10 Ways to Create a More Productive Working Environment

There are many factors that can affect your productivity. But nothing has a greater influence than your actual working environment. After all, it can influence your decision-making, your mood and even your physical health.

The work environment you have created for yourself, or the work environment in which you spend time every day, is crucial. In business, we optimize everything - think mobile optimization. Do you think it's essential to ensure that your working environment and conditions are optimized to increase your productivity?

This preparation need not be an overwhelming task, but it will require some action if you adopt the following ten suggestions;

Create a culture of productivity

Your working environment is not just about physical location and physical conditions. It also includes processes and procedures. The culture of your company should also be included. How does it "feel" to be you in your office?

With this thought in mind, the first step is to create a culture that includes productivity.

Here are some suggestions from DeskTime that you can start to implement:

Define your goals so that you know the purpose of all your activities. Communicate these goals in precise language to your team and key stakeholders.
Speaking of goals: Set individual goals for each member of your team. Well defined goals and tasks let everyone know how they contribute to the big picture. Clearly defined objectives also let everyone know what exactly is going on in the start-up phase itself.
Encourage cooperation in your team. You can encourage and strengthen collaboration by scheduling brainstorming sessions and granting approval for cloud-based documents.
Help your team take frequent breaks to keep them fresh.
Consider changing the scenery or routines within the office environment to get everyone out of possible ruts.
Always provide the right tools, resources and training so everyone can get the job done. Knowledge can be delivered through training and professional development opportunities.

Make calendar management a priority

Calendar management may not be at the top of your to-do list. But it's the only way to keep you and your team at peak productivity. Time and appointments management also prevents someone within your organization from wasting valuable time.

Fortunately, creating and managing a team calendar is not a stressful endeavor if you follow these steps:

In many offices, only one person can be responsible for shared calendars to avoid conflicts
Reduce the number of tasks that each of your team members performs.
Use color-coding in your calendar to quickly distinguish between different tasks and events
Block the time when everyone in the office can work in peace without being interrupted
Schedule time buffers between meetings
Create more productive meetings by ensuring that the meeting is necessary - keep it short and concise
Do not add last-minute events to the team calendar
Add holidays and time zones so there's no confusion about dates or meeting times. Working across time zones may require working and speaking in military time. Instead of four in the afternoon, you would say "4:00 p.m.". The use of military time leaves little doubt as to what time exactly is referred to
Check your calendar and make adjustments if necessary
Use tools like Google Calendar, Microsoft Calendar, Apple Calendar, Calendly, ScheduleOnce, and Calender to make it easy to collaborate. Be careful not to overdo it. Limit the number of tools you use to a few essential ones-and let them all coordinate together

Redesign of the office

The physical environment and conditions of your workplace play a role in your productivity. It may be time to give your office a much needed overhaul or even a facelift.

Here are some of the best areas to focus on:

Let in as much natural light as possible. Research from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory has shown that people who work in natural lighting stay at work 15 percent longer than people who work only in artificial lighting
Choose the right colours in your office. Yellow, for example, is ideal for creativity, while subdued colours are relaxing and calming
Place plants throughout the office and allow your team to decorate their areas and personal spaces as they wish.
Keep the temperature at around 72 degrees
Add an air freshener. Lemon scents produce 54 percent fewer errors
Create an ergonomic workspace to avoid carpal tunnel and eye strain

I'd also like to add that you have a variety of workstations for different tasks. For example, casual areas are perfect for socializing and reading, while cabins provide privacy when you need to concentrate.

Inflate the volume or the sound of silence

Depending on the study you encounter, you may read that background noise improves productivity. Other studies may say otherwise - and find that "silence is preferred at work". The boss must set the tone for this decision and not give vague instructions. It is recommended that a separate conference be held for noisy meetings.

The thing is - everyone is different. I know many people who work best when there is background noise such as music or conversation. Others, on the other hand, want it to be quiet. Take time to determine what type of environment is best for you and your employees. I worked in an office where the music was even louder around five or six o'clock in the evening, so we all left with a "high-pitched sound", so to speak.

Keep your work area clean and organized

There's nothing wrong with a little mess. It might even get the creative juices flowing. However, this does not mean that you should work in a pigsty. Keep your workspace clean and organized. Not only will this save you time by not having to search for misplaced items, it will also keep you from having to concentrate on that mess. A tidy office is probably also better for your health.

Identify and reduce distractions

Every office is full of distractions, from smartphone alerts to chattering employees to meetings. Take the time to find out what distracts you and your team the most. When you put problem areas in the spotlight, you can look for the solutions and the best ways to stop these distractions.

Avoid micromanagement

I understand that this is your start-up. Yeah, you're the boss, you're the founder. However, it is counterproductive to deal with every little detail and regularly wring the neck of your team. Loosen the reins a bit and let your team work as and when they want to - within the appropriate framework, of course. Assign the work and expect it to be done. The "how" is less critical.

make sure you have the right tools, equipment and resources
It's almost impossible to get things done without the right tools, equipment and resources. Both you and your employees should have everything they need to get the job done. In addition, your team should be able to resolve questions or concerns quickly and directly. For example, there should be cloud-based documents that answer troubleshooting questions.

Focus on health

If you take care of yourself by exercising, eating healthy food and getting enough sleep, you will have the energy and alertness to get through the day. You can support your team by starting an employee wellness program, filling the office with healthy snacks, not sending them e-mails around the clock.

Provide exercise equipment in the break rooms - and maybe a pair of scales. Show your team how to lift a little weight during breaks or ride a stationary bike. As the boss, make sure that you take a break and have lunch so that your team feels free to do the same.

Tap into the power of positivity

A happy and positive working environment is synonymous with a more productive working environment. As with most of the other items on this list, it is easy to achieve satisfied, happy employees:

Distribute lots of positive reinforcement to your team
Gratitude for all the hard work everyone has done
Celebrate victories and events like birthdays
Have fun in the office by playing games or going on team adventures
Just say "hello" and smile more
Practice involvement
Engage in random acts of kindness, such as a surprise pizza party or reward
Improve your emotional intelligence so that you can react appropriately

Also Read: Increase the productivity of your organization using HRIS