The average worker spends 1/3 of their life at work! Work is an essential part of life; you must work to keep a roof over your head, food on your table, put your kids through school, and fund a more fulfilling life. It is important, as an employer, to ensure the environment where your employees spend most of their time is clean, clear of clutter, and a great place to work, especially in our post-pandemic world where workers are quitting their jobs in massive numbers. Your office space must motivate employees by offering a productive workplace with consideration for creature comforts, as well.
Investing in creating an inspiring workplace, whether that’s with a renovation, or just a few organizational tweaks, can make a world of difference in motivating employee performance. Not only will it keep your employees happy, but a great office space will also improve their mental health, well-being, loyalty, retention rate, leadership skills, productivity, cooperation, collaboration, and personal interest and investment in your business. This in turn will result in you seeing huge business growth.
Take some time to look around your office space. Chances are if you don’t find it very motivating, then neither will your employees. While you can’t design an office space to suit everyone’s taste, there are certainly some foundational changes that you can make to motivate employees and increase productivity for everyone who shares the workspace.
A well-designed office is both aesthetically pleasing, as well as functional. Here are some top tips to help you improve your office space and increase motivation and productivity.
Incorporate more color
If your office is something that resembles an old black-and-white movie or is filled with institutional green, then it’s time to incorporate more color to brighten up the space. Alternatively, if you already have colors but they just don’t seem to work right for the space, then perhaps it’s time for a change. Colors impact your life in many different ways, from the decisions you make, the marketing ads you see, and the color of the products you choose to buy. The colors of these parts of your life made you feel a certain way and impacted your decision, whether subconsciously or consciously.
You can apply the psychology of colors to your workspace by choosing the colors that evoke certain emotions and feelings in your employees and customers. There are many different colors you can consider to help improve productivity and motivate employees. For example, bright orange and yellow are known for positivity, happiness, and teamwork, while blue promotes calm and comfort, which can help with productivity and focus. Commercial painting experts can help you find the best aesthetic for your office based on your niche, your customers, and the characteristics of your employees.
Use plants
The introduction of plants into any space, whether it’s a workspace, a home, or a hospital, can significantly improve a person’s happiness and well-being. Not only this, but plants also improve the air quality of your space, and make for a great aesthetic by creating a focal point, and adding organic and natural character to the space. Such changes can motivate employees and set a tone for customers visiting your location. A commitment to natural decor can form a good impression of your brand as a sustainable partner.
There are many plants you can choose from that are not too costly and require minimal maintenance, such as a peace lily or Chinese evergreen, which are known for cleaning the air and do not require much light. You can easily source plants online or at your local hardware store or garden center. If you have a large office, you might consider hiring a firm to install plantings, maintain the plants, and periodically move plants between the greenhouse and your office to ensure they always look their best.
Create a designated no-work zone
A simple way to improve productivity in the office is to make space in designated areas for employees to lounge and spend their free time at work. It is common that employees like to catch up with one another; perhaps before the day starts with a coffee, a mid-morning break, or over lunch. These interoffice relationships not only motivate employees but also build social capital that smooths work relationships and helps coordinate projects for improved performance.
If you have separate spaces for socialization and for work, it allows employees to compartmentalize these areas in their minds. They can use social areas for rest and focus more completely when they’re back at their desks. If your employees are confined to their desks all day, it works against motivating employees and lowers productivity. Make the lounge space inviting and comfortable, perhaps creating a dining area and spaces to sit alone, as you would find in your local coffee shop. For instance, Google offers pods where employees can tune out to recharge their batteries.
Create flexible working options
Incorporating co-working spaces, and quiet zones into your office space can significantly improve productivity. Co-working spaces are designated spaces where employees can gather together, share ideas, gain new perspectives and insights, and collaborate on projects. This teamwork increases productivity, as interactions are meaningful, and your employees feel part of a community. You can visit our website to learn more about co-working options in Sydney.
In contrast, some employees prefer or may need some designated time each day to put their heads down and get on with work. If there is a particularly important or urgent task, some may wish to do this with fewer distractions and in a more quiet space. A dedicated quiet zone can help some employees do their best work.
By providing a range of options, you enable your team to work to their strengths and utilize the space for their own needs.
Make sure it is clean and tidy
An untidy and cluttered environment can significantly de-motivate your employees and make it a distracting and unpleasant environment for work. It can also create a hazardous environment or create an environment where the chances of your employees getting sick go up. Keep the office nice and tidy at all times, implement practices that everyone can follow to play their part in keeping the office clean, hire cleaners who regularly deep clean the office, and perhaps invest in some effective storage solutions so that files and paperwork are organized and stored away. This keeps your employees happy, healthy, organized, and productive.
Although, this can backfire when employees must have multiple documents and work over multiple days to complete a project. Forcing employees to clear everything away at the end of the day or eliminating the ability to consult multiple documents at the same time causes frustration, wastes time, decreases efficiency, and won’t motivate employees to perform.
Conclusion
There are many reasons why you should invest in creating a more motivating and productive office environment for your employees. If employees are happy, loyal, and working more efficiently, the environment is much more pleasant for everyone involved and there’s a huge impact on your business growth. If you want to make changes, then start by incorporating more colors on the walls, plants on desks, create flexible working options such as collaborative working spaces and quiet zones, and make sure the space is clean and clear of any clutter.
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