Creating the Ideal Work Environment

Whether you are working for yourself or have a team of employees, it is important to have the right work environment. You need to be able to create a place where everyone can get into a creative flow on a regular basis. There are many different ways to accomplish this. If you are willing to take the time to create an ideal work environment, you will find productivity will soar.

Have an open work area

If you have a team of creative individuals, you want to make sure that they are collaborating on a regular basis. Instead of investing in old school cubicles, try having a more open workspace. This will help your creative employees feel much more at ease about going and talking to others about their projects. Offices that are more open are also easier to make friends in.

Lighting makes all the difference

Harsh fluorescent lighting should be reserved for boring high schools and eerie shopping centers. Long gone are the days of having blaring white lights in your office. Track lighting, floor lamps, LED desk lamps, and even colored wall lights can be a great addition to your office. Lighting sets the mood of your office and gets everyone into a productive workflow.

Make sure everyone is well-fed

Food is a small investment that is really going to pay off in the end. A company fridge that is well-stocked with drinks and food keeps morale up for hours every day. By keeping your company fridge full of goodies employees need, your workers will be happier and more awake.

Recognize the hard work that your employees do

If you don’t have a solid employee recognition program, it will be difficult for your employees to feel like they are appreciated at work. They are the lifeblood that keeps your company rolling. When employees work hard, they need to be recognized. With small incentives, causal parties, and awards, your employees will feel as they are recognized for all of the hard work they are putting forth.

Hear the ideas and concerns of everyone

Everyone wants to feel like they are a member of the team. If they are not able to have their ideas and concerns heard, it will be very hard for them to feel included. Hold regular meetings where you hear the ideas of your employees and team members. You can also have a group chat online where team members can give their honest opinions about ongoing projects. The more the members of your team get their ideas and concerns heard, the more they will feel like part of the bigger team.

Make your office more laid back

If you have an uptight and stressful office, it is going to be hard to get any sort of real work done. It is necessary to accomplish tasks at work, but you can do it in a much more laid back fashion. A few bean bag chairs and a ping pong table can really set the mood for your office. You will have employees who are really looking forward to coming into work. Ask your employees what they would like in the office in order to feel more at ease. Playing cheerful and relaxing music in the office is also a great way to make your workplace seem much more inviting. You really don’t have to change up your office that much in order to create the ideal stress-free work environment.

Creating the ideal work environment can be a fun and exciting thing to do. Make sure that you work with your employees to create a system that everyone will enjoy. Once you have a great work environment in place, everyone will be more productive than they ever have been before.

About the Author

Robert Cordray is a former business consultant and entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience and a wide variety of knowledge in multiple areas of the industry such as corporate leadership, employee engagement, workplace culture and entrepreneurship. Robert earned a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) from the University of Chicago. He currently resides in the Southern California area and spends his time helping consumers and business owners alike try to be successful. When he’s not reading or writing, he’s most likely with his beautiful wife and three children.