Innovation ideas to keep your office feeling refreshed
We now know that the traditional set up of sitting at your desk for 8 hours a day isn’t necessarily good for productivity. And perhaps the most significant benefit of the office in these digital times is the facilitation of collaboration – a place for people to be in a room and problem-solve or brainstorm.
Whether it’s meeting rooms, informal areas or an outdoor terrace, creating a range of spaces tailored to collaborative working will encourage people to leave their desk – and it might just boost productivity, too!
One of our office innovation ideas that we frequently encourage is the introduction of green office initiatives. For companies working out of IQL, we’ve already designed and built some of the most sustainable office space in London but if we can help the organisations who work there to be greener, it’ll be even better for the planet in operation.
Maybe you bring the team together in a collaboration space and ask for ideas for green initiatives? Maybe you introduce a new one every couple of months and end up with a greener office, as time goes on. From eliminating single use plastic, to reducing the amount of printing that takes place – the internet is bursting with ideas, as your team will be! If you’re struggling to get started, we’ve got a blog to help.
After-work drinks, morning team coffee breaks, lunchtime walks, zoom quizzes and celebrating team achievements – these small rituals go a large way towards creating your company culture.
Enjoy these moments, try to alleviate pressure or guilt that might stop people from joining in, and encourage all to take part. And once you think things are getting a little predictable, shake things up!
That coffee spot you love? Try a new one. The weekly status update – take it outside in the summer. Change is good for the soul.
Don’t forget to base these “rituals” around your employees’ wellbeing. Ask your teams what would make their day better, and if time and resources allow, make it happen!
Enabling playfulness at work, where you can, can reap many benefits for both your people and your organisation. Now, we’re not necessarily saying bring the ping-pong tables in (although if you want to – why not?!) but introducing playfulness and excitement into each day will encourage a positive culture within your office.
For workplace-based teams, a good way to make the office more playful is to think of three things: encourage more physical movement, encourage more interaction between people, and decrease the stigma attached to being away from your desk.
It may feel a bit too innovative at first but with quality down time, strong connections with colleagues and a positive company culture you may just see benefits in employee health, collaboration, employee retention, productivity and creativity!
It’s fairly well established that changes of scenery can boost productivity, so we say: don’t be afraid to leave the office.
At IQL, we specifically designed the public realm around our buildings to include outdoor workspaces and common areas. We also built into our offices fully connected outdoor terraces, and brought Workable and its hireable event and meeting space to the campus. We did all this to give those who work here a choice of spaces. So, as an organisation, make sure you reinforce that working away from your desk really is fine.
For more office innovation ideas, you can read about our workplaces of the future.