Your employees’ creativity and productivity are the main components of the fuel your company runs on. Keeping an engine in peak condition means ensuring quality fuel--not always easy, with creativity and productivity sometimes difficult to stimulate. Sometimes, inspiration is in short supply or employees feel ill at ease on the job. Whatever the case, though, the problem is hardly unsolvable.
More often than not, we think little of the that office design can actually affect creativity and productivity in the workplace. After all, most office premises are made for efficiency, not comfort. Still, one factor you need to consider when attempting to raise the creativity and productivity levels of your employees—and one of the most obvious and important variables in their everyday lives—is their working environment.
In essence, one way to increase employee productivity is, simply, to create a conducive work environment. Lifeless, dimly lit cubicles and austerely furnished office floors are sure ways to keep workers from their full potential. On the other hand, spaces that offer alternations of privacy and openness, nature and ensconcement, provide the right conditions for creative, reliable output.
The impact of work environment on employee performance is subtle and thus not easily appreciated. However, they are benefits that can be harvested time and again. And having settled the importance of the state of the workplace environment, let’s discuss what we can do to foster creativity and productivity in the workplace:
1. The open office trend has been the preferred option for many agencies for quite some time now, despite some lingering issues with it. For instance, though this type of office plan promotes collaboration among people, it also takes away their privacy. The best way to solve this issue is to find a compromise between the two.
One way would be to build small walls or hedges between tables, which the employees can either put up or take down, depending on their prevailing need: privacy or collaboration. This reinforces productivity among your team, while making sure that their immediate environment is well-suited for what they need to accomplish.
2. The innate connection between humans and nature has an effect on the overall office environment as well. Natural elements in the workplace are essential for stimulating creativity. Natural light, a few indoor plants, and even wooden furniture can all make the workplace more cozy and get everyone’s creative juices flowing. Staying in a man-made environment for long periods of time can take a toll on your people’s energy, making them sluggish and dampening their creativity.
3. The types of spaces you have in your office also play a role in the overall productivity and creativity of your team. For example, it would be better if you had designated rooms for certain activities: a boardroom to hold virtual meetings, a room with whiteboards for brainstorming sessions, a common space where everyone can come together to express themselves through art or indoor games, or simply take a breather.
People get exhausted all the time, so providing an outlet for them can help them replenish their creativity and productivity effectively. Allowing employees to decorate and personalize their individual spaces, or a team to design their own turf, can also help employees feel more comfortable in their environment and allow them to get in the zone more easily. Plus, it adds value to your company culture. In essence, everybody wins.
These are just some of the things that can improve your workplace to boost the productivity and creativity of your team. You can also add more elements and consider other factors when making changes to your office depending on your type of business and your company culture, but these aspects are a good place to start. Now, get going and create for the world!
Think you’re a good match with our company? Choose a time to talk to us and get answers to your questions about all things inbound.