Want to Create a more Productive Work Space? Look to the Future
We’re now starting to get used to the 21st century and the future is finally starting to catch up with us. Walk into many a cutting edge office space today and the surroundings would seem alien to you if you’d been asleep for twenty years. For a start, the amount of people working from home is growing, with a 15% rise in the last year alone. The somersaulting, cart wheeling rise of technology has meant that, for lots of us, our businesses are all wrapped up in the form of a laptop or tablet.
Yes, we still spend the same amount of time working, but our office options have exploded in recent times. The rigidity of a ‘stranded behind a desk from 9-5’ system has been more finely tuned. There’s much greater emphasis on flexibility these days and that can only lead to a happier working environment.
Time to Move on
Let’s face it, things had to move on. Our office habits hadn’t really changed since the dawn of the typewriter. Only now, with mobile devices taking over the world, have we begun to see a shift in attitudes.
Lots of people still aren’t sure about how to make these new work spaces more productive though. It’s as though things have evolved too fast and we need to take a step back and analyse what we’ve got for a minute. What can we improve on to make our work even more efficient and to make ourselves feel more content?
The Death of 9-5?
Well, to start with, we can all do with being a little bit more realistic when it comes to the hours we work. Is 9-5 really the most productive use of a working day? For everybody? If one person is naturally more alert at 7am, whereas his colleague doesn’t get going until 10am, wouldn’t it make sense to just change their working shifts appropriately?
The time we spend working is in itself a miniature minefield of potential disasters. We all suffer low ebbs throughout the day and tend to subconsciously switch off from time to time. One lunch break and the odd toilet stop don’t prevent this from happening. Office work especially can begin to tire the brain. Relentlessly staring at a computer screen for hours on end should be avoided where possible.
Work, Play and Work some more
Bursts of hard work should be combined with a liberal sprinkling of less strenuous activities, or down time. This shouldn’t be seen as ‘bunking’ or weakness, but of recharging before giving work another concentrated burst. It’s what all our teachers told us to do when revising, so maybe we should start to take the same advice.
Someone must be starting to notice that the old ways are outdated, because some of the largest, trendiest companies in the world now incorporate fitness suites, play rooms and even nap rooms within their HQ. This ultra-flexibility towards work would make for a much more productive work space because everyone would be working to their own fully personalised, optimised body clocks.
Exercise for Success!
It may sound crazy, but exercise at the workplace is a great idea. It doesn’t have to be intense, but even a brisk walk can re-engage the brain and make you more alert. During breaks is the ideal way to incorporate this new strategy.
Treadmills and other equipment are popping up in large organisations, especially in the USA and it’s only a matter of time before it makes its way over to us. So whether it’s a bike ride, a dance class or a gentle jog, getting active during your breaks can give your body a much needed boost.
The Design of our Times
The space in which we work can have huge implications for our productivity. Many are subtle and we don’t even give them any thought, such as how much time we spend chatting or meetings that overrun unnecessarily, or how far away the coffee machine is from your desk. Office design is crucial to success. Nobody wants to work in a cold, characterless environment. Ergonomics is the buzz word at the moment and our offices are being overhauled to the point where the desk is becoming redundant.
With tablets, the team can work on the go. People can meet in pods and discuss ideas, take them with them. Offices are becoming tactile sanctuaries. Old style desks in offices aren’t the most approachable way, after all. Bad memories of trips to the doctor or head teacher put paid to that.
Workplace Revolution
The notion that workers can relax, breath and move freely is a radical one, but also one that has signalled in a far more productive element. This is because networking and communication is achievable on a grand scale within the office. The ball has already started rolling and the new look is on its way to an office near you.
Send Business Centre features an array of fantastic new offices, from serviced to managed. Give them a call today on 01483 225617 and witness the revolution for yourself.
