The word “office” instantly rakes up images of desks with papers, a boring work schedule, a clock that never seems to move ahead in time and a boss who reigns supreme over the lives of his/her employees. Sadly enough, such images are bound to demotivate employees. This in turn results in a poor work efficiency and the company might not grow in all its capacity. On the flip side, a liberal work environment and a more democratic system can do wonders. Here are six ways to make everyday office work interesting:
1. Celebrate Occasions
Try to embrace celebrations. This might be someone’s birthday or work anniversary. It really doesn’t take either too much time, nor money to make it happen. All one requires is a generous soul and a bit of will to put a smile. You could get a cake to be cut on behalf of the office. These little things count and can greatly enhance what people feel about you. One example of a company doing this is Your Company Formations Ltd.
2. Introduce Mindfulness Practice And Exercises
Yoga is a good way of introducing healthy work habits. Monthly or weekly meditation sessions are useful in improving attentiveness, confidence and establishing better connection between office staff and you. The Baidu Headquarters in China have such sessions and an additional fitness centre. The dress code is also relaxed. While putting in a fitness centre may take up quite a bit of space and a lot of funds, it is never a bad idea to compensate it with other amenities like a silent room for rest or meditation.
3. Personalisation Of Office Space
The average employee spends most of hisday in office, making it much like a second home. The personalisation of office space may seem like an additional bonus to most employers, but to those who work there, it can have a positive effect on their performance. Some modifications, like a plant, or allowing employees to put up family pictures in their spaces can help the work environment.
4. Office Away From Office
Sometimes, you could take your office away from your place of work. This means, you could ideally have occasions to take the staff out for a day. Activities like a day for golf or an annual office picnic are generally looked forward too by most employees. These short outings in turn improve the quality of work, and your employees return refreshed after taking short breaks from daily routine.
5. The Food Fantasy
Going the extra mile is really important. One way to do this is by putting in a quick snack on the employees’ desk or adding a tea and coffee machine in the office. These amenities not only inspire better work, they also ensure that the employee does not need to leave the office for food and drink, thus conserving man hours. The effort involved in leaving the office campus is great, so it is probably easier to have refreshments right there at the table.
6. Uniqueness That Is Exclusive To You
Finally, try to do something that nobody else has done or will do. A unique item or activity in the office keeps the monotony away and creates a personal connection with the employee, who will attribute that uniqueness only to the workspace he/she is employed in. Your uniqueness will eventually make you stand out from the rest.
Offices are at their best when they involve collective participation and enthusiasm. This may seem impossible to achieve, but it is not so. Small introductions, changes and behavioral patterns can have brilliant effects on the dedication, output and performance of employees. This leads to a more successful organisation and a better reputation in the market. After all, the most important part of business is relation and trust, and with these in place, the impossible will turn out to be easy.