We all know it is impossible to thrive mentally and professionally when the space we work in creates unnecessary distractions and bad habits. As humans, we look for companies that foster creativity and model characteristics of responsibility and accountability. Positive leadership allows for open communication between all team members. Employees should look forward to going to work, not dreading their drive into the office.
Creating a space that encourages productivity and, in the end, leads to overall better performance is key. A well-designed office environment has the potential to create more engaged, happy, and productive employees, which makes it easier for leaders to focus on providing mentoring to their employees, improving processes, and developing new initiatives that propel the business forward.
The first step is to define what success looks like for your team, then make it measurable so the leadership and the team know if they are winning. Finally, consider how to design a space that supports your team members to do their best work. Define what a “good company” means to you, your employees, and your consumers.
A company that encourages and carefully curates a positive culture has been found to create better products and services, leading to company success. Take a close look at how office space can aid in the culture you are trying to build. As a leader, you want your company to thrive with dependable employees that want to elevate and grow with your company. Is an employee more likely to create meaningful and impressive work in a space that is dark, dingy, and loud? Or is an employee more likely to thrive in a space with natural light, tables for collaboration, and areas for uninterrupted time to focus? According to Forbes, “We spend almost a third of our lives in the office, and in order to find and retain top talent, it’s essential for companies to foster an environment that empowers people with the right space to work, think, and collaborate naturally.”
Business leaders are in a unique position to consider different environments to maximize employee happiness and engagement. With the assistance from architects and designers, a company can do this in many ways. One example, is by adding comfortable areas for collaboration, quite sound-proof booths for deep focused work, or even a rooftop space for lunch breaks or afternoon happy hours that encourages employees to connect and get outside. You can not underestimate the power company culture has on the trajectory of a business. As a leader it is important to create a space for your team that encourages mentor-employee connections.
All in all, workplace design that incorporates positive air quality, lighting, and natural views have been found to create employee satisfaction and staff productivity. It is a fundamental responsibility for leaders to build spaces that encourage an inspiring vision for the future. So, lets create workplaces that excite us and encourage us to make that Monday morning drive into the office because it is better than a pantsless Zoom Meeting!
