Businesses use tried-and-tested tips, tricks, and hacks to boost productivity among their employees. These can include things like offering better benefits and empowering employees, but there are cases when a business might not see the productivity improvements it hoped for. Before you give up and settle with the levels of productivity reached thus far, you can explore some unconventional techniques for boosting productivity.
Add Some Plants to the Office
Plants are very beneficial whether they are added to a home or an office. Studies show that plants can boost our mood, improve our creativity, and improve concentration, performance, and productivity. Plants can also improve employee satisfaction thereby reducing employee churn.
Before you add some plants to the office, though, there are a few things to think about. First, shop for plants that do not produce pollen or shed any material. These types of plants can affect different employees in different ways, and thus have the opposite of the desired effect.
Second, ensure the plants are easy to care for and fill or frame the space they are put in. You do not want dead plants in the office as they are a downer, and plants that shed lots of leaves increase the level of care they need.
Introduce Happy Hour
Many business owners think that adding some fun to the office can be a distraction and break down the hierarchy within the office. This is not necessarily true if it is done right. Happy hour can be a time for employees to reduce stress and think of something else without the stress of their jobs or positions hanging over them.
It could also include relaxed and creative sessions where the group discusses anything that comes to mind, such as the next post for the company blog or an upcoming movie. Just remember to keep things light and avoid sensitive topics that might cause animosity in the office.
Clean the Air
When most people think about the air in the office, they think about the humidity and the temperature because both make people uncomfortable quickly if they are not at optimal levels. Air quality is typically forgotten about unless someone in the office has allergies or is sensitive to particulate matter in the air.
However, there is evidence that air quality has a significant effect on cognitive abilities. The study, done and published by IOP Science and corroborated by Harvard University, included participants from six countries. The study found that a higher level of carbon dioxide and particulate matter in the air can lead to a noticeable and recordable decline in cognitive abilities.
Low ventilation rates were blamed for the increase in CO2 and particulate matter, with the study concluding that purifying air in the office can lead to better output and productivity. There are lots of ventilation and air purification options for offices of all sizes, and you can click here to learn all about them.
Set Some Unrealistic Goals
This works if you already have a motivated team that you don’t feel is reaching its full potential. It might seem counterintuitive for a manager to set goals their team will not meet, but it has been shown to boost productivity in a lot of cases.
It might seem aggressive or even intrusive but setting some unrealistic goals can help spark creativity and increase output. These ambitious goals should only last for a short while because your employees will burn out if they feel like they are always pushing hard for some unattainable goal.
Arrange for some reward if your employees surpass your previous goals on the way to these new goals. After all, they will want to feel appreciated for putting in more effort than usual.
Encourage Humor in the Office
There is the thinking that the office should be a serious place of work. While this is true, this way of thinking typically leads to rigid employees who are afraid of thinking outside the box, which leads to stagnation in innovation, creativity, and productivity.
Humor helps break down hierarchies, which in turn helps people be free and themselves in the office. The result is increased innovation since employees will feel free to put their ideas out there, better morale, less stress and increased trust among people of different hierarchies.
If you decide to do this, set boundaries for what is acceptable and make it clear that all humor has to be non-offensive. Activities like developing funny ads, encouraging employees to take an improv class or having a funny motivational speaker can all help introduce humor in the office.
Make Your Employees Comfortable
Making the work environment as comfortable as possible for your employees can improve productivity as they will be able to concentrate better on their work instead of fiddling with their chair or desk. For those who like standing, get them adjustable standing desks and get a comfortable seat for those who like sitting.
Comfortable chairs are especially important for employees who sit for long periods. You can check out the different types of ergonomic and comfortable chairs in the market to choose some for your employees. If you have the budget, you can also ask them to find the chairs they are comfortable with so you can buy them for your employees.
Let the Pets In
For pet owners, their furry friends can cheer them up after a long day in the office. Even though it may sound strange, letting pets into the office can afford employees the same benefits, leading to better morale, job satisfaction, happier employees, and less absenteeism.
The key here is to provide a balanced office environment and ensure employees who are allergic to pets are considered, too.
Try Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy has a lot of benefits, and there have been numerous studies that show different aromas affect your brains differently. Some improve concentration while some boost creativity. While it might not be the first thing you think about when trying to improve productivity, it is something to try out.
Combining the tips above with other tips for improving productivity should yield improvements because there are studies that support them. Pick those that are best suited for your office and go with them.
