The environment in which you and your work is vitally important and it’s not just the colour of the walls, locations of windows or if you have the latest Nespresso machine!
Your work environment consists of your geographical location, physical location and the people around you.
If the mere sight of your working space fills you with dread and overwhelm, it isn’t going to be conductive to creative, effective and efficient working.
When I worked corporately they called me Monica from Friends; stacks of papers, dirty coffee cups and rubbish could not be in my eye line, I often ended up washing up everything in the sink, instead of just my plate and fork at lunchtime!
I also had the same problem when I started out as an entrepreneur, working from my dining table! I had to tidy the house before I could start working, but also I lost quite a bit of time on the phone and WhatsApp, because being home alone all day is lonely.
Now I work from a lovely co-working space at least twice a week. It’s clean, tidy and well lit. I get to be surrounded by entrepreneurs from across London and feel like part of a community.
How does your current working environment inspire you and your team? Here are some tips to help you improve your working environment so that you and your team will be more productive and creative:
Location
Location isn’t just the street that your office is based on and the shops nearby. Sometimes just moving your desk so you can see out of a window and get some natural light makes a big difference.
Furniture
Being flexible about working space is a great way to improve the environment. Think about a section where you can work standing (I often use a standing desk set-up at home), having non-tradition ergonomic chairs (backless chairs/balls) or having a break out space, with comfy chairs or bean bags.
Working Equipment
There are some basic things that should just BE in a workplace. Safe working machinery, no trailing wires or other trip hazards. Ensure your work area is clean, tidy, with ample storage and the provision of a good coffee machine, fresh fruit, water and snacks will always help.
Noise levels
If you have a department or individual that is loud or spends the majority of time on the phone as part of their role. It’s important to organise your office space in a way that contains the sound and providing a separate area for telephone calls, is a good idea if you have the space for it.
You can find the Vlog for this subject here.
Let us know what improvements you’ll be making to your working environment, in the comments section below.