Productivity is one of the most important aspects of any business. Every employer tries their best to reach its full capacity, but sometimes it all depends on the simplest aspect nobody could even think of.
The factors that condition employee productivity can have different origins. On the one hand, there are internal factors related to personality traits. Obviously, some people are more agile than others, depending on their skills, ability to concentrate, and state of mind. On the other hand, there are external or environmental factors that have to do with the environment, workspace, and the motivation received. This article will focus on the latter and give you some keys to improving productivity in your office.
1. Create a pleasant work environment
The workspace should have elements that benefit employees’ health and make it a more pleasant place to work. One of these is lighting, which should be as natural as possible. To this end, it is essential that your office has multiple windows that, in addition to benefiting the view, can ventilate the space from time to time to give it more oxygen. Plants can also contribute to this, giving it a very pleasant green and natural touch.
2. Outline specific work areas
Open-plan offices are no longer a priority for new companies. There is now a growing trend to divide the space into “work zones” where teams can meet to cooperate or isolate themselves from their surroundings when necessary. Their experience in organizing a comfortable office, setting up zones for different purposes can improve productivity and the quality of work according to https://www.paperhelp.org/.
3. Consider color temperature
Although it may seem like a minor detail, the application of color on the walls and furniture in the office has a significant impact on productivity and team concentration. If you want to promote a relaxed atmosphere and induce calm and clarity, green and blue tones are ideal for large meeting spaces. If you want to encourage creativity, warm, light tones such as beige are ideal.
4. Tidy up
To improve productivity in your office, the workspace must help employees concentrate on their tasks. By maintaining visual and spatial order in your office, you can eliminate distractions and keep everyone focused on what they should be doing. Set rules to ensure a minimum level of tidiness that involves all staff. For example, avoid accumulating newspapers and articles from previous weeks, archive documents that are not needed until later, or try to use digital and reduce the amount of physical material.
5. Mind the ergonomics
Ergonomics plays an essential role in employee productivity. To prevent injuries and ensure optimal health, you should ensure that screens are 70 to 90 centimeters away from the eyes, that feet are well-supported on the floor or a footrest, and that everyone’s body posture is as upright as possible to avoid muscular pain. Some workers might get too carried away with their tasks and forget to mind their posture. Although – in part – this is the individual’s responsibility, it is worth checking from time to time.
6. Minimize noise
Noise also has a significant impact on the working environment. If it is not minimized, it not only decreases concentration but also increases nervousness and stress. Therefore, you must take measures to locate the most annoying noises (e.g., telephones, printers, faxes, ventilation or air conditioning systems, the tone of voice of colleagues, etc.) and try to minimize them. In some cases, devices allow you to regulate the noise emission, and in others, you can try to reduce the number of decibels by isolating noisy objects in another location. You can also allow the use of headphones so that staff can listen to their music, concentrate better and avoid distractions.
7. Promote and encourage movement
A sedentary office environment is a real problem that does workers no good, even though some companies still believe that productivity is based on the number of hours a person spends at their desk. Well, the opposite is true: movement is not only healthy for the body but also for the mind. If you encourage your employees to get out of their chairs and move around the office, the more focused and productive they will be when they return to their desks. Some companies even set up recreational areas for the team to exercise, entertain themselves or simply disconnect momentarily from work (with ping-pong tables, cafeteria, etc.).
8. Plan your work
Beyond the conditions of the space, to improve the productivity of your office, you must also have a suitable work methodology. You must plan tasks by setting objectives and time limits to do this.
If all team members are committed to meeting deadlines, this will create a dynamic and productive atmosphere in the office. It is also essential that you have the necessary infrastructure and the appropriate material for the correct development of the activity. You can plan your work through some technological tools, saving time and space and improving productivity.
9. Establish flexible working hours
If we consider that everyone is different, we must understand that some people perform better at certain times of day, while others perform better at other periods. If you set flexible working hours in your office, your employees will be more likely to use their full energy during working hours. In this sense, you can offer freedom of working schedule, establish morning and afternoon shifts or be flexible in the number of hours of the employment contract.
10. Be a motivating factor yourself
This article could not be closed without mentioning the non-intrinsic motivational factor. If you want to improve the productivity of your office, you will have to stimulate the team by assigning responsibilities adapted to each of the members so that they feel important and autonomous in what they do best. Ensure a climate of collegiality and relaxation in the workplace. Lead by example by being an approachable and empathetic leader, and why not organize activities outside the office to improve team cohesion.