You’d be surprised at how much a workspace can tell you about its owner. Perhaps you’re curious about your new client who works from a sleek, minimalist desk at one of the best serviced offices in town. Maybe you wonder about those people for whom the workspace is a nomadic beast that roams from kitchens and spare rooms to libraries, cafés, and airports all over the world. Whatever it was that sparked your curiosity, the points below will help you decipher what a person’s workspace says about them:
1. The minimalist aesthetic
Whether they’re set up in a serviced office, their home, or a corporate building, those with a minimalist aesthetic understand what their mind needs to be productive. If someone’s workspace is consistently clean, uncluttered, and highly organized, it’s a good indication that they are disciplined, conscientious, hardworking, and reliable. They likely also wish for structure and careful planning in their workday. So, if you have a boss, colleague, or client with this kind of workspace, you can probably make them exceedingly happy by delivering these things.
2. The highly personalized workspace
Most of us know someone who has cute figurines, family photos, art, plants, and other personal touches decorating their workspace. These are usually also the people who will hold you captive for the entirety of your 15-minute break, telling you about their nephew’s soccer match or their recent camping trip. They’re often also the ones who organize cakes and other sweet touches for people’s birthdays. They tend to be open, extroverted, creative, curious, and kind.
3. The lover of chaos
It’s natural for your workspace to become cluttered from time to time, particularly when you have tight deadlines to meet, group projects to collaborate on, or kids to contend with within your home office. However, some people seem to exist in a state of constant cluttered chaos.
People who rock a cluttered aesthetic are often extremely creative, talented in a highly specific niche, or both. They may be the genius behind the best creations at a creative design agency or the programmer who handles the lion’s share of the workload. Talented though they may be, it’s common for those with a cluttered desk to lack focus and direction. So, they often work best when given structure and clear goals to achieve.
4. The nomadic workspace
Nomadic workers are an interesting breed. Their desire for constant change means they’ll rarely have a highly personalized workspace. They may, however, enjoy a minimalist aesthetic or the cluttered chaos described above. What sets nomads apart from others is their love of movement, change, and freedom. They generally thrive on challenges and enjoy creative or complex work.
5. The tech lover’s delight
Interestingly, those who love fitting their workspace out with the latest technology also often have puzzles and gadgets on their desks. Physical puzzles like Rubik’s cubes are helpful in moments when a challenging problem or creative block has arisen and some reflective time is in order.
Those who love technology and puzzles tend to be curious, creative, and intelligent. They generally also appreciate being acknowledged as such. So, a few specific, accurate, and genuine compliments can help you develop good professional relationships with the tech lovers in your working life.
It’s amazing just how much of our personalities we unknowingly reveal through our workspaces. Pay attention to the way a person arranges their working life, and you can learn valuable information that could help you seal deals, secure promotions, or simply enjoy more pleasant days at the office.
No comments