There are very few things that can improve your office productivity more than ensuring that you’re providing a great atmosphere for your employees to work in.
Here are five ways that you can improve your office atmosphere – both physically and mentally – today.
Open The Windows
First and foremost, it’s time to open the windows. That might sound like a very basic point but the fact remains that in order to be happy, people need to experience plenty of natural sunlight in their everyday lives.
The blank white overhead lights of offices are depressing and also induce a lot of headaches – so why not open the blinds so that you can let in the sunlight?
You should also open the windows where you can. It’s a hot time of year but a natural breeze is much more refreshing than the air conditioner.
Invest In An Office Refurb
If your office looks a little too dingy and grey, an office refurbishment can boost staff morale. Nobody’s saying that you need to paint the walls bright yellow, but a little colour wouldn’t go amiss.
Likewise, it’s time to make sure that your team is comfortable in the office, whether that involves ergonomic chairs, plenty of meeting spaces so it’s easier to communicate with the people they work with.
You could even investing in a new office space so there’s more floor space to spread out. Finally, add some plants – you can’t go wrong with plants. Just make sure you remember to water them.
Ignore The Rules
No one’s saying that you need to tear up the rule book completely. But it is definitely time to trust your staff after they’ve been trained.
So long as their work is done to a high standard and on schedule and they aren’t blatantly browsing Buzzfeed any time you loosen the reins a little and trust them to get on with their jobs.
People need breaks every now and then so that they can concentrate harder when they’re working, so don’t make them account for every minute of their time or make them feel as though they aren’t trusted.
Ditch Team Building Sessions
Nobody wants to spend a Thursday afternoon doing trust falls with the accounts team. Instead of traditional team building exercises, facilitate social occasions.
This way your employees can get to know each other better – provide food and drink for a company lunch or put some money behind the bar at your local pub or restaurant.
Enabling your staff to have organic fun together will help improve the company atmosphere much more than forcing certain activities onto them.
Invest In Training
Finally, make sure that your staff know you have a high opinion of them by investing in their futures. Give them constructive criticism and plenty of praise so that they know how to improve their work.
It’s also beneficial to send them on training courses so that they can further improve their skills and so that they know you have faith in their future at the company.
