Where do you work happy?

The office at home is cheerful, cosy and entertaining.  There’s much to keep me occupied and it’s a great place to work although I can’t see the garden.  To watch the comings and goings of the blackbirds, I need to grab my notebook and work at the dining room table.  There I can glimpse the robin scrabbling about in the debris of last year’s foliage and imagine the delicate buds of spring bursting into flower.

I have little control over where I work when visiting my clients.  I’ve put down temporary roots in a kitchen, wedged my laptop against the wall on a shelf (which shuddered when the door slammed) and I’ve sat at a massive desk in an office once occupied by the CEO.  I’ve dodged paint falling from the ceiling when the wind blew and I’ve been struck by the warmth of coffee shops in the rain, but mostly I’m protected from the elements by colleagues who love to share their space with me.

This nomadic existence works for me though not for everyone.  Hot desking makes great business sense but is a hot desk a really cool place to create the magic?  I’ve heard tales of senior leaders whose tactics are more suited to the poolside (sunbeds, towels, etc).  Let’s face it some people simply need to own their space.

I’ve encountered office juke boxes, table top football and the fanciest of coffee machines, but give me my comfy leather chair, my brand new-retro style desk and a few fresh flowers to make me work happy. 

Where do you flourish?