Walls are meant to protect, to keep people in or out, to maintain privacy. Walls have no place in small business. Think of a large room with no walls, no dividers, no privacy. That’s the new small business space.

Here’s why your office needs no walls:

1. Training: Most small companies have limited resources when it comes to the ability to train. In order to grow training, your new, young or inexperienced team members are essential. Place these folks right next to experienced people in your company. Remember, no private offices. Training then becomes insidious. It’s part of the daily routine. Learn by listening, for both the trainer/mentor and the newbie.

2. Communication: Even large companies could improve communication. There’s nothing like hearing your team and knowing every essential detail about the business by not letting a private office separate communications. Real teams have nothing to hide. Think special forces. Small units that are highly specialized and completely on the same page.

3. Water cooler. Open spaces remove the “water cooler effect.” Whereby newsworthy information or office gossip is now part of the team talk, not a select few around the water cooler. Nothing breaks down the small business team more than fear, uncertainty and doubt. When your team removes negative talk and faces real situations together, situations are resolved as one. People can thrive without fear.

These are a few of the principles I’ve applied to our business at BrainSell.  Years of more traditional experience proved to  me that private offices are obstacles to growth.

Grow and love your environment.