How to Create a Productive Work Environment
We all know that an organization is only as strong as its people. In other words, satisfied employees are equally important as satisfied customers. While the latter group is at the far end, the people who work for your company are your closest allies. This is why giving them due credit and quality work conditions is crucial. Even when we might think we’ve reached the ideal working environment, there are ways to propel it a step further and bring productivity to the next level.
Energize your team
Managers often overlook the importance of motivation. Even those who think they are being motivating actually do the exact opposite. What they need to understand is that all employees want to see their hard work appreciated. Acknowledging their diligence is likely to boost their confidence and make them want to work even harder.
What teams usually forget is the bigger picture of what they’re doing. Instead, they focus on temporary goals because managers are being too aggressive with their demands. Inciting a vision of how each of their accomplishments contributes to the company’s long-term goals has an uplifting effect on their determination.
Let the music play
Time and time again, experiments have shown that music has a soothing effect on our brain. Although some people indeed prefer to work in silence, it’s best to ask your team if they prefer working to a tune. Not only does music induce a positive emotional response but it also increases productivity. Therefore, compile a playlist of everyone’s favorite songs and keep refreshing it from time to time.
Build a greener office
Creating a sustainable working environment is no longer a far-fetched idea. Actually, companies around the globe are starting to embrace the trend of creating “green offices” for a variety of reasons.
To begin with, the air we breathe while indoors differs greatly than the fresh air outside. Still, using an industrial air purifier eliminates air-borne allergens, spores, and mold, making the office more pleasant and healthy to be in. In addition to this, living plants have been shown to increase employees’ satisfaction with their workplace. The same goes for an abundance of natural light over artificial lighting.
All of these changes induce better mood, less eye-strain, and less anxiety and nervousness. These factors can significantly diminish productivity so eliminating them can be truly beneficial for the company.
Create the most productive setting
Have you ever noticed how certain settings make us more or less productive? For this reason, try and make your office resemble a space where you and your team feel like accomplishing more than you usually do. For example, if you live in a mildly hot climate, you could consider installing an air conditioner with the help of expert technicians such as those seen in Global Cooling (for more info, contact globalcoolingair.com/doctor-phillips/). It doesn’t have to be an entire setting that you recreate but rather parts of it that make it unique. If you find the beach relaxing, then recreate an element of it in your office – put a seashell on your desk or find a wallpaper with a sea theme.
Make everyday objects user-friendly
An ergonomically-optimized workspace includes arranging your office in the healthiest way. Since too much sitting is known to shorten our lifespan, you can make sure you have a chair with a comfortable cushion, pleasant armrests, and an adjustable backrest. A quality working chair is extremely important because proper form while sitting can neutralize repetitive strain injury (RSI), slouched shoulders, and many other ailments.
Desk placement, along with the placement of the objects on it, plays a significant role in making the work hours enjoyable. This includes the heights of the monitor and its distance from where you’re sitting but also the placement of the keyboard and mouse. Ideally, when typing and using the mouse, our elbows should be at around 90-degree angle in order to avoid tension in the wrists.
All in all, productivity really depends on so many factors. If we try to make an effort and embrace at least one change at a time, we will be on a certain path toward a more motivating working environment. Healthy and satisfied employees are a valuable asset to any company and taking proper care of them is already half of the success.