Visualize an office. Probably you see the stereotypical cubicles, complete with plenty of managers and multi-tabbed Excel spreadsheets. Now visualize a studio. Perhaps you envision more of a collaborative environment, with whiteboards, creativity, brainstorming, and maybe a mindmap or two.
Stereotypical offices are perceived to be managed from the top-down, highly-controlled and measured, with rigid job descriptions and pre-defined tasks. Studios are seen to be creative, collaborative, with participatory leadership and flexibility in tasks.
Innovation favors the studio.
Great companies like Apple and Pixar actually design the layout of their office spaces to best foster creativity. Furthermore, success is often measured according to outcomes, not hours. Your company or organization can function more like a studio, even if it to be an office.
Managers vs Designers
Standard offices come outfitted with managers and employees. Managers exist to allocate limited resources. It’s a zero-sum game. There are only so many resources, so they must be controlled. Furthermore, gains are won by tweaking allocations and cutting costs. Employees are supposed to follow instructions.
Studios, in contrast, are staffed with designers. They see available resources as fodder for creating something new. Designers collaborate and contribute. They are expected to come ready to play.
Innovation favors the studio.
The Takeaway
It doesn’t have to be one or the other. Offices can function like studios. It is possible to break free from the zero-sum game. It takes an innovation mindset, and innovation culture.
