7 Tips to Getting a More Productive Workplace

In this article, you'll learn:

How choosing the right location can impact employee productivity
Why balancing open and private spaces is essential for focused work
The importance of reliable technology and lighting for a productive office
How office layout, collaboration areas, and decor can boost productivity

Productivity has a dramatic impact on your bottom line, and fostering it in you workplace involves more than just motivating your team. Your office itself plays a huge role in productivity. To ensure that your space is boosting rather than hampering productivity, follow these tips:

1. Consider Your Location Carefully

It's a growing myth that in the age of technology the location of an office is irrelevant. While it may be true that there will now be less need for off-site employees to travel to your location, your employees still have to work in your space every day. When a business is based in an area that is a service desert, productivity can be impacted, as it robs employees of the ability to complete errands and personal tasks before and after work and during lunch breaks.

2. Balance Your Needs for Open and Closed Space

The best offices for productivity integrate large open work areas with smaller private spaces. Striking the right balance allows employees who need to be able to communicate often with their coworkers to complete their daily tasks the freedom to do so while giving employees that need privacy for handling sensitive matters or quiet for concentration what they require.

3. Take Technology Into Consideration

Technology is intertwined with productivity in the modern office. Your employees are likely to rely on tablets, smartphones and laptops in addition to desktop computers during the day. As a result, it's important that you have fast, reliable Wi-Fi throughout the office and plenty of extra outlets for charging.

4. Get Smart About Lighting

Numerous studies have found that lighting affects productivity. Laying out your office in a way that takes advantage of natural light can help your employees perform at their best during the day. In areas where windows are lacking, consider using LED fixtures and increasing the total number of lights so that employees have adequate task lighting as well as overhead ambient illumination.

5. Think About Traffic Flow

The floor plan of an office can dramatically impact productivity. Conducting the following experiment can help you see how much time your employees may be wasting due to the layout of your office. Have employees with desks in different parts of the office keep track of their movements during the day. Recreate your office floor plan on a piece of poster board and have them plot their paths using pushpins and string. In an office that is laid out for prime productivity, movements will appear fluid without dramatic zigzags and back tracking.

6. Create Collaboration Spaces

Having smaller breakout areas for collaboration makes it easier for employees to touch base about projects. These areas can be small living room type setups or even high-top counters mounted on walls that allow for quick stand-up meetings.

7. Don't Skimp on Decor

Having an aesthetically pleasing environment has been shown to boost productivity by up to 15 percent. Take that fact into consideration when selecting furnishings, paint and artwork. Plants also make offices more visually appealing and further support productivity by contributing to better indoor air quality.