The COVID-19 pandemic has brought wide-reaching and long-lasting changes to how our offices look and function. Hand sanitiser is now placed prominently in entryways and on desks. Cleaning supplies are requirements, not afterthoughts. Masks are being normalised and the handshake is fading.
As more and more teams transition to the new normal, there are opportunities to reflect on what we had before. How we structure our workplaces and what we really need is being evaluated. And the meeting room is worth consideration.
Your meeting room doesn’t have to go back to the ‘way it was’
Perhaps the meeting room solutions you took for granted a year ago are still what you need.
But maybe they aren’t.
There are two key questions to consider as you reassess your meeting room in the post-COVID-19 era. First, what do you need your meeting room (or rooms) for? Second, how much space do you actually need?
When it comes to how we collaborate, many teams have found new ways of working they are keen to keep. Hybrid systems between the ‘old way’ and the ‘work-from-home way’ are being tested. What your meeting room looks like in the future should morph to suit your evolving needs.
Inevitably, you will want a private, soundproof space for dealing with sensitive work and confidential meetings. But does this need to be a 20-person assembly room? Or would a private meeting booth suit your need?
To work out what your new needs are, it’s worth reflecting on what solutions you’ve already tried and how the challenges of the pandemic have changed what you require moving forward.
What was your pre-COVID meeting room set-up?
Traditionally, most places of business have a meeting room somewhere. For some, this was a polished wonder: a big boardroom table surrounded by fancy-looking chairs.
In other offices, these areas were multipurpose. They doubled as break rooms or even hot-desking space. And in many workplaces, the ‘meeting room’ was just a corner in the back with some folding chairs.
Think about your worksite’s pre-COVID meeting room (or rooms).
How was this space used? Was there a booking system? A cleaning roster? Did the room sit empty most of the time? Or were there always more people needing space than rooms available?
What meetings solutions have you been using lately?
After reflection on what your meeting room did look like, focus on the last few months. How have things changed for you and your team since the pandemic?
For many of us, working remotely has altered how we tackle meetings. In the pre-COVID world, it was common for companies to bring contractors, clients, and internal team members together into one room. Since the pandemic, most of these gatherings have been replaced with video conferences and phone meetings.
Likewise, you might have swapped department-wide gatherings for smaller team check-ins. Collaboration software might have supplanted daily briefings.
What has your team tried? Which solutions have worked? Did they only work while the whole team was remote, or are these possibilities for your future?
Rethink what your meeting room could be
Bureau booths are a smart way of adding highly functional, soundproof solutions to your workspace, suited to your needs. Available in four size options, Bureau booths offer new meeting room solutions. Perfect for telephone and video calls, Bureau booths provide both privacy and spaces for collaboration.
Whatever fusion you need for your meeting room, we can help you find the right Bureau booth for you.
