Any modern business owner will tell you that it really makes a difference what kind of workplace you work in. It’s no secret that the environment surrounding us has a lot of effect on our mood, performance, and overall mental health. That’s why, as a responsible leader, you should focus on workplace innovation and help your employees reach their maximum potential. Not only will you see an increase in productivity, but you’ll be nurturing a positive and healthy work environment.
1. Start small
Being innovative doesn’t necessarily mean that you need something revolutionary. Instead, try working your way up from the ideas you already have. You can take the first steps by reviewing what your company already offers and making it better.
Ask your employees for opinions! Let the people be the innovators. It doesn’t even matter if you don’t end up using their ideas, it’s just important you listen to them. Feedback is critical to building an innovative, employee friendly workplace. It’s also an added positive if your employees feel like they can openly discuss their ideas with management. They’re the most important part of your business after all and the workplace is really for them.
2. A healthy dose of competition
If you’re not sure how to proceed with your services, check out what your close competitors are doing. Sometimes inspiration comes to us from someone else, and that’s okay. Don’t copy what they’re doing, though. Instead, see how you can improve their ideas.
Ambition is a strong asset in any business, and motivating your employees to strive towards success is bound to get the creative juices flowing. In that spirit, it’s a well-known fact that a little healthy competition between competitors motivates people. Brainstorm how to improve existing ideas and products with your employees and make sure to have clear goals. That will help your employees achieve them faster. The most important thing to remember is not to be afraid of experimenting. Listen to what your team has to say and find the best innovative idea together.
3. Open plan does not equal better
Open plan workplaces have passed the peak of popularity and they’ve proven to be counterproductive in some cases. They can be loud and can lack privacy. These distractions can make it difficult concentrate on work. All of that stifles the creativeness you’re trying to create with your new office.
So instead just blindly using an open plan, consider the layout that works best for your space and team. Every office is different, and you’ll get the best results if you mesh that with how your team works. Do development teams need quiet space? Are sales teams loud? However you decide to organize your office, make sure there’s enough private space for sensitive meetings and calls. The furniture will play a large role in this. There are great office furniture providers which can help you make the right decisions for your workspace.
4. Deal with the management, as well
It’s often easy to forget business unit leadership of the company in this process. Every leader has their own requirements and not everyone will be happy with the final decisions. It’s important to make sure business unit leaders are bought in and they are not blindly forced into the new plan. Making sure the leadership team has input and can iterate on their portion of the space after the reconfiguration will be critical for the success of a new space. The earlier bring leadership into the mix, the less likely you’ll deal with poor feedback and reconfigurations after the fact.
Conclusion
There are many ways to innovate your workplace, but, as you can see, the common ground is the same. They all result in satisfied employees who will do their best work. In all the rush of today’s world, sometimes it’s easy to forget that your employees are people and not robots. They need a great place to settle into at work. An innovative workplace shows you care about both theirs and your company’s well-being, which is the main reason you should strive towards it.
