Thanks to the most advanced techniques and technology, not only have companies and the way they do business changed, but employees have also changed in every possible way. Therefore, the company must keep up with trends and innovations to function as expected of it. Just look at the workspace (offices or meeting rooms) and compare them to those from twenty years ago. The change is obvious.
The company must listen to the aspirations and progress of its employees, so it needs to change and adapt itself. According to the new way of organizing the space in the company, the huddle room has also undergone its own transformation. From the former simple, semi-empty rooms with mostly monotonous furniture, these are now very interesting rooms that encourage creativity and good energy. Huddle rooms don’t have the same atmosphere as classic conference rooms.
They are much more intimate, they have primarily an integrative role, and the use itself can serve different occasions. In this new space, decisions could be easily made, problems are better solved, interpersonal relationships are deepened, meetings are held, and sometimes this is just the perfect space for relaxation. Because of this, the design and feel of the huddle room are important to the company. In the first place should be a comfortable, private smaller room designed for 4 to 8 people. It should stimulate employees with its design, equipment, with technology and it should enable decision-making to be simple, faster and efficient.
Given its function and importance, we researched common mistakes to avoid when designing your huddle room. Nowadays this kind of workspace is necessary for a successful job, that’s why learning about the Hudd room is of great importance. Stay tuned for our text and find out what the most common mistakes are:
The size of the huddle room should not be too large
Although you have a large number of spacious rooms or excess space, the first mistake you can make at the beginning is an oversized huddle room. If you are one of those who believe that a room can never be too big and that space is always desirable, here we must disappoint you. It is more a question of psychological strategy than of an aesthetic one. As we have already said, this is not a classic meeting or conference room. This is a room where a small number of people make a crucial decision or solve a certain problem. They should not be given space to linger too long or open their doors to other employees. Only those who should be here are present, and that makes this meeting much more efficient. As we have already said, 6 people are optimal and some maximum would be 8 people in the room.
Furniture should not be strictly formal
When it is said that the furniture should not be strictly formal, it means formal furniture like in the office to which we are accustomed. But we shouldn’t immediately connect less formal behavior with this kind of room. So, let us give you a few tips here: the furniture should be much more relaxed and comfortable so that the participants of the meeting would be much more comfortable when making important decisions. You know, when you are under pressure you have fewer ideas than usual. On the other hand, this does not mean that the professional behavior and order are not respected here.
Let’s get back to the furniture. Since you will very often have an audio-visual inclusion of an important guest or collaborator in this room, we suggest that you have a round table opposite the screen so that you all have an equal view. In addition to this piece of furniture, you can have relaxed sofas on the sides, and bar stools are becoming more and more popular. We suggest you relax when it comes to color and design choices. Be creative here as well!
Screen size may be a problem
As with the choice of the space size, the bigger does not always mean the better. It’s true, the screen shouldn’t be too small or too big. It depends. In both cases, they will require additional effort from the meeting participants. We suggest that you consider the following item when choosing the ideal screen: viewing angle, the distance of participants from the screen, content to be viewed as well as the total area of the room. High screen resolution should be the primary criterion in this selection.
Lighting needs careful design
We’re sure you’ve been multiple times in a room with bad light. In huddle rooms, you would need to keep your attention and energy to be focused on solving problems, and not on the headache of poor lighting. So, the most common mistake is to light only one, usually, the central part of the room and the rest keep in the dark. Overcome this mistake by placing the lighting evenly throughout the room. And another very important thing: always choose warm lighting (as opposed to cool blue tones or some more brightly colored ones). Leave the possibility that the intensity of the light can be easily adjusted because you will not always need the same effect.
The equipment of the room is of great importance
The biggest goal of this room is efficiency. So make sure the huddle room has everything you need at the moment. AV and IT equipment are necessary for these premises. You never know when an emergency meeting will occur and your room should always be tidy and ready. Don’t forget that video conferencing technology is necessary, and there can be a screen, whiteboard, audio system, wide-angle camera and stuff like that. Everything is necessary for internal and external communication. The design of the room we have already talked about as well as the necessary equipment are a key aspect of the efficiency of this room. If you are still not completely sure what you need, you can get a detailed analysis, tips and all the equipment on one of the huddle room software which is easy to find online.
The moment they realized the importance of communication in high corporations, the value of cooperation with all stakeholders, that moment began the transformation of the necessary halls in the company, and the huddle room got its rightful place. Although employees in the company usually work at the same location, stimulus and encouragement are needed for active decision-making and interaction. Although the huddle room can sometimes be a room where you can ‘fill-up your batteries’ from the business crowds, its basic function is integration in decision-making and problem solving.
