I know we often feel like this, but how do we maintain a high performance work environment? Read on to find out what we found...

“You can only do so much with salary,” says global architecture and design firm Gensler, in their 2008 Workplace survey. “High-performing companies, the ones with high profits, strong brand positioning, and better employee engagement, are the ones that have the highest-performing workplaces,” the study said.

So, what exactly does a high-performing business workplace look like? Steelcase researchers agree that Generation-Y workers seem to know, as do Baby Boomers, who are slowly picking up their values from the younger set, this kind of business setting allows for four basic elements to come together and happen at any time:

1. Focus – Concentrating on “head down” work.
2. Collaboration – Working with other people to achieve a goal.
3. Learning – Building knowledge through education or experience.
4. Socialization – Interacting interpersonally with others.

What’s being seen is that the importance placed on a company’s size, brand image, and history is shifting to how well the business can support a worker’s preferred working style, how much they can learn, and how well it supports work/life integration. In other words, a business’ physical workplace has to get better at allowing the people in it to learn, create, and innovate.

How does that happen? We’ve found that a range of work settings is key. The ones that are the most effective support all of the four personal work modes above. Some ideas might be as easy as installing outlets around the office with seating to allow employees to plug in their computers and congregate, or by using Media:Scape technology in your conference rooms.

Skeptics may say that a changing business’ office characteristics isn’t the only way to building a high-performance company, but we feel that it’s certainly key to surmounting the challenge, which is why we’ve made a range of products such as cobi, i2i, and c:scape that attempt to do just that.

Backed up by data that you can find on our Come Together website, we’ve seen that the environmental aspects of work reinforces a company’s values – by paying attention to how you’re communicating access, openness, and free communication to your employees, you’ll be well on your way to enhanced performance.

Submit a 2 minute video and enter to win 1 of 3 Walkstations. Entries must be received by November 13.

Take steps for better health… and a better life for kids in need.

Win a Walkstation from the Steelcase Store (retail value of $4699 !)and enjoy the benefits of walking while you work. As a winner, you gain the good of walking while working and you’ll help donate shoes to kids in need.

It starts with a video you create to explain why you or your team should win a free Walkstation (it’s that easy!). If you’re one of our three winners, you’ll participate in a two-week walk-a-thon, where every mile logged earns a donation to Friends of TOMS, the non-profit organization that mobilizes, connects and empowers supporters of TOMS Shoes One for One Movement. .

It’s your chance to make every step count. For you. And for kids who really need a pair of shoes.

Find more info and all the details here. Submit your video today.

So, are you a filer or a piler? Steelcase researchers have found that nearly half of the US workforce falls into one of those two groups, in a semi-annual workplace survey. The rest? Call them neat freaks, pack rats, or (gasp) slobs.

Over the course of the survey, it was found that women fall more toward the upper extreme, with 40% considering themselves neat freaks. There was evidence that lent credibility to why 75% of men weren’t; lack of elbow room might play a role in why workplace organization has become a challenge.

Researchers discovered that while team meeting spaces have increased in size (great for collaboration), individual work spaces have decreased (not so good for “head-down” work). Other take-aways from the study showed that younger workers considered themselves neater – 18 to 34 year olds ranked themselves 40%, with 55 and older at 37%.

What kind of organization type to you think you are? What about your office? Is your space clean and spartan like Facebook, or do you lean more toward organized chaos like Al Gore?

Show us! Upload photos of your work space!

We’ve always felt like Steelcase Leap Chair is #1 but it’s always nice to hear it’s made it to the top of others lists too!

Apartment Therapy states Kevin Costello, president of U.S. Ergonomics, ranked the Steelcase Leap chair among the top chairs for comfort and health.

For more Leap reviews, see the In the News section on the Leap product page.

Looking for a new office chair and comparing features? Gizmoto has already done the work with Cobi.

Gizmoto recently conducted a comparison of Cobi and provided some great info and detailed pics.

Check out their comparison at Task Chair Battlemodo: Herman Miller Setu vs. Steelcase Cobi.

For more cobi reviews, check out the Product Reviews section of the cobi product page.