Everyone must have heard of tips and tricks on how to be productive at the office. Manage time, take breaks, call for short meetings are some of the advice experts give. But what about the managed working spaces where multiple teams cooperate and work under the same roof?
While some of the rules from the personal offices may still apply, being productive at shared office spaces needs special steps to be taken. Shared offices tender community working. Different factors need different treatment. While managed spaces do have their social benefits, being productive at such community space can be a bit tricky.
So how to target team or individual productivity?
- Right Environment
Just as the right kind of ambient is effective in personal office spaces, it becomes all the more important to set the right tone for the managed office spaces. It helps in distinguishing one team from the rest under the same roof. Soothing lights, optimum temperature are important to make employees feel comfortable working all day long. The office interior should reflect the theme and spirit of the team. Colors and designs that project energy and positivity should fill up the place.
One of the important office interiors recently picked up by most of the commercial spaces is greenery. Having plants inside the office creates an aura of freshness and happiness. It provides fresh oxygen and reduces carbon footprint which helps in keeping minds fresh, which the conditioned air fails at.
Managed offices are designed keeping in mind the employees’ happiness. And according to an Inc. article, an experiment performed by Fortune on 700 employees shows that happiness can increase productivity as much as 12%. Hence, providing the right kind of environment leads to an increase in employees’ productivity. It brings in positivity and takes away the distractions for their minds, helping in focussing on work.
- Make a not-to-do list
Everybody makes a to-do list first thing coming to the office. But what seems more important to the current generation and in shared offices is a ‘not-to-do’ list. It lists out all the non-productive tasks you might do which can delay your important tasks. It requires a little self-introspection to identify unproductive habits like checking out social media frequently, taking longer breaks, chatting with other team members for too long over unimportant topics, etc.
As a team, there are certain activities that can be included or excluded to bring more productivity. Like having long meetings. This not only consumes time but longer meetings often deviate from the main agenda and hop on to random discussions, leading to employees completely losing track of time and interest. Having some recreational activities like indoor games between the day can help revive employees from their lethargy and exhaustion.
- Productive inter-team engagement
Working in a shared office space means opportunities to connect with the other teams. It’s always better to work with various people with different talents and skills. Networking is always better and beneficial for personality development and a healthy working environment. But these conversations can become non-productive and time-consuming. Cultivating networking and a healthy relationship in the workspace is important, it might even get potential clients for the business. But it is equally important to limit those conversations to useful ones to avoid everyone’s wastage of time.
- Taking technological advantage
Managed offices provide high-speed internet for fast and efficient work. Technical support facilitates uninterrupted work and improved communication for the conference and video calls. Websites and applications like Slack can be used for communication between the members. The team can create different channels over this platform for formal and informal conversations. Then there are project management websites that allow tracking all the work. Keeping track of work online eliminates miscommunication within the team for efficient work and output. This can avoid the need for face-to-face communication which can lead to more time consumption.
- Efficient workspace layout
Often ignored, zoning is an important aspect of designing the office interior. Designated areas for different activities allow segregation and keeps away the distraction.
Separate call stations are very crucial for people constantly in calls which can create a nuisance for the rest of the team.
The cafeteria is mostly a common space in managed working offices. Eating at the workstation fills up space with the smell of food which can be distracting for other people.
Break-out areas are one of the most important zones. People can chill out in these areas while taking a break. Taking a break at one’s own workspace can be distracting for the other employees and they may lose focus.
Although these zones are already available in managed offices, it is important to make judicial use of them to avoid productivity disruption.
- Time Management
Distributing work time is very crucial to get your day sorted. Managed office spaces are open round the clock to allow flexible working hours for different teams. Time management becomes easier in such situations. It also allows for work-life balance. The in-house facilities like 24*7 coffee, cafeteria, and even gyms and leisure areas help to vent out the work stress. This serves a dual purpose – increasing productivity and also providing recreational facilities so that employees do not have to worry about taking additional time apart from the office hours, which again gives more time for work.
- Decluttering of audio and visual noises
Shared workspace can be noisy at times. Multiple discussions, brainstorming sessions, or normal chit-chats are very regular. White noise from constant keyboard strokes, conference calls, coffee sips, etc. is something you cannot get rid of. So how to avoid it? Simple, use headphones. Listening to music can be a good option to stay away from such distractions. Covering up the noise is a good way to work in peace and quiet.
Another kind of noise that people do not realize but is a huge part of a productivity killer is the visual noise. A chaotic environment or a messy desk can frequently deviate one’s focus while working. The employees should be motivated to keep their desks clean. The sitting position should be away from washrooms and trash bins. A simple view like a garden window can help in retaining focus.
Incorporating productivity in such dynamic environments is a challenge. Maintaining team productivity becomes more important in a managed office space with multiple organizational teams coworking together. While it’s not a tough nut to crack, keeping little things in mind to avoid distractions can help achieve longer productive days.
