Productivity issues – who is to blame? When you hire people, it’s easy to palm off the problems you have onto them. But, as a leader, it’s important to understand that you are responsible for everything in your business. And, that includes staff members who are flakey and inconsistent with their output.
But, what can you do about it? In this guide, we’re going to focus on office spaces. These enclosed environments are the traditional workspace, and a lot of what we reveal here can be used by many other types of business. Let’s take a look at how to boost production levels in your office – see if you can implement some of the following strategies into your company.
Inspire creativity
There are times and places for creativity, of course. But, if you give your employees regular periods of creative time, they tend to work harder in their usual tasks. There are a few ways to encourage more creative thought in your company. For example, perhaps you could organise a few hours each week for employees to work on their own ideas. Make them relevant to your business, and you could find your staff come up with some great ideas for a new product or service. And, of course, they will feel like they have more of a stake in your business – which boosts productivity, too.
Better design
Clean, tidy offices with lots of inspiring artwork tend to be more inspiring for employees than messy offices with cramped desks. Make sure your space is clear, which helps promote clear minds. And, artwork can really help people come up with some great ideas. Keep all distractions out of the way. Nothing sucks away productivity like overstuffed cabinets and files littered all over the place. Find some industrial shelving and install it somewhere out of the way, so everything like that can be hidden away. Try having some interesting features put in, too. Whether it’s an open working space or some funky architecture, inspiration can come from anywhere. And, when people are inspired, they will be more productive all round.
Health and safety
If your office is unsafe, you’ll soon know about it. Accidents happen all the time, of course, but they happen more regularly when you don’t take health and safety seriously. Plus, if your staff don’t feel comfortable and happy with their environment, it’s going to weigh on their minds. That is no good for their productivity, and no good for your business. Also, try and think of ways of encouraging your staff to be healthy. Instead of having a vending machine full of chocolate and unhealthy snacks, leave out a fruit bowl at every desk. It will give your employees a little boost when they need it, and underline your caring nature at the same time!
Flexibility
Give your workforce the opportunity to work flexible hours, and you might find they achieve more in those hours. Most businesses suffer from a lot of in office absence – the hours of the day that are lost to tiredness, dithering, and slow brains! Identify your slow times, and give the opportunity for people to do less demanding tasks during those hours. Sometimes, it’s the simple things that can make the difference!
