Four ways to build a productive work environment

From encouraging a healthy work-life balance to creating a social atmosphere, here’s how you can create a productive work environment.

CREDIT: This is an edited version of an article that originally appeared on Work Life

A positive, vibrant company culture not only boosts employee happiness but also helps productivity and motivation in the long run. In fact, research by Oxford University’s Saïd Business School found that happy workers are 13% more productive. 

With this in mind, let’s take a look at how to build a productive work environment.

Effective workplace communication 

Poor communication is one of the top office productivity drains. There’s nothing worse than feeling out of the loop or that your opinions don’t matter. So make sure your employees have a voice within your business; empower them to be free thinkers, and ask them for their input so that they know their feedback, concerns and ideas are valued.    

The key to effective workplace communication is collaborative spaces that help keep your teams connected. While many aspects of our working lives have moved online, nothing beats the benefits of face-to-face communication.   

Most coworking spaces are designed with teamwork in mind, and most offer the following facilities to support all types of collaborative working: 

• Hotdesking areas
• Breakout spaces
• Private office spaces
• Focus booths
• Communal areas
• Meeting rooms

Teams can benefit from a more productive work environment with these different spaces as they can work in a way that suits them at any given time.

For example, communal areas let employees interact with different people and encourage fresh discussion. Then there are hot desking areas that provide a welcome change of scenery and give a whole new feel to every single day – a sure-fire way to inspire creativity and boost office productivity.

A place you can be yourself 

Promote autonomy in your workspace and make sure your employees feel comfortable being self-motivated and free to express themselves. If your teams feel restricted in how they must dress or work, they may be less happy and less productive.

Autonomy is about more than flexibility. It’s about giving your teams the freedom to work in a way that suits them. Encourage employees to think creatively, let them work around their lifestyle (pets at work, anyone?) and build a culture of trust to make them feel valued.

Building an inclusive workplace is also essential to supporting a workforce’s productivity, with high levels of diversity and inclusion (D&I) linked to a boost in office productivity.

Research from Perkbox revealed that 42% of businesses saw an increase in workplace productivity due to improved D&I policies. What’s more, the study found that 33% of teams are noticeably happier, and 32% of teams became more creative and innovative thanks to improved D&I policies. 

By embracing different ways of working and providing a supportive community, you can create a productive work environment where your teams can be their best selves and do their best work. 

A healthy approach to breaks 

When you’ve got deadlines to hit or feel the pressure to get a task done, it can be tempting to plough through it. But without taking adequate breaks from work, your performance and productivity can start to suffer. 

Make sure your teams stay refreshed by encouraging them to take frequent breaks. Importantly, foster a productive work environment that shows breaks are perfectly acceptable; they’re not a sign of weakness or lack of commitment. 

Physical wellbeing is so important for your teams’ health and productivity. Here are three ways you can encourage breaks in your workplace:

Lead by example

Whether it’s taking time out at lunch, stretching your legs to make a cup of coffee or having a five-minute break from your screen, take regular breathers and show that it’s important to take care of yourself at work.

Create comfortable spaces

Invite employees to take a break with dedicated areas to relax. Think comfy seating, a fully equipped kitchen and an office library. Oh, and free snacks, lots of free snacks.

Schedule walking meetings

While this isn’t technically a break from work, a walking meeting can be more laid back. It gets people outside and helps people unplug from devices. Research also shows that walking meetings can increase creativity by 81-100%.

A positive work environment

Tap into the power of positivity to boost work environment productivity by: 

• Building an inclusive workspace to ensure every employee has equal access to resources and opportunities. 
• Surprising and delighting teams with random acts of kindness like a care package or small gift. 
• Recognising unsung heroes – those who might be quieter or don’t seek the limelight.  
• Celebrating achievements and special events like birthdays.  
• Taking a couple of hours out of the day to play games or have a group lunch.  
• Showing appreciation for your teams’ hard work and dishing out positive reinforcements.  
• Holding regular team bonding and social events to boost morale and encourage employees to get to know one another better.

These simple actions go a long way to making employees feel valued and promoting positivity in the workplace. And eliminating stress and negativity leads to a boost in work environment productivity, creativity and profitability.