated that most workers are at their best when they feel unwatched or untended, and the boss has his own exclusive office. Shy or anxious staff express themselves best when the specter of a boss looming in the fore- or background is eliminated.

Disadvantages:

1. A private office for the boss can mean that she habitually misses out on vital information/communication as they come. She plays catch-up mostly, and there's no gain saying how this can affect overall work output

2. Personal and official relationship with employees can also suffer as the latter keep viewing the boss as a distant, not-to-be-trusted senior colleague. The essential level of comradeship and rapport needed for steady growth is mostly missing.

Office design experts have thankfully and thoughtfully come up with a middle ground to help solve this boss's nightmare. They have come to the rescue of the boss who would want to enjoy the best of both worlds - sitting with his employees in a model of an open plan office in which his table is placed strategically away from the rest to afford him a decent degree of privacy, whilst still being part of the general population when he chooses to switch modes. Take your pick.