Office serendipity

There is no one ideal office design but encouraging discussion is never a bad thing

Employees working in the trading room at the National Bank of Fujairah office in Bur Dubai in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National

Working without distractions is impossible. While some employers believe that their staff are close to maximum productivity during working hours, one study found that the average office worker is distracted or interrupted every three minutes. More often than not, these disturbances come from smartphones or flashing internet browser tabs.

Indeed, distraction pervades our smartphone-saturated lives. That is why a little human interaction at work is not necessarily a bad thing. Through a conversation at the water cooler or a chance encounter at the canteen, small doses of banter in the office can lead to serendipitous ideas and an overall more productive workplace.

The internet is slowly replacing natural human interaction with an endless flow of useless information. So, don’t be afraid of genuine chat with a colleague – as long as it doesn’t take over your day. You just might be more productive as a result.