Due largely to the rise of the work from home movement, many employees have transitioned to a “work from anywhere” mindset. Out of town? Work at a local coffee shop. Remote worker? Use your local co-working space or deck out a home office. In the middle of a travel day? No worries, work from your hotel lobby or the airport restaurant. While the convenience of this working style is undeniable, are these “alternative” workspaces truly conducive to productivity and efficiency? The short answer is no — at least without the proper AV technology. Don’t worry, though: this blog will outline the devices needed to get a stamp of approval in just about any environment.
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While there will never be a workspace as efficient as an office suite decked out with AV tech, these types of spaces are becoming few and far between. Even the AV industry itself is trending towards solutions that limit distraction and technological difficulties, no matter the working setup.
For executives to be willing to approve remote work and alternative workspaces, they want to know that employees are equipped with technology that makes any space work-ready at a moment’s notice.
In this blog, we are going to focus on three popular alternative workspaces: coffee shops, co-working spaces, and home offices. Read on to find out how the right AV tech supports continued success in these various work settings, and our suggestions for how to equip these spaces.
The Local Coffee Shop
The hustle and bustle of the local coffee shop is exactly what makes it a desirable workspace: you feel inspired by the smells, sights and people-watching. However, these same sources of inspiration can be equally as distracting, hindering productivity and overall quality of work.
Some of the best ways to combat these distractions and equip yourself for working in any coffee shop are noise cancellation devices or headphones, and noise-canceling apps that provide white or background noise. To ensure you’re not interrupted mid-call or email, you’ll also need a Wi-Fi hotspot or some mobile data to combat unreliable (and public) internet, and a portable power bank to extend your devices’ battery life in case all outlets are occupied.
Coworking Spaces
Few spaces have benefited more from the “work-from-anywhere” movement than co-working spaces. Many of these spaces were designed with the knowledge that many different people would be working simultaneously, but there are some extra devices to make this the most productive work environment from an AV tech standpoint.
To really go the extra mile in being prepared for last-minute video calls, think about keeping a green screen or neutral backdrop for presentations, a wireless presenter to help you control slides and content remotely in presentations, and of course, noise-canceling headphones.
The Home Office
Your home office — whether that means a dedicated space or your living room couch — is perhaps the most conducive for remote work due to the sheer volume of employees who report from their home at least one day a week. Another perk is their flexibility: without the restrictions that come with working in public spaces, workers can design and equip their home space to match their ideal office setup. Some must-have devices to transform any room into a productive and efficient space include a full-size monitor, a high-quality webcam, noise-canceling headphones and a microphone dedicated to improving voice and sound quality on conference and video calls.
Though the trajectory of the “work-from-wherever” movement remains unknown, it doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. Employees that do participate can rest easy, knowing that the right AV tech can turn almost any space into their office for the day. As technology continues to improve and evolve, the world is the work-from-home employees’ oyster.
Interested in learning more about how to equip your favorite “alternative workspace” into a dream office? Visit our workspace solutions to learn more.
