There is a common mindset that a CEO needs a very impressive office to go with their status, but the truth is that every CEO should design their office with only themselves and their personal preferences in mind to work in an environment that suits them best.
What does a CEO’s office need to do?
It is normal for a CEO to spend a great deal of time in their office, perhaps more so than at their home, so it makes sense to make that office as homely and comfortable as possible. However, the chief function of a CEO’s office is for working in, and it must appeal to the professional inside the executive as well as catering to their practical needs.
The essentials
There are always a few essentials that any working office must have. These naturally include a desk and chair, a computer, a telephone, a desk lamp and chairs for visitors. It is likely that a bookcase for files and folders will also be necessary, and perhaps a set of filing cabinets. If an executive regularly holds meetings in their office, a small conference table will also be considered an essential. To maintain a quality appearance, all items of furniture should match one another.
The luxuries
Being an executive brings perquisites, so their office will naturally include a few luxury items. These could be something as simple as a mini fridge to chill bottled water, or even alcohol; a few potted plants to improve the aesthetic quality of the room; artwork on the walls by favourite artists; and perhaps a large flat screen TV mounted on the wall, along with a DVD player and computer console.
Zoning a room
Size does matter, especially when it comes to a CEO’s office. It is a natural human reaction to be impressed by size, so a large CEO’s office gives the impression that a company is doing well and is on the up. In practical terms, it can also perform several different functions, most easily achieved by a carefully thought-out layout and pieces of furniture.
For example, if the CEO’s office is also going to double as a meeting room, privacy can be afforded by a division being set up between the main desk and a dining table. You can achieve this by the use of a screen, or more effectively by shutters. Unlike a screen, shutters give the users options, in that they can be closed completely for total privacy, or opened to make the office open plan again.
There are also certain design elements that you can incorporate into the office to increase productivity but which are unlikely to detract from the overall look. These include the mounting of white boards upon the walls, which can be covered with pull down blinds to hide sensitive material or simply for when they are not in use. Such white boards would obviate the need for flip charts or similar.
CEOs can only do their job properly when they have an office that encourages productivity and creativity, so make sure your CEO has a working environment that stimulates both.
