Today’s leaders and their organizations all tell you, “Of course, we support collaboration,” and they give you good reasons, all well researched and documented. When done right, collaboration supports problem-solving, increases productivity, improves communication, and most importantly (at least to many of us), transforms a day at the office into work that is meaningful and enjoyable.

However, collaboration doesn’t just happen because you’ve put a kitchen in the middle of your office space. I’d call this more of a random act of collaboration. I’ve worked in space design for many years and have seen firsthand the difference environment makes when it comes to working effectively together. The more challenging that environment, the more stressful it becomes for people to sustain a productive contribution. But give them a space where they can let their guard down and be themselves, and you’ve got an office where collaboration happens naturally and successfully.