Why the CEO of Squarefoot sits in the middle of his office

Why the CEO of Squarefoot sits in the middle of his officeWhy the CEO of Squarefoot sits in the middle of his officeThe corner office was never going to work out for Jonathan Wasserstrum.The SquareFoot CEO does things a little differently compared to typical CEOs. He doesnt enjoy the corner offices idyllic views or gets the presumed privacy, nor does he want to. He likes sitting in the thick of things.If his employees need him, they know where to find him.If you want me, Im right in the middle - not in the Ivory Tower somewhere just making decisions on high, Wasserstrum told Ladders recently.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moraWasserstrum has always sat in the middle of SquareFoot, a 50-person commercial real estate company founded in 2011 that helps companies find their next office space. Hes situated between multiple departments and benefits from hearing the chatter between the m arketing and sales teams. It allows him to be more accessible and closer to the office conversation that he doesnt feel he would get sitting in a corner, walled-off space.The goal of me sitting in the middle is not for me to hear what theyre doing on the weekend, he said. There are things for me to pay attention to that I pay attention to. My ears perk up. There have been four examples in the last month that I overheard something in the office that led to an actionable item for me and my leadership team. I wouldnt have gotten that if I was in an office somewhere or not in the middle.Wasserstrum said he doesnt advise clients to move their desks in the middle of their new offices, but it has become a trend as the traditional cubicle farms have become a thing of the past as the workplace slowly transitions to open-office designs.I dont know how you would want to do it any other way, he said.The benefits of sitting in the middle, according to SquareFoot CEO Jonathan Wasserstrum1. Access ibility Not every employee takes advantage of it, but being there and being present is the first level. You cant get to that second level stuff if youre there. When youre in the middle, youre walking the walk, talking the talk.2. Privacy still exists Just because there are no walls blocking your space doesnt mean there isnt privacy. If you need a private moment, step into a conference room for 10 minutes or pop on some headphones.3. Youre in the thick of things You get to hear everything going on around. Youll learn more about the day-to-day basis than you normally would from your weekly meetings with department heads. Being central keeps me in an information flow.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of m entally strong people