5 Ways to Make Your Office Work for You: How Space Can Boost Productivity
We love to get work done here at Evolve Workplace, but your workspace itself can have a big impact on your productivity. Here are five quick ways to make sure your office space is maximizing your productivity.
1. Organization
There’s always a debate about a messy desk: Does a cluttered desk equal a cluttered mind, or is it a sure sign of creativity? The right answer is the one that allows you to get work done. You need as much organization as it takes to be productive. For some people, that’s a minimal workspace with zero clutter. For others, that’s a decent pile of mess strewn across a desk (and hopefully not the floor).
When it comes to organization, some people are filers and some people are pilers. Rather than stressing about the best way to do it, figure out what works for you:
If you’re a filer, make sure you’ve got a good filing cabinet with plenty of room to expand and plenty of tabbed folders so you can organize away.
If you’re a piler, create ways to corral those piles into need, orderly stacks. You can use stacked inboxes for multiple piles so can still find what you need when you need it.
2. Ergonomics
For today’s digital worker, ergonomics is no joke. For all the time we spend with our devices, there’s a flood of potential pain problems, including your wrists, back, neck, eyes, and more. Invest the proper time (and money) to make sure you have the right set up—your body will thank you.
Here are five ways to improve your office ergonomics.
3. Devices
There’s nothing more frustrating than devices that don’t work. As expensive as it can be, it’s worth it to invest in quality devices. You’d rather focus on your work than spend a day troubleshooting a device on the fritz.
Mobility: Buy devices that match your work style. If you’re always on the go, invest in a solid laptop. If you never leave the office, go for multiple monitors.
Backup: What happens if your computer goes poof? Your tech system should have built-in redundancies. That means your super important client presentation shouldn’t be stored in a single place. Invest in backup, whether it’s an external hard drive or in the cloud.
Support: If you’re not a techie, get the protection plan so have the peace of mind that any issues will be deftly handled by a team of computer geeks.
4. Control Distractions
One of the challenges of office work is controlling the myriad distractions that can crop up every day.
Location: Where you work has a huge impact on distractions. Home might have way too many but a coffee shop may be just right. Find the space that works for you.
Interruptions: If you want to get things done, you need to minimize interruptions. That can mean making it clear to office mates that you can't be disturbed. Consider a simple sign or a closed/open door. There are times when people popping in can boost your creativity and other times when you need to buckle down and get to work.
Focus: A good way to block out distractions is to hone your focus. A good set of headphones can help you literally shut out the distractions. Find a good playlist and get in the zone.
5. Take a Break
But sometimes you need a good distraction. Creative solutions often present themselves when you walk away from your desk and let your subconscious go to work. So it helps to have ready breaks (it’s also good ergonomics to get up from your desk on a regular basis).
That can be as simple as a few workplace toys, whether it’s a putter set, nerf basketball, or some fussball (that’s why we have a game room here at Evolve). It can also mean heading outside for a quick walk. The River-to-River Greenway across the street is a great place to start.
Work at Evolve
Make sure your workplace is helping you be more productive. That’s the goal here at Evolve, with office space to help you be productive. Take a virtual tour to see our space or book a physical tour to check it out in person.