Communication in an open plan office

The situation: In addition to extra space, the other chief advantage of an open plan office is that it encourages communication and interpersonal relations. So make the most of it. There's thing worse than working in a huge office where all you can hear is the tapping of keyboards and the clicking of mouses.

The solution: Favour human contact. "We all know emails dehumanise work, and even more so in open plan offices," notes our expert. "And every other internal email doesn't get read anyway!" . The same goes for using the phone, which can soon increase sound levels: "People tend to speak more loudly on the phone, and constant ringing gets on everyone's nerves." If you need to talk to a colleague, get up and go and see them.

Avoid interrupting your colleagues every five minutes. Organise your communication efficiently. "When you need to ask your boss or colleague something, note it down and wait until you have several questions or requests before gong to see them", recommends Frank Bourdeau.