Turn your office into an exceptional workplace. Head to www.area.co.uk to learn more.
With Brexit looming, the need for British organisations to improve already sluggish levels of productivity will increase. The pressure is truly on to find ways of improving performance in our workplaces, and we believe leadership holds the key.
The Puzzle of Productivity: What enhances workplace performance?, a report published in November 2018 by Area and our partners, The United Workplace and Worktech Academy, reveals the quality of leadership overwhelmingly affects the level of productivity in a company. Indeed, over half (53 per cent) of the 120 major organisations surveyed around the world named leadership as the most important factor in boosting performance.
Fewer than a fifth of respondents named environment (18 per cent), wellness (14 per cent), and technology (13 per cent) as being the most important factor. What’s clear from our research and interviews is that while leadership is conclusively regarded as a dominant factor in raising performance, not enough attention is paid to it by those of us involved in creating workplaces.
If people feel supported and handed the chance to shape the organisation’s culture, they are immediately more motivated and productive
Today’s leaders need a greater appreciation of the impact of an effective workplace, and its fusion of physical environment with technology and people. Leaders have the power to make or break a company’s culture, and their commitment to the wellbeing of employees is key to unlocking greater workplace productivity.
Trendsetting technology titans – Apple, Facebook, Amazon, and Google – have, in the last decade, shifted the dial on how the modern workplace should look and feel. Following their lead, today’s workspaces are inspirational, encourage collaboration, increase productivity and spark innovation.
Today’s workplace must be experiential, desirable, and authentic, aligned with brand and culture to both attract and retain staff. Good leaders will be aware of the increasing trends of agile and remote working, recognizing that being attentive to employees’ individual needs and giving them flexibility is crucial to motivating them.
The rise of smartphones, laptops, tablets and other connected devices in the last ten years has revolutionised the way we work. That trend has led to the departure from the classic nine to five office environment. Now there is a demand for all kinds of zones at work – some vibrant and convivial, others quiet, with social connectivity as a vital component. The lines between work and home are becoming increasingly blurred, creating a comfortable, almost leisure environment that fosters much more interaction than ever before. Eating and drinking together is excellent for encouraging collaboration and innovation. It creates a kind of social glue. Knowing what your colleagues’ kids are called, or what their hobbies are, only humanises the atmosphere at work and strengthens the bonds between people.
To achieve a successful workplace environment, it is paramount for business leaders to set the tone and display a commitment to change
Relocating to a new workplace represents a great opportunity for change and, as with digital transformation (which might happen at the same time), it can become a fantastic motivator for staff, especially if their needs and desires are taken into account. It is important for there to be true connections all the way through the organisation, with design seen as an inclusive process. If there is a disconnect and people are not at the heart of the change, the results will almost certainly be less successful.
The relationship between leaders and staff is changing, particularly in today’s multi-generational workplace. Employees increasingly need to be thought of as adults. How can employees’ lives be made easier, so they are more at home while at work? Would a bike rack, or showers, or access to a dry-cleaning service, help them? Or opportunities to create connections through clubs, sports classes or charity committees etc.? This is where creating versatility plays an important part – by creating spaces that can serve different purposes, from townhall meetings to yoga classes through to client entertainment spaces etc., it helps support an organisation’s culture. If people feel supported and handed the chance to shape the organisation’s culture, they are immediately more motivated and productive.
Like any good workplace seeking to improve itself, asking its consumers – in this case employees – what would make their work life better is an invaluable exercise. Regular staff workshops, forums and surveys, plus reviewing all the data available to HR and IT departments can make the constant improvement of workplace performance achievable.
Today’s leaders need a greater appreciation of the impact of an effective workplace, and its fusion of physical environment with technology and people
Technology has a growing part to play here with sensors able to provide accurate data of how that workplace may be functioning. As ever it is the sensitive interpretation of that data that is the key.
To achieve a successful workplace environment, it is paramount for business leaders to set the tone and display a commitment to change. If they, as role models, don’t buy into it – literally and figuratively – then the culture will struggle which could have wide-reaching consequences on productivity and performance. Matching words with deeds will foster that all-important authenticity.
The puzzle of low productivity remains a difficult one to solve. Change is never straightforward, but we believe that the answers lie in our leaders better understanding the importance of their role in creating better working environments, healthy cultures, and in the relevant technology that enables both.
Turn your office into an exceptional workplace. Head to www.area.co.uk to learn more.
