Everyone knows that the way to layout an assembly line in a manufacturing plant will have a direct impact on your bottom line. The key is optimizing the process which can simply translate to reducing the number of steps or movements a worker must make to accomplish their portion of the assembly process. This same philosophy can and should also be implemented on the office side of the business as well. The reason you don’t see or hear about this methodology taking place outside of the plant floor is due to the subjective measurement of the results. By this, I am referring to going beyond the rudimentary layout constructs of keeping each department confined to a specific zone. This design is somewhat analogous to plant floor layouts where the objective is to keep those who interact the most near one another thus reducing travel time and improving internal communication. The intangible elements of designing the perfect workspace layout lie in the details.
Color Theory
The most obvious place to start is what is the best color to paint the interior of your office? I had originally assumed that color theory was a concrete science since principles were found in the notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci from the 15th century. However, I was surprised to find out that the research is inconclusive due to a multitude of elements. There is a consensus though about the effects each color can have on the viewer. Blue is a great color for an office environment as it is supposed to be a soothing color that helps calm the mind and aid concentration. But you should consider using yellow in your Research and Development department since it has energizing attributes that can stimulate the mind thus promoting new ideas and reducing mental fatigue. Green is the color you want to use in your relaxation annex should you have one since it does not strain your eyes and thus creates a sense of calm and reassurance.
Floral Additions
Now let’s talk about floral arrangements in the office. There are more benefits to keeping flowers and plants around the office than just livening up the place and making it look pretty for visiting clients. First and foremost, did you know that plants clean air? Thaaaaaaank goodness NASA funded some research back in the ’60s to confirm this. The research did serve a purpose for identifying concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are known irritants and potential carcinogens, of which they found 107 inside the Skylab space station. You can only imagine how many they would find in a crowded office space. Aside from cleaning the air, plants in the office also can reduce stress and increase productivity.
Games and Exercise
Finally, let’s touch on some of the more unique and ever-increasing additions we see in the modern-day office space: games and exercise. Two activities once reserved for one’s leisure time outside of the workplace are now becoming just as convenient as access to an industrial size copier. On the surface, you would expect these additions to be a form of corporate suicide with the distraction that they would create. However, advocates of these lavish benefits argue that they provide team building and de-stressing options plus aid in the retention of some employees. Needless to say corporate wellness also looks great from a recruitment standpoint.
To sum things up, if you’re looking to create a more inviting office culture make sure to do the following. Paint your office environment blue and your research department yellow. Stock up on plants because you can never have too much clean air and productivity. Finally, don’t forget to clear space for a ping pong table and dumbbells. With just these three elements added, your office game is going to be off the charts.
To learn more about improving your business, consider taking one of our Business Strategy courses for HRCI/SHRM or APA credits to learn more about these necessary skills.
Article written by Vaughn Pourchot
