In order to be a business success, you need to focus on many different things. One of the most important things is productivity. 

This guide is going to help you to achieve total productivity in terms of your office employees and the environment they’re working in. Even the most conscientious employee will struggle to work well in a poor office environment, so as a manager it is your job to ensure that everything is in place, everything is working correctly, and that any issues are dealt with quickly and effectively. 

All of this adds up to productivity with a capital P. 

You might wonder why this is so important when you should be focusing on developing new products and services, marketing campaigns, keeping customers happy, and developing new money-making endeavours, but the bottom line is this - your employees are your biggest asset. You cannot expect your employees to work in an environment which is less than comfortable or supportive, and at the same time, you cannot expect them to work well in a system which simply doesn’t tick the right boxes. 

Poorly designed offices are one of the biggest reasons for low productivity, and in a short while, you’ll learn exactly why productivity is such a vital factor in business success. For now, you simply need to understand that this guide is going to cover a very serious subject. If you avoid the need to create not only a comfortable office but a productive one, you’re making a huge mistake.

How an office looks is important, for sure, because it creates the right impression to visitors and boosts morale for those working within it, but even the most beautiful office can lack productivity if the workflow and system within it is all wrong. 

Never fear, this guide is going to give you all the information you need to hit the right blend between an attractive office and a productive one. 

First things first, what does this P-word even mean?

What is Productivity And Why Does it Matter so Much?

Many people focus on productivity being something you do, but you have to look deeper than that if you want to ensure productivity is genuine and true. You can do your best, but if the tools you’re working with are substandard, you’re always going to do less than if you had the best tools on the market. 

So, what is productivity? Productivity, at its very core, is the amount of work you do and the quality at which you do it. The more work that an office does collectively, the more productive that office is, the more customers it's serving, and the more profits it is pulling in as a result. There is a very real and direct link between productivity and profits, which is why this P-word is so vitally important! Business is about money at the end of the day.

Check out this video for a quick overview of exactly what productivity is in real terms. 

As you can see, productivity is about the relationship which lies between input (the effort you put forth) and output (the work that is completed). It makes sense that the more effort put in, the more work is done, and therefore more customers are served, more orders are processed, more behind the scenes work is done, and everything becomes much easier to handle as a business whole. A business cannot grow and succeed without productivity, it’s really that simple. 

How Are Productivity And Morale Linked?

Shortly we’re going to talk about how the office setup can boost productivity, as well as a few extras such as workflow systems, but for now, we need to focus on perhaps the biggest productivity side-effect - morale. 

There is a very real and direct link between morale and productivity levels. It goes a little like this: 

• When morale is high, e.g. when staff are happy, feel listened to, feel valued, and they enjoy their work and the environment they’re in, they work harder and they’re more engaged, therefore productivity is on the rise 
• Conversely, when morale is low, staff are feeling disengaged, they don’t feel valued, they feel like a number and not a person, and as a result, they lose interest in their role. This affects productivity because when you feel that way, you naturally try less. Therefore, productivity reduces, with profits falling very shortly afterwards. 

Of course, we want the first scenario!

Check out this useful infographic which shows 5 relatively simple ways to boost office morale. 

Source - https://blog.thecenterforsalesstrategy.com/how-to-boost-morale-for-better-sales

Ensuring that your employees feel listened to and valued isn’t difficult, it’s simply about managing them as humans and not numbers which appear on your monthly wage spreadsheet. These are the people who run your business behind the scenes, and some of them are the face of it! it’s vital that you treat them with the respect and understanding that they deserve, asking for their opinions, suggestions and allowing them to vent their frustrations when things inevitably go wrong from time to time. 

It’s impossible to suggest that morale will always be high, because just like human moods, it dips and peaks, flowing effortlessly throughout the year. All you need to do is ensure that you remain consistent and positive in your efforts, and the slight dips will quickly recover. 

Is All Productivity Good Productivity?

A very interesting question to explore is whether all productivity is good productivity, or not. If productivity is the relationship between input and output, does that mean it’s always good, or could there be a negative productivity situation?

Let’s explain that clearly. If productivity is the work being done, what if the work isn’t being completed to the higher possible standard? What if there are mistakes being made, or that it could be better in terms of quality? Does that mean that every bit of productivity is good, regardless of the standard?

No. 

The only productivity you should be aiming for as a business is high-quality productivity. It’s not about getting the job done any old how and simply ticking a box, it’s about completing the task in the best possible way. This ensures that quality is passed onto customers, and ensures repeat business. If tasks are completed shoddily, customers are going to assume that they can receive better quality from elsewhere, and you lose business as a result. 

As you can see, productivity just got a little more complicated!

In our next section, we’re going to focus on the main areas you can work on in order to ensure a productive modern office environment. However, we want to focus on a high-quality environment, which creates high-quality productivity. By doing this, you’re giving your employees the tools they need to do their job well, in an environment which inspires them to do their very best. 

So, let’s move on and work out how you can create a high quality and productive, modern office environment. 

What Elements Make up a Productive Modern Office?

We’re going to explore the different sections of an office and a working situation which create productivity. In order to do that you need to focus on every single part of the office and not the space as a whole. Every area has a part to play; for instance, a light is not just not a light, it is a light which can either be a hindrance to an employee, or a light which gives them the right illumination to do the job without developing a headache. 

Similarly, a desk is not just a desk. This is a space which should be the right height and the right size, to ensure that employees can work comfortably, without being too cramped during their working hours. 

Everything has a part to play, a little like pieces in a jigsaw, all coming together to complete the picture. That is how you need to look at your office from this point onwards. If you can do that, you’re already taking your first step towards a productive environment. 

Office Decor And Theme

The first area we’re going to look at is the decor of your space. You don’t always have to follow the most up to date design trends around, especially if they don’t fit in with what you’re about as a business. What you should do however is look at designs which compliment the space you have and choose the best office furniture to furnish it with. 

For instance, did you know that the colour of our walls could actually affect productivity? There is something called colour psychology and this is the understanding that different colours affect our brains in different days. That means you can stimulate the brain to be more creative and more productive, simply by grabbing the right paint pot!

Check out this very interesting infographic for a little more information on this subject.

Source - https://www.dailyinfographic.com/the-psychology-of-colors-infographic

If you want a creative and focused space, go for colours such as yellow, blue, or green. These are ideal office shades, as they fit in with most other designs, and you could also add in some plants to give you a biophilic nod too. This helps to reduce stress, which certainly boosts productivity in itself, and also looks pretty fantastic at the same time!

The way your office looks plays a very important part in productivity. Employees want to feel proud of their office, and bespoke office desks with comfortable chairs certainly help! 

Of course, a contemporary office design which lifts the mood is a plus point, and taking colour psychology seriously and thinking about themes which are known to increase productivity is vital. Biophilic design is one of those, and this is the practice of bringing elements of nature inside. This can be via plants, or wooden furniture, etc.

It goes without saying that you should ask for your employees’ input before making any major changes to the design of the office, and find out what they would like to see. This also boosts morale, which we know is linked to productivity!

Office Desks

As we mentioned earlier, you need to get away from the thought that a desk is just a table to sit at. A desk is far more than that! This is a workstation, somewhere to sit and focus, and the desk needs to be big enough to give enough space, but not so big that an employee is constantly moving around, trying to find things, and wasting small amounts of time throughout the day.

There are countless different types of desks around, from corner desks to bench desks, pods to classic, executive desks. The choice is yours in terms of what you choose but make sure that your office space is large enough to accommodate the type of desk you choose. You need to ensure that there is enough travelling space around the office, e.g. people can walk around without having to shuffle past too many chairs or desks!

A wonderful way to boost productivity whilst also giving employees a slight work out is to go with an active working method, such as stand height tables or height adjustable office desks. These allow a sitting and standing alternation throughout the day, which has been shown to boost productivity overall. 

Check out this video for a little more information on standing desks.

Whether you opt for a standing-style desk or a classic sitting desk, it’s important to make sure that the size of the desk is correct, and that it is placed in the right area. Never site a desk underneath a bright light, or with the window behind. In these situations, whoever is sitting at that desk is going to have to deal with glare. This isn’t a productive situation, but it’s also putting your employee at risk of headaches and eye strain too. 

Never a good thing!

Ensuring that your desks are productive in terms of their design will go a long way to helping your employees be equally as productive during their working day.

Office Chairs 

A huge productivity booster is ensuring that you choose the right type of office seating for your employees. Sitting for a long period of time can increase the risk of various health conditions, associated with a sedentary lifestyle. In addition, not sitting correctly can cause lower back pain, neck ache, sciatica, and can also contribute towards repetitive strain injury and carpal tunnel. None of these are conditions that anyone wants in their lives, and the risk can be minimised by choosing the right type of chair. 

Ergonomic chairs are ideal for sitting at a computer for a long period of time. These can be adjusted according to the specific needs of the person, and offer support in ‘at risk’ areas, such as the lower back. By educating your staff on how to sit correctly, as well as giving them the right types of chairs for specific situations, you’ll go a long way to helping them to avoid these associated health concerns. 

That doesn’t mean that ergonomic chairs are the only types of chairs you can utilise within your modern office. You could look at options such as mesh chairs, which are ideal for collaborative areas. These types of chairs allow air to circulate around the body, making the person sitting far more comfortable, and far more able to focus and be productive. 

There are countless different types of chairs, but it’s important to identify the right type for the specific areas within your office space. If you can do this, you’ll ensure productivity, simply because your employees are comfortable, supported, and not distracted by aches and pains. 

Lighting, Flooring, & Air Circulation 

We will group these three areas together, as they often come under the ‘miscellaneous’ part of designing a modern office. The problem in assuming they’re miscellaneous items is that they’re far more important than you might realise. 

The right type of flooring can absorb noise, which could otherwise distract employees who are trying to concentrate. For instance, if you opt for carpets, people walking around the space isn’t going to bother someone who is trying to focus on a task involving numbers. Conversely, opting for vinyl could make the space cooler, which also helps employees to concentrate, without feeling too hot, especially during the summer months. 

Flooring is far more important than you might think, and when designing your space you need to think carefully about the various pros and cons of the different types of flooring available to you. 

Moving on from flooring, we need to think about lighting. We’ve already briefly touched upon the idea of glare from a window, but it’s important to have as much natural light entering an office space as possible. You won’t be able to rely completely upon natural light, and you will need some kind of artificial light, but Mother Nature has many tricks up her sleeve! Did you know that natural light can actually boost mood and therefore productivity? Combining the two and ensuring that artificial lights aren’t too bright is a great idea. 

Check out this interesting infographic which talks about the benefits of natural light, and also gives you a few ideas on how to increase natural light in your office space. 

Source - https://tradeaccesspanels.co.uk/natural-light-vs-artificial-light-infographics

That leaves us with air circulation. Have you ever sat in an office and been freezing cold or too hot? Did it make you work better or harder? Of course not, it was a distraction and all you could think about was how cold your hands were, or how much you were sweating. 

This is the same for every single office and meeting space the world over. You need to get the temperature right, which can be difficult when different employees feel hot and cold slightly differently! 

In this case, supplying employees with individual small office fans is a good idea, but also maintaining a moderate temperature at all times, via a heating or cooling system. You should also ensure that you open the windows as much as possible to get plenty of fresh air inside, helping to cool the office naturally during the summer months. Placing your office furniture strategically close to windows is also something to think about. 

It’s impossible to focus on being productive when you’re too hot, too cold, there’s too much noise from people walking around, you’re battling glare, or your lighting is too harsh. Checking these items before creating your space is vital if you want your office to be super-productive. 

Technology

When was the last time you updated your software or the computers in your office? New technology is designed with productivity in mind, so if you’re stuck with computers from 10 years ago, or your software packages haven’t been updated in several years, it’s time to turn your focus towards IT. 

Many offices are starting to use a BYOD system, which means ‘Bring Your Own Device’. This cuts down on the need for businesses to purchase individual computers, and also means that staff are working on a machine which they’re already very familiar with. This means they’re able to work faster and more efficiently as a result. 

If you don’t like the idea of staff bringing their own computers into work, you need to identify whether the machines you have are optimum for the work your employees are doing. Are your current computers fast enough? Would it be more productive to work with tables and Bluetooth keyboards, or perhaps laptops instead of desktops? These are all questions you need to explore seriously. 

In terms of your software, it’s worth looking around and finding out whether there are any new, updated options you could trial. Most companies will be happy to send a rep to your office, allowing you to get an in-person look at the software package and see if it works for you. Maybe you’re better off sticking with your regular package, but it doesn’t hurt to explore your options and find out if there is a more productive choice out there waiting to be discovered.  

Collaboration Vs Quiet Work

One of the most important facets of productivity is to recognise that not all work requires the same environment. For instance, certain tasks require true concentration, and that means a certain amount of privacy. Handily, there are many privacy tools you can use within an office such as using office screens to create a barrier between you and the people next to you, or you could utilise office booths and really find the space and quiet to focus. 

There are many other ways to focus on work, perhaps with office desk pods, or moving away from the office space for a short while completely and working remotely. Despite that, there is another type of work we need to take seriously - collaboration. 

Many businesses are choosing to implement zones within their office spaces, especially in large open-plan offices. This is part of the agile working model and basically means that the task is the most important thing and an employee decides where to work in order to get that task done to the best of their ability. That doesn’t always mean going somewhere quiet, and it might mean sitting down and discussing it with another colleague or even working together as a team on the entire project. 

In order to do that, you need to provide areas where discussions can take place without disrupting the rest of the office. A modular office desk is a good answer here, as it can be moved around and stored away when not in use, and taken to a quieter part of the office. If you prefer to have a static space for collaboration, look towards acoustic panels, which will absorb the noise and avoid discussions distracting other members of staff.

Collaboration is a vital part of productivity, as it allows new ideas and creative solutions to come to the fore. Of course, just like we have high-quality productivity and low-quality productivity, there is also the same two sides to collaboration too. Check out this video which highlights a few methods you might like to try within your space.

Availability of Break Spaces 

You might think that taking breaks would be counterproductive, but it’s actually the total opposite! Your employees need to take regular breaks in order to keep their minds sharp and to enhance productivity throughout the whole day. This means not allowing employees to sit at their desk to eat their lunch and to ensure that you provide a break space where they can go for a time out.

If you have access to an outdoor space this is even better, as the fresh air will boost focus even more. As a result, stress levels will be lower too. If the weather is nice, move a round office desk outside and let staff sit and chat during their breaks, soaking up the sun and enjoying the fresh air! 

Encouraging your staff to get a little exercise and fresh air on their breaks is a good idea, as this also benefits productivity when they return to their desks. If there is a meeting in the afternoon around the modern boardroom tables, they’re far more likely to come up with ideas as a result of the boosted concentration effect.

Workflow Systems

It’s vital that you find a workflow system which suits your employees, as well as the work you need to complete. This could be a hot-desking system, agile working, remote working, collaborative and quiet zones, or anything else you like, but it has to make sense in terms of the desired outcome. 

In order to identify the best workflow system, it’s a good idea to discuss the situation with your employees and get their input. After all, they’re the ones doing the job and that means they have insider knowledge that you’re not privy to! Asking for their opinions and input also shows that you value their insights and that boosts morale, therefore boosting productivity too! 

Gather everyone around the oval boardroom table and explain that you want to find a workflow that works for everyone. This means finding a system which everyone can work well within and reach their targets, without added stress and pressure. This could be as simple as moving a few desks around, it could mean changing software packages, or it could mean a total overhaul, but you won’t know the most productive way forward until you gather information from all sources. From there, collaboration to come to a firm decision between you.

Of course, after a while, it’s common sense to review the system and see if it is working well or not. If not, changes will need to be made, but if it’s working, you can carry on and review again in a few months’ time. 

Many businesses fail to review changes they have made, and instead implement them and expect them to simply work. If they don’t work, they throw them away and start again; that’s a waste of time! You can’t expect huge changes to simply click, and sometimes they just need to be tweaked slightly in order to make a huge difference!

Combining the most productive office environment with the best workflow system will ensure that your business hits the productivity high notes with ease. 

Conclusion 

By reading this guide you should now be brimming with productivity ideas!

Creating a productive workspace simply requires careful thinking and planning, as well as asking opinions from those who actually need to be productive in the first place. In many ways, those opinions are the most important building block of all, linking into morale and ensuring that you gain information which you may otherwise have missed. 

Never underestimate the power of a productive modern working environment. This is a space which can take on competitors and win. It is a space which can be extremely profitable. It is a space which can engineer business growth.

All you need to do is explore your options and make a productive plan!