This article is the second in a two-part series based on findings from the 2008 Gensler Workplace Survey. The first part, "Working around the water cooler: Research findings suggest socialization as critical to high performance as 'heads-down work,'" is available at ebn.benefitnews.com.

Gensler's 2008 Workplace Survey identified four primary work modes - focusing, collaborating, learning and socializing - and explored how much time employees spend in specific work modes, and how critical each mode is to productivity and overall company performance. One key finding is that today's workers put as much emphasis on collaborating, learning and socializing as focusing. In fact, employees at top-performing companies consider time spent on nonfocus work more critical to job success than workers at average companies.

The office environment must adapt to this new way of working. Many forward-thinking companies are implementing design strategies that embrace the four work modes to create environments that are reflective of company culture and spirit, while providing ample opportunities for employees to spend higher-quality time in the work modes that matter most to their job performance.

For example, at Noodles & Company corporate headquarters in Colorado, spaces are designed to accommodate a wide variety of work settings to give employees a choice. Some spaces encourage learning and focusing work within enclosed rooms; others invite collaboration, teamwork and socialization in an open area filled with playful, mobile furniture. Providing a variety of spaces that are easily accessible is an effective way to accommodate employees with many different work styles.

How can office environments be designed to support new ways of working? Based on the four work modes, employers should keep certain workplace features in mind.

Focusing

People spend on average almost half their time in focus work. Personal workspace, whether private office or open workstation, must fit individual needs and work styles. There should be options for employee choice and personalization, and a way to control disruptions and interruptions.

Consider providing supplemental "quiet rooms" where employees can escape noise or visual distractions to engage in focus work or when they simply need a change of venue to maintain productivity.

Collaborating

Collaboration should occur everywhere, ranging from informal areas for casual interactions to virtual-team meeting areas to formal scheduled meetings to spontaneous conversations in the corridors. Successful office environments provide a wide variety of scheduled and unscheduled face-to-face collaboration spaces with the appropriate levels of technology to support virtual collaboration.

Consider locating collaboration spaces between groups so they can be shared and dedicating "war rooms" for long-term projects.

Learning

Because of the constant demands of change and the need for increasingly skilled workers, learning must be integrated into all aspects of the contemporary workplace. With today's technological advances, there are many ways to facilitate this work mode.

While group learning still occurs in dedicated training and conference rooms, U.S. workers reported that increasingly they are learning at their desk due to online training and one-to-one coaching. And while formal learning is important, the most effective way to move knowledge or new ideas through an organization is via human interactions.

If people can see and visually connect with each other, learning becomes fluid and occurs naturally.

Consider glass office fronts or low workstation panels to allow work to become more transparent, to display work in process to encourage conversations and to provide easier access to knowledge, information and shared resources.

Socializing

Socializing builds trust, social networks and a sense of community. Over time, it builds a unified sense of purpose, pride and belonging that can foster innovation, agility and speed in organizations.

Areas for socialization go beyond yesterday's break rooms and cafeterias, and extend to shared community spaces throughout a facility or campus. Stairways, corridors, building connectors, coffee stands and learning centers can all double as social spaces.

They should be convenient and zoned away from focus work areas. They can also be branded to showcase a company's product, mission or innovations to build pride and a common language.

Designing good office space means it must first be a functional work environment. Functional attributes include a good layout, adequate light for the task, fresh air and the right temperature, appropriate storage nearby, ergonomic furniture for the task and the right balance between being private and being accessible.

It is critical to understand that this does not mean providing more space, but providing effective space, with the right mix and support for all four work modes. It's the quality, not the quantity, of space that can transform a working environment.

Effective workspace makes a strong impact on three key employee engagement measures: workplace satisfaction, job satisfaction and company commitment. In this recession, when employees are doing their best with limited resources, that can make all the difference in the bottom line.

Janet Pogue is a principal of Gensler's Denver office, a design, planning and strategic consulting firm. She is the co-leader of Gensler's workplace practice with a focus on corporate headquarters. projects.

The Four Work Modes

Focusing

This activity - characterized by analyzing, problem-solving, creating, assessing and producing - accounts for an average 48% of employees' time.

Collaborating

Gensler research shows that workers spend, on average, 32% of their time collaborating. Companies increasingly rely on collaboration and team-based organizational structures to contend with the growing complexity and faster pace of the business environment. Collaboration can also result in increased productivity, innovation and the ability to respond more creatively to complex organizational challenges.

Learning

In a knowledge economy, a highly skilled and knowledgeable workforce is critical to business growth and success. Gensler finds that workers spend, on average, 6% of their time in learning activities.

Socializing

Socializing plays a critical role in fostering social networks, the infrastructure that moves knowledge through an organization to create innovation. This work mode is characterized by interactions in the workplace that create common bonds and values, collective identity, collegiality and productive relationships. Socializing creates and builds social capital, and encourages the trust of colleagues. Workers spend, on average, 6% of their time in social activities.

Source: Gensler Workplace Survey.