Making your office more efficient and productive isn’t just a case of telling everyone to concentrate more and work harder – sometimes it’s external factors that slow things down or make them harder to achieve.
Here are twelve ideas that might make your office an easier place in which to get things done.
Sort out the aircon
If your aircon is on full blast, it can make people feel cold and they spend more time complaining about being cold, reaching for a jumper or sneaking off to the fridge to warm up (ok, this may be an exaggeration). Canvas everyone and agree on a more comfortable temperature – your office space in Victoria isn’t a chill cabinet! Everyone will be happier and you’ll save some energy, too.
Forget meeting rooms
Time behaves differently in a meeting room – it’s a fact (ahem). Seriously, though, people tend to linger in these rooms, so dispense with them and hold rapid meetings around the coffee machine – it’s amazing how fast these can be. Especially if you have invested in a positive break room space and quality coffee services for offices (which also improves productivity and employee satisfaction), then you easily have a great alternate meeting area.
Let the light in
Natural light has loads of health benefits and makes people feel and work better. Raise the blinds, clean the windows…
Think ergonomics
You and your staff spend 40+ hours in the office, right? Make sure those hours are spent in comfort with a range of ergonomic chairs, desks and so on. Aching joints are also a huge distraction.
Be traffic aware
If someone wants to come in 15 minutes later, or 15 minutes earlier, to avoid the traffic, then let them. As long as they do their allotted hours, it’s better for them to arrive fresh and keen, rather than late and flustered because of the usual morning jam.
Kids not allowed!
If your employees work from home occasionally – or even permanently – they have to have a room of their own to work in that’s not invaded by kids or cluttered up with toys. Kids are great, but they have no work ethic…
Go minimalist
Get rid of anything you don’t need.
Wear headphones
You don’t necessarily have to listen to music if it distracts you. Donning headphones filters out a lot of external noise and also signals to others that you’re concentrating.
Work standing up
Research shows you’re more efficient if you work standing up, so if it’s OK for you to do this, give it a day in court – you never know.
Bring in a professional organiser
Getting organised takes time and effort, which you probably don’t have! A professional can come in for a few hours every week and whip everything (and everyone) into shape. If your productivity increases, it’s worth the investment.
Use an old-fashioned “Do Not Disturb” sign
These signs have fallen from favour in recent years, as they were seen as rude. However, they really do work, so you could always make it friendlier to spare everyone’s feelings and your sanity.
Don’t try to do everything at once
You won’t become super-efficient and organised within a week – that’s not going to happen. Look at what you can do easily, like the aircon, and then choose another step to take. Slow and steady, remember.