From Creative Freedom to Inspiring Meeting Room Spaces, Encourage a Productive Workforce
If you’re sitting in your executive suite wondering what you can do to promote more productivity among your employees, then don’t fret. It’s not going to require you to overhaul your entire business model, losing precious time and resources as employees scramble to adapt to a new status quo. In fact, if you want to create a more productive workforce, the best thing you can do is implement simple, subtle changes. Have you considered any of the following?
Create a Cozy Workspace
Does the office look grey, dull, and dreary? Do employees feel like they’re working inside a giant filing cabinet? Then it’s time for a change. A depressing environment makes people tired and less likely to work efficiently. A space with plenty of light and soft colours will make people feel both more comfortable and more motivated to work. You can achieve this with anything from a can of paint to new blinds on the windows and even the occasional piece of wall art. To make an even more relaxed and stimulating environment, try adding more ergonomic features—mouse and keyboard pads with wrist support are a great place to start, in the shared space and executive suite alike.
Promote Collaboration
The open-concept office is a great innovation, but there should be separate meeting room space for the sake of those really hands-on collaboration sessions, so the people working on one project don’t distract others. Like the office, this meeting room space should stimulate hard work and creativity, and you should encourage all people attending a meeting to feel free to contribute ideas—no idea is truly bad if it helps move along the process that produces the best solutions. Throw in a whiteboard, and you’re ready for some serious collaboration.
Encourage, Don’t Micromanage
We know you earned your spot in that executive suite by demonstrating leadership skills, but there is a certain balance between management and independence that should always be strived for. Give the people you manage direction, and give them guidance when they need it, but then encourage them to be independent, to take chances, to push themselves to be strong workers independent of micromanaging. You’ll find yourself with a workforce that is more confident, more adventurous, and more creative, and the results will speak for themselves.
Avoid Monotony
Repeating the same task over and again is a great way to wear anyone out, and a fatigued worker isn’t a productive one. Switch things up every now and again. The next time you’re all gathered in the meeting room space, think of new ways to do things, or new ways that employees can apply their skills, and not only will you avoid exhausting them, but you may discover hidden talents and assets that surprise them and you!
