The concept of gray, prison cells-like office cubicles has long been outmatched. Today, both start-ups and navigated businesses embrace the importance of inspirational, exciting workspaces. Every day, more employers understand that, in an era of fierce competition, the most valuable asset of a company is its team and the unique ideas that emerge from it. However, your budget might not stretch to sleep pods, massage rooms, or mini sports fields just yet.
So, how can you spark creativity, genius, and innovation among your team while avoiding burning off half of the company’s funds? Studies have found that the physical environment has a significant impact on the ability to focus and can increase creativity to up to 20%. If you are on the lookout for the next office to relocate your team, make sure it ticks all these boxes!
Variety of environments
Routine might be the enemy of time, but it is also not great for creativity! Consistently following a particular structure of time and space might offer a feeling of comfort and safety. It avoids you having to make time-consuming decisions and allows you to walk the same route to work every day. At the same time, getting rid of habits that constrain your creative juices and allow for positive disruptions can show unbelievable results.
In an office space, offering a variety of different “agile” environments employees can choose from might offer them a new, alternative point of you on a project. While these areas don’t necessarily have to include a climbing wall, just implementing a cafeteria, relaxation spots, or collaborative spaces can promote creative activity-based working. This concept allows workers to pick where they prefer to work, depending on the current project. Open areas where conversation and discussion are encouraged should balance out quiet rooms.
The building’s characteristics
As a business owner, you might fantasize about the perfect home for your company. In the same way, start-uppers might dream about moving their team from a crowded co-working space to a Google-like office building. But what if this kind of budget is not available to you yet? If the surrounding environment can inspire creativity, then you will need to pick a building that fits the aim of your company.
Even firms based at the heart of a bustling city can find an adequate alternative solution by searching for redesigned or rethought buildings. Adaptive reuse is the art of transforming the interior of old, destitute buildings into new, innovative, and highly functional spaces. The enhanced character of these interiors creates a different, out-of-the-ordinary space for genius.
Natural lighting and air quality
Experts in the field of environmental psychology have been studying the importance of natural light to spark creativity for years. It regulates the cardiac rhythm, ability to focus, and even influences energy levels. Since professionals tend to spend up to 22 hours per day indoors on average, to get creative and productive, they need to be at their best, both mentally and physically.
The lack of windows has been seen to be directly related to reduced sleep quality and inhibited productivity. At the same time, low air quality can increase headaches, fatigue, and focus issues. On your quest for the dream office space, ensure that the future home of your company includes vents, air filters, and, ideally, enough sources of natural airflow and light.
Natural touches
That humans take inspiration from nature is a given. Yet, if you are not lucky enough to work from a desk overlooking the Swiss Alps, how can you bring nature in a downtown office? Researchers at Harvard University have explored the connection between a greener building and enhanced employee performances. In this case, “green” does not only refer to the structure’s level of sustainability, but also the presence of natural aspects.
Indeed, employees working for more sustainable companies and in environmentally-friendly buildings report a much higher level of happiness and satisfaction in the workplace.
Yet, if you are dealing with an older building that can’t be changed much, little additions can have a just as a positive outcome. Introducing plants, natural materials, and sunlight in workspaces can help your team benefit from improved cognitive-function and reduced symptoms such as headache and eyestrain. In turn, your company can see increased productivity without having to move to Interlaken!
Bottom Line
Looking for a new office building and relocating your whole team can be stressful and involve the right amount of preparation. Taking the time to find the perfect office space that perfectly matches both your employees’ needs and your company ethos can have a significant impact on the general creativity level of your team.
