In today’s offices, you see a complete transformation from the business scene of just ten years ago. Alongside less fluorescent lighting and fewer cubicles, another lasting trend we’ve noticed is the huddle room: According to recent market trends identified by Frost & Sullivan, huddle rooms are projected to replace almost 70% of all meeting rooms by 2022.

What is a huddle room, though? It’s too small to be called a conference room and too business-oriented to be a break room, so imagine, if you will, something in between. Maybe two or three employees want to spend half an hour rehearsing a presentation but don’t want to book a conference room. Or a peer leader wants to instruct an employee on a topic that needs a visual aid. In these instances and several others,  a huddle room proves a handy tool in your overall commercial audio video and automation setup. Why would your Dallas, TX, office need one, especially when you already have a few conference rooms? We’ll explain below.

SEE ALSO: 3 Commercial Audio Video Trends You Need to Know

A Welcome Break From an Open Office

The open office concept seemed to crop up in nearly every business last decade. According to a 2010 study by the International Facility Management Association, 68% of people worked in an office with either no walls or low walls–and the number has undoubtedly grown.

Regardless of the cons of the layout, which we’ll discuss below, owners continued to build them for their cost-efficiency and collaboration benefits. Some studies have noted that banishing the closed-door office has leveled the manager-employee playing field and made executives seem more approachable.

However, many of your employees still struggle with an open office. Though only a small majority of workers would consider themselves extroverts, many corporate centers are tailored to the more expressive, outgoing individuals, leaving introverts behind. Some of your staff might not get overstimulated by the loud noises and constant chatter, but many of them can’t do their best work in that environment. If you’ve already built an open concept floor plan but want to offer some private rooms, start with a few huddle rooms.

 

An Active Learning Center

As you see, not everyone wants to feel observed constantly, and autonomy drives learning and brainstorming sessions. When employees work in small groups in close proximity, they tend to become more engaged with the subject. Idea generation becomes a fluid process, to which everyone can contribute without feeling judged by anyone less familiar with the subject matter.

Next time you want to talk to a small team about a project or skill they should learn, a huddle room might be the place. There’s something about a huddle room that feels more intimate than a large conference room, but you still have the visual tools you need. Projectors, digital whiteboards and other useful tools can fit here.

Have some non-urgent improvement ideas to address with an employee? A huddle room can also serve as a less threatening place to coach employees than in your office.

Save the Conference Room!

Huddle rooms have logistical benefits because they can give you your conference rooms back for large meetings. Why? When employees have no private spaces with audio and video equipment, they have no choice but to use a conference room: Studies show that the average number of meeting rooms get booked for just three or four people: That seems like such a waste for a space that can handle ten or more! Do you have a few unused rooms that have been collecting dust? We can probably convert that into a huddle room.

 

Contact Us Today!
Whether you’re building a new office, updating a current one or developing a new location, DeVance Electronic Lifestyle can implement huddle rooms that your employees will appreciate. Call us at (214) 389-4985 or visit our website to schedule a free, no-hassle consultation. You can also click on the chat box in your browser to speak with a customer service associate.