Productivity has long been a hot topic in boardrooms around the world. From the cube farms of the 20th century to the rise of Google-style complexes in recent years, business owners have always been fascinated with strategies for making employees work more productively.
Though the trial and error approach to office design has been popular in the past, implementing an informed strategy for the way our offices are built and designed can provide instant benefits without the need do the testing yourself. That’s why, in today’s article, we’ll be putting productivity under the microscope, providing you with five scientifically proven ways you can boost productivity in your office.
1. Keep staff hydrated
The benefits of hydration are well documented. From improved moods to better sleep patterns, there are a number of scientific reasons you should be drinking plenty of liquids. Serious dehydration is a key cause of decreased cognitive function, which is why it’s such an important piece of the productivity puzzle. Providing ample amenities can be a significant step in encouraging your team to stay topped up with liquids - so make sure you invest in accessible drinking water.
For staff who aren’t interested in drinking water, supplying the office with high-quality hot drinks - like Nespresso pods for coffee addicts and a branded variety of teas for loose leaf lovers - can will help you to keep your team happy, healthy and hydrated at work.
2. Mix up your colour scheme
It’s a well-known fact that colours can influence our moods. Whether you associate red with aggression or yellow with sunshine, our connection with colour can have a subconscious effect on everything we do. Have you ever wondered why so many fast food chains use the colour red extensively in their branding? It’s likely because red stimulates activity and increases your metabolism - which some suggest increases your appetite. While we’re not recommending that you bathe your office walls in red, utilising the extraordinary effect that colours can have on the human brain is one way you can tap into productivity. Using high quality office furniture suppliers can give you the greatest variety of choice when it comes to colour schemes - so find a reputable provider for your furniture needs.
Shades of blue are widely used in areas around office furniture, thanks to their calming effects - and greens are popular for the same reason. But whether you use cool colours like blue, green and purple or warmer shades such as red, orange and yellow, each one will have a unique impact on the way your staff work - so make sure you choose the right combination for the kind of tasks your staff will be carrying out. Orange is great for environments with predominantly detail-oriented tasks - such as in an architectural practice, for example - while red can be useful in a sales-heavy environment, as it can increase competitiveness across the team.
3. Go green
Indoor plants are becoming increasingly commonplace in the offices of today. From subtle spider plants to impressive full-sized dracaenas, plants are making their way onto our desks like never before - and for good reason. Far from simply being a fashion fad, greenery has benefits beyond its aesthetic appeal. Improving air quality, employee happiness and focus, plants should be a staple on office tables in any workplace environment. In fact, recent studies suggest that bringing plants into the office could improve your productivity by a meaningful 15%.
4. Let there be light!
In recent years, extensive research has pointed to natural elements as being key to happiness, productivity and health - so it’s no surprise that natural light can have an overwhelmingly positive impact on employee productivity. From getting more sleep at night to fostering creativity, there are plenty of reasons you should think about letting more light in during the day. So, whether you pull down those heavy curtains, move your office storage away from the window or look into rearranging desks, allowing natural light to flood into your office is a surefire way to boost productivity amongst staff.
5. Keep meetings short
We’ve all been there - what was meant to be an hour-long discussion has somehow spiralled into a half-day meeting marathon, and it’s becoming increasingly difficult to stay focused. While the average attention span in a meeting is about 52 minutes, it’s not uncommon for meetings to take up to two or three hours - no wonder many of us drift off when we’re supposed to be focusing! The solution may seem obvious - you could simply shorten the meetings - but sometimes it’s necessary for meetings to take longer than just 52 minutes.
There are a couple of things you could do, but taking breaks is perhaps the easiest activity you can integrate into meetings. Our brains just aren’t able to focus without interruption on a single task for an extended period of time, so a brief 10-minute break gives our minds the chance to unfocus and then refocus. That way, you come back sharper and ready to get back ‘in the zone’.
As business owners look to build an increasingly efficient and effective workforce, productivity will continue to be an important issue. Whether you’re adorning desks with house plants or rearranging workstations to make the most of natural light, our five top tips will be sure to propel productivity in your office.
Guest post: Phil White at Novell Coffee