6 Tips to Create the Best Workspace for Productivity
Learning how to create the best workspace for productivity is essential to success.
Disclaimer: Posts may contain affiliate links. We earn commissions if you shop through the links on this page. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. For more info, read our disclosure policy.
One undervalued tip when you want to get more done at work is to learn how to create the best workspace for productivity.
Angela Ash is an expert content writer and editor, and she works with Flow SEO. She writes on a multitude of topics but places a special importance on SEO, productivity, motivation, time management and wellness.
Boosting productivity is of tremendous importance.
Inspiration can come from the environment, meaning that changing the layout of a workspace can help employees perform better.
Intuitive workplace design is the first step towards that goal, but there are many more tips – the most important of which we will describe below.
Intuitive Workspace Design
First of all, it’s crucial to remove the major detriment – interruptions.
Workers are interrupted every 11 minutes and manage to resume their work after 25 minutes, on average, according to a study performed by the University of California, Irvine. Some simple calculations will leave us with two and a half hours lost to interruption every day.
If we keep in mind that many interruptions can be solved simply by designing an intuitive workspace, this loss is simply unacceptable.
For example, an office that features a sufficient number of telephones and printers will eliminate the need to go elsewhere to perform these tasks, decreasing interruptions dramatically.
Try to include a coffee/tea maker, too, so that employees can have a quick refreshment on the go whenever they need it.
Connected Work Environment
A connected workspace can improve productivity drastically for many people. It’s no secret that a stunning number of people are complaining of feeling lonely, which can be alleviated by inspiring socialization.
Further out, the practice offers additional benefits, notably helping employees feel they’re working on a larger goal than their daily tasks. The startup mindset works in this way.
Every participant contributes ideas and shares business’ success and failures. There’s no finger-pointing; rather, creativity is inspired.
Instead of blaming someone, the entire workforce brainstorms ideas to help mitigate underperformance consequences. When a task is successful, on the other hand, everyone shares in business’ success.
This kind of environment is inspiring, mildly put, and helps people connect on a deeper level.
The goal is simple: make everyone feel pleasant in their office and enjoy their work. A connected workspace is just the boost the employees need.
Personalize Your Office
There’s more to personalization than meets the eye.
At first glance, a picture on your desk may appear silly, but the truth is that if it holds any emotional value to you, it should be there.
The same goes for just any kind of object that helps you feel more relaxed.
Some people keep a picture of their family in their office, while others thrive when surrounded by works of art.
Whatever makes you happy should be present in your office. It’s as simple as that.
Keep Your Workspace Clean and Add Some Plants or Flowers
Running the risk of sounding like a teenage magazine, we still must insist on cleanliness being tremendously important. Even if most businesses employ personnel in charge of cleaning, every employee can do their share.
Imagine this situation: your desk is overcrowded with empty glasses and cups, and you have difficulty finding the office accessories you need.
That’s an interruption and no mistake.
Now imagine the opposite: your desk is clean, and a picture of your pet greets you back to work. Wouldn’t you feel better without even doing anything to improve your mood?
As far as plants are considered, they serve multiple purposes. Obviously, a fresh environment is more inspiring than some random blank space, but on top of aesthetics, plants also serve to clean the air and reduce noise levels.
Adding some plants to your office shouldn’t be a difficult task, but choosing the right variety is another matter entirely.
You should always make certain to pick the plants that can blossom in your office.
Succulents are one of the usual choices, but if you’re interested in different plants, ask a professional for help.
Regular Breaks
Regular breaks are paramount.
Namely, many employees complain of burnout and stressful environments without even realizing much of it can be prevented simply by taking a break when one is due.
Scheduling regular breaks is no less important than prioritizing tasks, so don’t skip a break simply because your schedule is hectic.
The practice can be advanced one step further.
For example, people with vocations that don’t require physical presence in the office should be given the freedom to work remotely.
In this way, they’ll be able to take a break whenever they need to without worrying about getting back to the office in time (not to mention that the change of scenery will improve their mood).
Knowledge Sharing
Finally, there’s another invaluable lesson to be learned from startups.
No matter how good you are at your work, sometimes a different approach will inspire you to perform better and get more creative. In short, knowledge sharing of high-quality data is crucial for long-term success and employee satisfaction.
This can be performed in various ways.
Many companies schedule team-building activities, while others host online meetings.
To discover what will work best for your company, ask employees for feedback.
Good ideas can be shared on a carting outing no less efficiently than during a virtual pajama party. Whatever makes the participants relaxed will suffice.
Try out different setups! Get creative!
Final steps to take to create the best workspace for productivity
Productivity is, as you can see, an evolving process that can be grown, groomed and inspired.
Every business employs a variety of people.
There will always be introverts and extroverts and not everyone is fond of social gatherings per se. That, however, doesn’t mean that there are no options.
Listening to employees’ feedback is crucial in this regard, but you should also do some observing. Some people don’t like being asked outright about their preferences, while others may not be aware that they enjoy some activity until someone points it out to them.
Start with workspace design and encourage employees to personalize their space.
Ask them what they would add and what they’d remove. Is something missing? Are there enough telephones? Is the environment quiet enough? Inspiring enough?
Next on, work on interactions and brainstorm team building activities.
Get people together to share their ideas. Listen to their feedback and implement their suggestions.
In time, you’ll see productivity levels rise dramatically.
