If you’ve been looking at ways of improving your team’s productivity, it’s likely that you’ve come across theories such as lean management or even team building workshops. While there is no denying that these are essential factors to establish and facilitate productive behaviour in the workplace, they are not the sole ingredients of your productivity recipe. Helping your team to embrace a productive culture starts in the design and organization of the office. Is your office set to achieve greatness or is it just a place for your employees to sit and work? That’s precisely what you can find out with this article.
Efficient move
Ultimately, the choice of your office location can influence the overall productivity in-house, especially as in an urban environment people find that they perform better if they can hear the constant stream of city noises in the background. It seems to act as a catalyst for their energy. But, before even thinking of location, there’s the issue of keeping your office updated. If you’re planning a move, for instance, you need to make sure that it will occur over the weekend so that it doesn’t interrupt anybody’s work. If new tech devices or software have to be implemented, evenings or weekends are also the best time to schedule the changes. In other words, you need to create an environment that remains efficient through growth and tech transformation. The more you reduce the risks of downtime, the easier you make it for your employees to maintain their productivity.
Make it comfortable to work in
One of the most common complaints in the workplace is headaches. In fact, when people work 8 to 10 hours a day in front of a monitor, headaches can be linked to eye strain. For instance, a monitor that bathes in direct sunlight, can force your eyes to adjust and make them feel tired. In the long term, employees who struggle with eye tiredness can find it more difficult to focus on digital tasks or meet their deadline. That’s why it can be helpful to use modulable office blinds, such as the ones seen here http://www.commercialblinds.co.uk/, to reduce pressure on the eyes. Additionally, while too much light is one cause for headaches, another is a lack of quality lighting fixtures which can create more pressure on the eyes as people try to continue their work.
People work better in an inspiring decor
Ultimately, you can’t expect your team to feel empowered and inspired if you keep the work environment dull. Large size murals can be a fantastic addition to your office decor, as described here https://www.brighthr.com/, because they can be used to share your values and boost the mood. Bic, for instance, chose to transform a meeting room with a colourful mural that displays the key milestones of the company. The designer Ben Brucker prefers to use post-it notes to create a superheroes artwork, reminding everyone that they can all achieve greatness. In other words, as you bring your team together through your decor, you can create a sense of direction and union to drive productivity.
It’s not just work
Your team goes through a lot of stress throughout the day. As a result, more and more employees struggle with stress-related health issues. You can’t build a productive spirit in an environment that creates pressures and tiredness. Instead, you need to help people to relax and recharge their batteries between projects. You need to install office break rooms! Google has probably the most famous and quirkiest offices, all around the world, and it’s fair to say that most companies could learn from their employee productivity approach. They offer a mixture of comfortable sofas, funky tables, a mini golf and even sports classes. But that’s because they’ve understood that employees who can relax tend to work better and think faster, they’ve created a powerful, productive culture.
Let the decor bring collaborative ideas
Last, but not least, people who work well together can achieve better results. In other words, you need to create a design that encourages teamwork. Start with an open plan office, as people who can move freely are more likely to collaborate and exchange ideas. Admittedly, you will need to add multiple meeting spaces, as it’s easier for your team to create innovative and disruptive strategies if they have a place to brainstorm. However, it’s important to understand that not all conversations should happen in an open space. There are confidential interactions that need a private space, such as small offices that can be booked in advance for instance to discuss private matters.
The bottom line is that the workplace needs to become a productivity catalyst. You need to create the office your employees need to get the productivity you want from them.
