There is a huge preference growing towards being able to work away from a fixed place of work rather than being tied to the office desk. As our lives become busier and our family commitments more difficult to balance with the traditional nine to five job, more people are choosing to work remotely.
Working from home can actually enhance productivity and communication. A laptop provides so much flexibility that you no longer need a traditional office desk to work at. You simply need to find a flat surface.
There was a survey carried out by Working Nation for Vodafone last year. Employees across the UK revealed that they felt their performance increased dramatically if they were able to work from a home office. Fifty nine percent of staff who took part found they were much more creative and focused when not chained to an office chair.
Parents in work find that mobile technologies such as laptops and mobile phones allow them to juggle work and home life much more successfully. Working from home allows them to cope with the day-to-day demands of children and family.
The marketing manager for T Mobile and Blackberry, Camilla Cochrane commented:
“For working mothers, a lot of the difficulty they have is being able to grab those minutes between meetings and the office desk, or on their way to or from work, and make the most of them. A device like the Blackberry is so handy for that because you don’t have to be anywhere in particular to use it. Working mums feel more in control as they know they’ve got it covered.”
Have you ever been in a presentation that really made an impact and hence you looked back on it fondly? Do you have to rack your brains when composing a new presentation or does one float into your consciousness straight away? Most people have to put a lot of thought and preparation into preparations. It can be a stressful problem because always at the back of your mind you will have to find your own way to communicate with a sometimes very well informed audience.
There are however some basic things you can do to ensure that your aims are achieved and your message understood. The four areas to focus on are:
• Ensure your audience has fully understood the aim of the presentation.
• Deliver a clear and concise message.
• Be well prepared and practice before the day.
• Make sure you use vivid presentation methods to deliver the message.
Before you begin to write your presentation you must take time to understand who will be attending the presentation, what you want to say to them and what is important to your audience i.e. what will make them sit up and listen.
Think carefully about the message you’d like to convey. Assess the message by asking yourself what will define your success? How will you know your message has been understood?
Next pay attention to the language you use, your body language and also the environment within which you will hold the presentation. How do you want the office chairs and tables to be arranged? What type of visual aids will you use to get your point across?
Staying happy and relaxed at work is the sure way to be successful, contented and healthy. Here are some more tips on how to keep chilled in the office:
Invest in a high quality ergonomic office chair
Most office roles involve you being seated for long lengths of time at an office desk. If you are forced to sit on an uncomfortable office chair, this will only increase stress levels and make it extremely difficult for you to relax and ultimately be productive. There is one simple solution – buy yourself a quality new office chair and make sure its one that you find comfortable and relaxing to sit in. Choose one with a padded seat and armrests. Also buy an adjustable chair so that depending on mood and need you can adjust the settings.
Keep your desk clear
Eliminating clutter reduces stress in two ways, firstly clutter and disorganisation distracts the mind from its main focus which should be completing your work tasks. Banish clutter and you will relax and find concentrating easier.
Secondly, the act of decluttering is relaxing in itself. If you feel stressed, take ten minutes out to tidy your desk and arrange documents. Throw out anything you no longer need. It is a symbolic process to the mind and the act of throwing out things is equated to eliminating stress.
Drink Water
Offices can be dehydrating due to air conditioning systems. Regular sips of water will ensure you are fully hydrated and ensure you can focus and concentrate.
Making sure you enjoy going to work is not just dependent on how much you love your job. There are other ways you can keep your mood positive by paying attention to your workspace:
1. Make sure you practice good posture. Sit up straight to keep your circulation flowing.
2. Be aware of signs of eye strain. If your eyes get itchy or dry take time out away from your screen. If you find you have to squint then your workspace is too bright.
3. Ensure you have a good comfortable office chair and give yourself time to adjust to it.
4. Use a phone headset. Many neck problems are caused by people using hand held phones. You’ll be able to multi task with a headset.
5. Keep your desk orderly by tidying away papers at the end of the day.
6. Always say you’ll get back to enquirers rather than saying ‘yes’ straight away. Its human nature to want to accommodate straight away however you can over commit yourself in this way.
7. Always prioritise difficult calls and emails. If you put them off it just gets harder to deal with and you’ll feel energized by completing them.
8. Get outside once a day and have a walk.
Since the onset of the ICT revolution, guidelines have been put in place to limit the amount of time a child is allowed to work at the keyboard. It is as equally important for a child to have an ergonomically designed office chair as it is for an adult - if not more so. This is something that many teachers or parents don’t actually recognise. A young child’s spine is still developing and need the correct support and comfort to ensure healthy growth.
Within the business world more large businesses are buying into the concept that ergonomically designed office furniture is an important part of the health and safety process. Businesses source items such as adjustable office chairs and office desks specifically designed to ensure there are no problems with backache. Ergonomic furniture provides a happy productive workforce.
Currently this way of thinking is not applied to schools and it has been reported that one in three back related injuries can be traced back to childhood. The British Chiropractic Association has revealed that twenty nine percent of children surveyed had complained of some sort of back pain to their parents. Thirty eight percent of parents reported they worry about their child’s posture.
Peter Buckle, Professor at the Robens Centre for Health Ergonomics at Surrey University commented:
“Most people have risk assessments at work and companies call in specialists to look at how to minimise back strain and introduce the correct office chairs and general office furniture to stop these issues, but few schools are taking this kind of advice.”
When designing your own home office set yourself a budget to work with. Achieving maximum functionality does not have to cost a fortune if you plan wisely and research your office furniture choices wisely. The main bulk of the budget will be spent on your office furniture pieces as these will provide the most functionality and ultimately allow you to be as productive as possible.
Set out simple requirements to help you drill down on the choice of furniture available. This will avoid you overstretching your budget and choosing office furniture that offers functionality over an above your needs. For example when choosing a desk you may decide the main functions should be that it can provide space for your computer and keyboard plus provide storage space. The more concise you are about your requirements the less danger there is of overspending and cluttering your office space.
Next look at the type of accessories you require. Make sure they are useful and will help productivity and organisation rather than simply take up room.
To further shave off costs, try looking for items on the internet. When buying office chairs for example you can dramatically reduce costs by buying over the internet.
To do a good job at work you need to be relaxed. Here are some top tips to be relaxed at work:
Have a Good Breakfast
Relaxing in the workplace is much easier with a full, happy tummy! Have a well balanced breakfast before you to work. The best food is oats as this slowly releases energy and will keep you full until lunch.
Shake Those Shoulders
The ability to relax is often thought as a mental process but there are physical exercises that can help the body to relax. If your shoulders are heavy or tense with the pressures of work sitting at your office desk shrug your shoulders and then let them drop. Do it five times and feel the pressure falling away.
Keep Laughing
This is still a number one tip for being relaxed. Laughter is always the best medicine and a top stress buster.
Watch the Time
One of the best ways of relaxing is to tackle areas of stress. If you are constantly late or always put things off for another day you will be in a constant state of stress. Getting rid of these stresses will not only relax you but will keep bosses and colleagues happy. Eliminating stress will increase your health. Get to work a little early each day and try to complete any tasks that have been hanging over you before you end the day.
There are many reports to say that good office design and well thought out office furniture choices increase staff motivation and productivity, however, how does this specifically translate into the workplace? How can a colour scheme or the position of the office desks affect business so positively?
Encouraging Communication in the Workplace
This basic concept aids interaction between staff and teams without intruding on individual working styles and can be very effective when trying to instil a certain culture throughout an organisation.
Adding Home Comforts in a Cutting Edge Design
To create a relaxed environment marry contemporary furniture with stylish sofas and widescreen TVs so that employees and clients alike will feel welcome and at home. To further inspire staff, add welcoming cafes and seating areas or games rooms where staff can unwind in their breaks. This will be seen as a benefit and this is what keeps staff loyal.
Inspiring Spaces
Keep work spaces light and airy to avoid eye strain and to keep staff motivated and alert. Natural daylight will make staff feel more energised and happy in the work place.
Flexible Design
Choosing funky office furniture that can be freestanding and placed around the office will create a quirky feel and encourage creativity and fun.
It has been long accepted that the office environment and the type of office furniture selected can have a huge impact on the employees. More companies than ever are taking this on board, but there is one company that has taken this concept to the core of their business culture.
Google has embraced the use of funky office furniture to create a vibrant, creative work ethic.
There is even a slide that takes you from the work place down into the canteen. Now that is guaranteed to brighten the day of even the most jaded employee!
In complete contrast to the traditional styles of office furniture, office desks and office chairs, Google have opted for office furniture that inspires and expands the imagination of their employees. They provide an unconventional backdrop to the working office with Swiss chalet chairs that are used for meetings held inside igloo pods.
There are also fire poles around the building connecting them to different floors in a fast fun way. At break time, staff can sit in an ambient aquarium room or can chill out in a games room.
There is a spectacular library with lava lamps combined with traditional décor.
In addition to this, Google have hit the targets to show that their staff are more motivated and productive as a result.
If you’re looking to create privacy in a busy office environment then office desk dividers can do just the trick without appearing too imposing and without minimising team work.
In an office where there are large teams of people working together, office desk dividers can form a divide to differentiate between different project teams. They are also useful when trying to use office space more efficiently. These free standing walls can create different work spaces and separate different groups of workers into areas of function or speciality. They reduce noise levels and the amount of distraction in the workplace such as loud switchboard calls and noisy work colleagues.
When looking at dividing a large office into several smaller work spaces using office desk dividers, first take time to measure the space first. Also, measure the office furniture such as office desks and freestanding filing cabinets to ensure you allow enough room.
Try to space the work areas equally to be aesthetically pleasing and to make the space as comfortable as possible for staff.
Speak to the employees before you implement such a new structure, particularly if you are moving workstations. Ask them if they feel it will make a difference to their productivity.
