How to design an office to maximize performance?
Author: Ann Brown
Many companies only invest in repair their offices when the walls are about to fall. However, spend a few dollars to improve workspace design can offer great returns in terms of motivation and present employees …
It is not news to anyone that the comforts of an impact on office workers’ performance. The sad dimly lit cubicles, chairs uncomfortable (and unhealthy) are a potent cause of demotivation and absenteeism.
According to a survey conducted in San Francisco, 48 percent of workers said they are willing to work an extra hour per day if the company would improve the conditions buildings.
In this context, it may be worthwhile to devote some portion of the budget for the item (in fact, from this perspective, the cost could be justified under the rubric of “investment in human resources”).
But what criteria to use in remodeling? What is the most effective design?
In principle, there is no single recipe. In many respects, the decisions will depend on the creativity of each business and functional needs of the workspace.
An article from BusinessWeek gives some ideas based on real cases of entrepreneurs who took the issue seriously and invested in the construction of offices designed for maximum productivity. Let’s see …
The metallurgical California, BobCAD Metals, was a typical old-economy company with offices full of dark cubicles and walls.
One day, management decided an aesthetic revolution. Improved lighting and the walls were demolished so that all employees share the same workspace and can increase their communication.
In addition to improving the work environment, the new provision provided a clear advantage for the management: an office without walls greatly increased monitoring capabilities. Just take a look to control the activities of every employee.
The BusinessWeek article also affords us the story of a Florida businessman who was inspired by his passion for art when designing your company’s offices. This man bought an old car dealership into an industrial area of Miami and recycled to build an office-museum “cool”.
Movable walls were installed to modify at will the space and began organizing art exhibitions. Thus, employees began to work in an environment more like a museum than a conventional company. Is the cost of repairs? Four million dollars.
Of course, spending this amount of remodeling an office seems an eccentricity for most Argentine and Latin American companies (including, for large companies). However, it is necessary to invest a fortune to design a friendly work space.
Verb, a small office just seven employees New Yorker, completely renovated its beauty with just $ 25,000.
This company in the audiovisual industry cubicles replaced by a winding counter as well as officiating and reception desk. Verb also built offices separated by glass walls. And best of all, the renovations were carried out within just two months without impeding the operations of the firm.
In short, the article in BusinessWeek, budgetary constraints should not be an impediment to improving the work space. A little creativity can find solutions for any pocket.
And if we consider that we spend at least a third of our day at the office, a modest investment in infrastructure can generate huge returns in terms of motivation, presenteeism and quality of life.
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Tags: Decorate the workplace, design an office, Home office design, Ideas for home office, Office Design, workplace