The Connection Between Your Office Setup And Work Productivity
Count up the time you’ll spend at the office. How it looks has a psychological impact on productivity. We took that to heart as we set about remodeling our offices this fall.
Did we get it right? We think so. A member of our team took a look at his new office furniture and said, “I feel better coming to work now.” Here’s what we learned during the project.
Stop Being Slaves To Office Design
If you want to see productivity skyrocket, let employees take ownership of their workspace areas. Employees who have the freedom to arrange their office areas can be more than 30% more productive. They also get a deeper feeling of alignment with your company.
Go For The Circles
Layouts and furniture that is curved and rounded create an environment linked to positive emotions. These shapes foster creativity. It sparks more activity in the brain regions associated with aesthetic appreciation. Creativity increases.
Do you want to foster team productivity? Employees who sit in rows tend to think more in terms of individuality. A study shows that employees who sit in circles think more in terms of a team.
Let There Be Light
Color, too. Both have a drastic impact on employee productivity. Do you want to pump up performance and generate new ideas? Add blue or green hues. Do you need the team to focus on details? Go with red.
Tone down the overhead lighting if you want to pump up the creativity. Bring in the sunlight if your staff must focus on analytical thinking.
Invest In Plants
Real ones. Scientific studies show that plants in the office lower stress levels. There’s also growing evidence that plants in the office make the air we breathe more healthy.
Do you have a nice view of a natural landscape? Studies show it has a positive effect on employee mental health.
Be Okay With Messy Desks
Studies show that clutter is a sign of creativity. It’s time to discard dated notions that an organized desktop is the sign of a good employee. Especially when studies now show that orderly surroundings can be an obstacle to coming up with new ideas.
Common Scents
Yuck, who burned the microwave popcorn again? Most would agree it’s best for an office environment to have a neutral scent.
Breathe deeply and think again. New research suggests that employees make fewer mistakes when exposed to pleasing natural scents. Typists exposed to a lemon scent made 54% fewer mistakes. Jasmine produced a reduction of 33%. Lavender only provided a 20% decrease.
Give a few of these suggestions a try. See if they add to office productivity. And let us know if you have any good tips on how to get rid of burnt microwave popcorn smells.
