5 ways to optimise your office environment
Being an environment in which people spend much of their time operating in, it can be easy for their experience to feel monotonous whilst they're going about their work, which can only lead to negative feelings and an eventual downturn in productivity. By making changes, which can be small or large - whether it's redecorating the office space, or introducing break rooms to allow for relaxation and reflection, helping to make a person's experience at work that much better, has been proven to up the levels of productivity, as well as the quality of work produced.
With those benefits in mind, here are 5 ways to optimise your office environment:
Setting your goals
First and foremost, before you think about certain changes that need to be made to the workplace, have a think about the overall picture. How can your office help you to achieve the tasks that you need to in order to have a successful business? Have a think about what you want, your company values and how your company is structured. In a similar vein, consider the challenges or potential issues raised by staff and how you see your business dealing with them. At the very least, thinking about this will provide a good base to work from during the creation of your strategy in regards to optimising the workplace.
Systems of Work
Getting the best out of your office design requires more than thinking about how your staff work on a daily basis – you will also need tothink about how the available office space can be best used by the staff during the day. Think about questions such as how are related departments situated between each other – can they communicate effectively? Or how can meeting rooms and time spent in them be organised effectively? Ultimately, understanding every aspect of the working practices of your office and its staff will help you to determine which design or technology elements are needed to help to support your staff, improving productivity and morale at a stroke.
The Design
As we've outlined previously, design is vital in an optimised workplace. An aesthetically pleasing design will help your staff to feel inspired, motivated and productive, as well as presenting you with the opportunity to attract and keep talented individuals, boosting the quality of your current team and your business. Not only does a well-designed office environment take into consideration the amount of space available, as well as the working systems of staff, but also your brand; the culture and values that sum up your business. Aesthetic elements such as wall colouring, artwork, furniture, seating, lighting and the layout of the office need to work in harmony with each other in order to support your staff, helping them to achieve their goals. This is exactly why the office is an additional member of staff.
Location of the Office
Another vital aspect to look at when considering the environment of your office space is whether its location is suitable for your goals. As part of our workplace consultancy services, we consider a wide range of factors that are able to be changed in order to make use of the available space, whilst identifying any risks towards the business and its workforce. Often, many businesses take the opportunity to relocate to a new facility for many reasons – they may have expansion in mind or simply want a better location. Whatever the reason, a relocation offers a long-term cost-effective solutionin retaining a successful office environment.
Technology
Being able to connect with technology is an obvious and vital requirement for all modern workplaces, as they have a significant impact on how we communicate with internal and external elements. When it comes to considering what IT solutions you require for your office, begin with thinking about the key elements needed to achieve your business goals; whether it's streamlined phone systems or more wireless connectivity, whatever you require to run your business will need to incorporated into the plan.
