CHAPTER 13 On Creative Spirit
By arranging the occasional off-campus meeting with co-workers, you
get away from your desk and unbuckle your thinking a little. Not only is
this often a much-needed exercise, but it allows you to talk away from your
space and break free a little. It’s no surprise that we hear of startups that
germinated in coffee shops; café culture not only provides free Wi-Fi, but
also provides an environment away from the ever-present micro-managers
who stifle creativity.The lego office
Why limit yourself to the office that came off-plan, with it’s off-white walls
and generic carpet, when you can build your own office, large or small, as
you see fit? Google understands that employees aren’t one-size-fits-all by
providing the building blocks — or Bloxes — to create the perfect office or
ad hoc team-working spaces.
Bloxes^15 , interlocking cardboard boxes designed to build flexible work-
spaces, are the invention of Jef Raskin (who started the Macintosh project
at Apple). They might not keep out the rain, but they doubtless keep out
boredom.free Space
Resist the urge to plan every square inch of your office. Allow corners, or
other open-plan spaces, to remain unfilled, with easily movable screens or
whiteboards, where ad hoc teams can escape from their desks and col-
laborate. No one likes a cubicle farm and you’re doing your employees no
favours if you build one. Free up office space and use it more flexibly; your
ideas culture will improve and your team will thank you.15 http://j.mp/cardboardcreativity