To make an office efficient, most people immediately think of new software or an office reorganization. Some people might even think of new advanced tools for team communication. While these suggestions might be helpful, there is an additional, crucial piece that is much more overlooked: the actual physical environment. The office literally dictates the workflow. The number of employees that an organization is able to employ, the productivity of the employees and the quality of the output produced is directly related to the environment. While people work, there is an aspect that is often forgotten: how the office looks and how is it organized.
The Hidden Benefits of Cleanliness Â
Picture yourself walking into a new office. Are there any piles of papers lying around, the office dusty, or an unpleasant odor lingering? There’s no chance this is a good first impression, is it? A clean workspace is important for both the employee and the visitors. The reason is that it helps create a calm environment where everyone can concentrate with no distractions. Disorganization leads to clutter. This is a big source of mental fatigue. It takes a significant amount of mental effort to focus when in a distracting environment. To that end, a clean workspace can help boost mental clarity and productivity. It can be as simple as having a clean desk, a clear screen, and breathing fresh air. This level of cleanliness, achieved by a company like All Pro Cleaning Systems who provide exceptional commercial cleaning services in the greater Boston area, helps employees need to only focus on work and getting their tasks done.Â
Noise, Light, and Air: The Silent Influencers Â
An office’s overall sensory experience impacts us beyond personal comfort. Is the noise level too high and the focus needed for phone conversations or detail work becomes nearly impossible? Or too quiet and every minute sound becomes overblown? Achieving the correct balance with acoustics can be especially useful. Light is just as important. Natural light is best as it boosts our mood and helps in regulating our body clocks. Offices with harsh fluorescent lights end up relying on them. Such offices make people feel tired and irritable. Air is no different. Stale and stuffy air leads to sluggishness. Air that is well ventilated helps keep the mind alert and energized and the body active. A few small tools such as strategically situated plants can help purify and ventilate the air. Attention to all these areas allows the formation of an environment that promotes sustained concentration.
Efficient Access to Essentials: Sustaining Energy
The importance of properly structured arrangements can be overlooked. An employee going for long walks without a designated eating area or a water cooler would need to take frequent breaks. Providing items such as a drinking cooler and a break room stocked with basic healthy snacks already makes a difference. This permits the employee to avoid distracting or sluggish breaks. When staff have the essential tools to fuel and hydrate themselves, they will be able to power through to the very end of the work day without succumbing to the post lunch lull. This, in turn, leads to prolonged intervals without low productivity.
Conclusion
When trying to make the office more productive, we can easily forget the easier, and maybe better, solutions. Focus on the basic aspects of a workspace. Things like cleanliness, comfort, and basic environmental factors such as light, air, and noise. Doing so unlocks a lot of potential. A well-kept office helps employees focus and reduces workplace distractions. This perspective, as simple as it sounds, is neglected but is essential to the productivity of the office.
