As you are sitting at work at your desk reading this article, you will be reminded of that one time where you felt this urge to move, restless even, at your desk that you have been sitting at for hours straight. Your foot gets this uncomfortable tingly feeling that grabs the attention of your mind, and also seems to be making you a little anxious. You know that the only way for it to stop is by getting up and walking around for a bit to maybe "wake-up" your foot and stop the physical and mental torture that is wrecking your life at the moment BUT you do not want to get up and make a scene amongst your co-workers who are working intensely on their assignments. What a predicament, right?
You would not have to give it a second thought about fixing your foot if your workspace felt a little more inviting and comfortable. It is interesting to see how people change based on the type of environment they are in. Society views office spaces as a bland and tedious working environment, and it shows through the broadcasted TV shows that depict office life in cubicle-heavy offices. When people think of cubicles, they think of piles-on-piles of repetitive paperwork, a competitive working environment, and isolation. These traits seem counterintuitive when building a successful business with hard-working and motivated employees. Cubicle offices are a thing of the past, for most companies anyway. Society is developing a more connective and collaborative ideology that the people have adopted. Future employees, a majority of them most likely being millennials, just do not function in a way that would make cubicle offices work anymore.
Businesses must be updated on these changes and make the necessary accommodations to account for these developments in the office environment. What businesses should aim for when it comes to fixing up their workspace are these two concepts: an active workplace and no assigned offices or workstations. Businesses should create a working space that follows the trend of increased interconnectedness and communication between people. The world is becoming a relationship-heavy place, which encourages people to work together. This office setup is not necessarily made as a one-size-fits-all kind of solution. Getting a feel of the business and understanding what it needs will help you better gauge on what to do with your office space and if it needs that collaborative touch.
Here are some perks of an active workspace that you can use to get a better feel of its effects on you, your employees, and help you (whether or not it is the perfect fit for your business):
- Creates a friendlier environment. An active and collaborative workplace will invoke a sense of unity amongst your employees. The furniture arrangement and the vibrant eye-popping colors will set a mood that will make your employees feel relaxed and at home. This feeling will give them the opportunity to make themselves comfortable and dispel the awkwardness that often comes with encountering fellow co-workers. Doing so will allow them to be more open about their feelings and in turn their ideas for possible improvements or assignments.
- Inspires employees to work together. This point is a follow-up of the previous. Since an active workspace provides employees with the option to move around the office and change their work environment, they are bound to make encounters with co-workers. It supports a positive collaborative environment inspiring employees to improve themselves and support each other. Being in the presence of co-workers will allow the employees to bounce ideas off of each other, which may generate ingenious ideas and solutions that would not have been thought of if it was just the work of one mind. Even more so when co-workers get the chance to discuss with employees from other departments as it provides them with a different perspective on the matter.
- Increase productivity by keeping the minds of your employees active. A collaborative workspace brings in all sorts of styles of office space arrangements. The variety will keep your employees' minds active and energy high. Vibrant colors paired with standing desks, a café setting, or maybe even a nature-like environment will provide your employees some mindful stimulant and possibly bolster some creative thinking and inspiration that can be incorporated into their assignments. It brings in the comfortable environment of one's own home and pairs it with motivation provided by other employees. A lot will be going on in the office as there are no great dividers separating office areas.
Those are pretty wholesome advantages, right? This new type of workspace improves the well-being of your business by creating a healthy environment for your employees to collaborate and support each other. If you want to add some flavor and spice up the office space for your business look no further. Here are some ideas and trends that people identify collaborative workspaces with:
- Colors are kind of a big deal. Knowing what colors go well together is important in making an iconic modern workplace. Colors in an office setting will liven up the setting. It works like highlighters in a black and white book, it brings in your attention and makes reading a little easier on the eyes. Colors in the workspace provide the same effect in that it also stimulates your mind. You might want to do yellow and blue in one room, and then aqua and a light orange color in the other room. It all comes down to your preference, feel free to set up the kind of identity you want for this office.
- Open up those walls and bring in some light. A building that is fully enclosed and fully devoid of windows can make employees feel caged in and claustrophobic. Natural light not only provides a multitude of health benefits to the mind and body, but it will also increase your alertness. This occurs as light affects the amount of melatonin produced in the body - melatonin controls your sleep and wake cycles (M?nch). Keeping the brain alert and awake will increase productivity.
- Furniture variety. The type of furniture you decide to include in your business' office space is important. It works like the colors in that it can accommodate your employees' different workstyles. You can have couches with a coffee table and some long tables with high chairs next to it. There are numerous combinations. You can even opt in for those fashionable standing desks and maybe an Aeron office chair. The numerous seating and workspace options provides some flexibility for your employees. They have the freedom to work where they please and not feel nailed to a specific spot in the office. Beverly Hills Chairs has the biggest variety of sit to stand desks and Aeron chairs at the most reasonable prices that will keep your employees alert, happy, and healthy.
- It's okay to lounge around. With the utilization of the collaborative workspace it seems kind of odd to have a lounge or a break room when literally any spot in the office can become just that. A designated lounge space will separate work and break time. People who are busy working will not be bothered by others who are taking their lunch break. The lounge also serves as a spot for employees to converse with each other, which helps build a sense of community.
Remember, this active workspace is a modern take on the typical office space and it might not be for every business. Of course, you can incorporate certain aspects of the active workspace that will fit right in with your business. It is all about what you think will be best in boosting the productivity and wellness of your office culture.
