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Australian businesses are facing a dilemma. The government is pushing businesses to employ more people to strengthen the Australian workforce, but business owners face the challenge with reaching the optimal performance output that will sustain and grow productivity. The Australian media frequently promotes the message that people should break free from the routine of the ‘workspace lifestyle’ of the nine to five, Monday to Friday working week. The message that isn’t being promoted is how both employees and businesses can add value to their lifestyles by creating productive and inspiring workspaces. Several successful companies have adopted this philosophy and the value of their efforts is seen in the quality of their products and services. While we can appreciate that employees are working for their own financial objectives, businesses can make their experience more enjoyable, which will drive them to become more productive and make the business more profitable.
Consider your office layout
The first step to developing a more productive workspace is by focusing on the office layout. Consider where you will place communal items such as printers, copiers and fax machines so that it is easily accessible to everyone in the office.
Consider the layout of the desks, as to whether you should have an open or closed plan. An open plan should encourage more social interaction and collaboration. A closed plan should reduce the amount of distractions and encourage employees to focus on the task at hand. Communal social areas such as lunch rooms and smoking areas can be developed to encourage social interaction outside of work times.
Thirdly, how will the placement of certain objects, people or teams impact other areas of the organization? Will it force individuals or people to work in silo? Or will they become empowered and excel? Look into office concepts and even take learnings from Feng Shui that can enhance the experience that your work space will have to offer.
The office furniture that you invest in will be a key component with initial impressions and injecting a sense of pride into your business. Every part of your business’s interior should add value to the experience. If you are short of ideas, take a look at www.staples.com.au to gain inspiration for some creative workspace ideas.
Consider the ambiance and energy that you want to have
The interior design is important to boost the morale and sense of belonging amongst the employees of the organization. To encourage this, it is best to brighten up the workspace as much as possible. This can be done by letting in more natural light with wider windows or by installing skylights. If this isn’t possible, look into artificial lighting options, particularly with LED lighting or compact fluorescent bulbs. Also, the colour of the walls will have a profound impact on the energy and ambiance within the workspace. Cooler colours like greens, blues or purples are associated with feeling more relaxed and inviting while warmer colours such as reds, yellows and oranges are more associated with creativity.
Organised workspaces
Within the business, commit to minimalism and avoiding clutter and mess. Although it may seem minor, it can become a major component that negatively influences business productivity. Look into options that will minimize mess through storage options and encouraging ‘clean desk policies’.
Businesses need to empower their internal brand and staff by committing to developing a more productive workspace. The more it inspires, the more it encourages people to work together and become more creative. People may even want to stay longer and work in their own time as they enjoy the working environment. Become a business that is ambitious enough to push the creative boundaries when it comes to workspaces and see your productivity and business profits rise over the long term.