Getting your employees’ work mojo going at full volume can be a tad challenging. So how can you help them increase their overall productivity? Sonia Allen has a few tips on how to ensure you have the right workspace design for your team.

  1. Maintain a neat space: Mess and clutter have been proven to add to work stress. Try to encourage your employees to have neat desks and offices. Offer storage areas where they can put away their files or a paper shredder to junk unnecessary paperwork.
  1. Allow for movement: Thanks to wireless Internet connections and mobile devices such as laptops, smart phones and tablets, people don’t have to stay stuck to their desks anymore. Plus it’s unhealthy to sit in one place for too long. Your team will be more productive if they move around to perform their tasks, and interact and collaborate with others.
  1. Ensure a well-lit space: Studies show that employees enjoy working in offices with a lot of natural light. Ensure that your workspaces are as close to windows as possible. Or install a lighting system that provides bright but not direct lighting.
  1. Adjustable and Moveable Furniture: Invest in furniture that’s versatile, comfortable and can easily be moved. Then when there’s an impromptu group huddle meeting, employees can easily roll up their chairs and tables for a chat. Want to get in a bit of exercise while working? Provide standing workstations. Not only will workers get more done, it’s also a great way for them to stay healthy.
  1. Provide entertainment: The best way to win the ‘Boss of the Year’ award? Provide some fun entertainment areas for your employees. A foosball table. A video game system. Perhaps a treadmill or even a popcorn machine. Offer your employees a space where they can chill out and take a break from work. Then watch their productivity grow.
  1. Cut down noise: Noise is rightly considered pollution. Not everyone can work with a lot of loud conversation, music or din. Try to maintain a balance at work where the noise level is low yet encourages interaction amongst your employees. Configure your space so that staff who need to be on the phone, like your sales team, are kept in a separate space from the rest. Noisy office equipment, like printers, copy and fax machines, should have their own room but still be easy to access.
  1. Encourage unconventional chats: Believe it or not, the best business conversations take place not in the conference room but by the water cooler, kitchen or on the way to the bathroom. Make sure your employees’ paths cross often so that they can meet by chance and interact. (image courtesy Steelcase)

Source: Sonia Allen | Design Ideas to Increase Productivity | August 18, 2014 | EconomicVoice.com

Check out this infographic from Intuit for other work environment factors.

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