Office productivity has always been a point of contention between various companies’ managers and the employees, to the point some managers tend to get increasingly controlling, while some allow too much leeway. However, office productivity might not have to do with your own managing style as much as the environment. If you’re looking to improve your office productivity without coming off as a tyrant, and save yourself the troubles and scrutiny of micro-managing, here are seven tips on how to make the lives of your employees easier and make them more eager to do a good day’s work.
Natural Light
It might seem like a small thing, but natural lighting is very important for employees sitting long hours in an office. Without going too much into why natural light is healthy, let’s just say that exposing your staff to sunlight should, in the least, improve their overall mood and general happiness. Just like in our own homes, offices with plenty of natural light in them will feel more spacious and less oppressive, especially when combined with some nice colors and decent office equipment. If your office seems a little dark, consider removing curtains from a few windows to let that solar goodness right into your workspace.
Take a Break
Breaks are important, and more than one would think! And, when we’re talking a break, we mean an actual lunch break. If you’re a person working in a cubicle 8 hours a day, you’ll soon feel very repressed and cramped, and you’ll feel the need to get out. As a manager, it’s a good idea to encourage your employees to take lunch outside and away from their desks. Walking over to a few dozen meters will do well for an office worker, as it will get their blood flowing, clear their mind, and, of course, fill their bellies with some warm food. When they come back, they’ll have rested sufficiently to start a new task (or pursue the old one) with renewed vigor and freshness.
Neutral Colours
Several studies show that neutral colors have a very positive sway on productivity. In fact, all colors have an influence on productivity, but, for a regular office, neutral colors such as white and lighter shades of grey will promote a relaxed, but focused and official, the air around the place. You might consider warmer colors if you’re running a more creative office and softer colors for the break and lunchrooms, such as shades of blue. In addition, a few pictures, photos or paintings might be just the thing you need to top off your perfect office space, as they will add a bit of style to the place, and something to look at other than naked walls.
Team Building Events
Team building events are something every manager should take into consideration. You might be your employees’ superior, but it doesn’t hurt to show them that you’re human as well. Organizing and attending team-building events will keep your employees entertained, give them something to look forward, but most importantly, create bonds of friendship and trust between you and your team, and between team members themselves. As to what kind of event you’re looking to create, it could be a BBQ, some form of friendly competition or you can even call over some unexpected professional roving entertainment – this would make an excellent surprise to pull during some unofficial meetings, or simply out of the blue to break the monotony.
Avoid Unnecessary Meetings
Speaking of meetings, they’re, naturally, extremely important, as they offer insight into your employees’ mindsets, allow you to address them directly and coordinate your projects. However, too many meetings and too often lead to employees becoming disinterested, outright bored, unwilling to participate, and, most importantly, takes up their time and they’ll have to pull extra effort to finish their projects. Keeping meetings short, spacing them out and calling them only when necessary is a good strategy to keep your employees engaged in the goings-on of the office without having them feel they’re being pulled from their work.
Set Reasonable Dates
Nothing spells discontent and disorder like backed-up and poorly planned out deadlines. If you’re in a managing position, it is your job to steer your team in the right direction, and this means setting dates that your team can meet. This also involves you knowing your employees’ capabilities and working habits – many managers make the mistake of dumping difficult tasks on less skilled employees as a form of teaching them responsibility and assessing their skill level. Keep your work schedule realistic and don’t push, lest you be considered a slave driver among your subordinates.
Take Time to Answer Questions
As a team leader, your employees are likely to defer to you as their mentor and guide. That is why it is important to be as open and forthcoming to your workers as possible, without upsetting the chain of command. To that end, it is very important to take the time and answer your emails and any queries your employees may have. This is especially important with new arrivals, and in case you’re many years a senior in comparison to your workers, as this will promote them to learn more about the way you do things in your office, and they’ll work harder to justify the time you took to train/point them in the right direction.
Conclusion
And, with this, we reach the end of our little article. If you find your office productivity lacking, these tricks and tips will go a long way to mitigate the issue. However, even if you’re completely happy with your employees, it will still do your good to implement one of these strategies to keep your team together and keep their engagement levels up to par.
