Motivating employees can sometimes prove to be a challenge. The weather, personal turmoil or a poor working environment can contribute to a staff’s lack of focus.
A few changes in your business’s office can increase productivity. Keep employees motivated and focused by looking to improve these three areas of your company:
Office Design
Different departments have different needs when it comes to the layout of their workspace. Make sure you cater the setup of your office to your employees to maximize each individual’s productivity potential.
- Invest in ergonomic, modern office furniture. Having the right furniture for your employees can work wonders. According to the OERC, ergonomic furniture can boost productivity by an average of 17 percent.
- Cubicles and other office equipment should provide enough privacy for those who need it while encouraging discussions for teams that communicate with each other frequently. Remember, your marketing team needs something different than IT.
Open Communications
Sometimes when things aren’t going right in the workplace, turning to the everyday employees isn’t something many executives consider. However, this is where some of the best ideas on improvement can come from.
- Ask for employee input on a regular basis. Whether it’s an all-office meeting or an anonymous suggestion box, look for insight on how to improve company culture and overall success from everyone, not just a board of directors.
- Have regular meetings with department heads and managers. You can discover what their successes are, setbacks they’ve encountered and provide guidance on how to improve.
Positive Reinforcement
Disciplining your staff may seem like the only way to ensure things are done in an efficient manner and according to procedure. However, there are a number of studies that show positive reinforcement and encouragement are a better route to take.
- Recognize employees who have done a good job on a weekly basis (at the least). A “thank you” and words of appreciation will keep employees focused on their success and the success of your business.
- Have company events during a work day. An office “happy hour” or racing at a nearby Go-Kart track are a few, fun options that will motivate employees to keep working hard on a regular basis.
Motivating employees and ensuring they stay focused comes down to how much they enjoy working for your company. By encouraging and appreciating things done well and keeping communication lines open, you’ll be able to adjust the office culture for more focused and productive work days.
ERICA BELL is a small business writer who focuses on topics such as starting a small business and office productivity. She is a web content writer for Business.com.
