An entrepreneurs office without 4 walls? Featured
It's a question that many entrepreneurs need to ask themselves but many don't. Why do we believe that an office means sitting in a room, on a chair, with a desk and computer screen in front of us, confined by 4 walls? If you are a one-man band, you tend to show more flexibility, but once entrepreneurs start employing people, down go the curtains, the door is shut and everyone is tied to their desks until they have completed a good days work.
Is this conducive to higher productivity and greater employee satisfaction?
It's not just entrepreneurs that suffer the fate of routine and fulfilling what they believe is an expectation. I don't know how many times I have said to my staff for them to work from home, a park, the beach - whatever, particularly when they have a deadline to meet and the phone in the office doesn't stop ringing.
They just don't do it and if they do, they don't do it often enough. Yes, a small business will always need someone in the office to answer the phone, but other than that, are we not better encouraging our people and ourselves to sit on a park bench and write a proposal, or enjoy a day at the beach with an umbrella and ipad? Are we really going into the cloud for little reason at all?
Training ourselves to change our routine, open up to the environment and a more creative space, is hard. It means we need to alter our expectations. Be adaptable to change. Mix up our routine a little. Talk to people we wouldn't normally talk to. Have fun in the workplace.
Just food for thought. This week I am going to mix it up a bit and work odd hours, spend time walking in the park, create havoc in the office and send every single person out for at least one hour on Monday to walk the streets of the cities in which their offices are in and take in their surrounds. Soak it up. See who is advertising, what window displays stand out, the best coffee outside the 100 metre radius and so on.
What can you do to mix it up in your office and create a bit of joy?
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comments ( 12 )
David
22 May 2012Bit of routine is always good. If i worked at home everyday, i would find too many distractions and may not get work done, I like a mix in my routine. Entrepreneurs seem to be travelling everywhere and be out in the open. They can be doing work and be seen by people all over the world.
ReplyJanelle
13 Apr 2012What a difference a new, fresh environment can make to stimulate the mind! The workplace has that unfortunate knack of being stale and uninspiring. A change of routine by opening up your creative space has the potential to make way for more stimulated and inspired staff. A great blog that reminds us that the workplace needs to be an innovative and stimulating space. This sometimes means breaking down the four walls that seem to prescribe our work routine.
ReplyJanelle
12 Apr 2012What a difference a new, fresh environment can make to stimulate the mind! The workplace has that unfortunate knack of being stale and uninspiring. A change of routine by opening up your creative space has the potential to make way for more stimulated and inspired staff. A great blog that reminds us that the workplace needs to be an innovative and stimulating space. This sometimes means breaking down the four walls that seem to prescribe our work routine.
ReplyRaihan
12 Apr 2012Wow! I have yet to meet an employer who understands fully what every other person needs! Not just employees need some time to clear their mind, but every human being does. Its common for employees to think that their focus needs to be on work from the moment they step into the office, but everyone needs a break once in awhile and who knows a new environment might just boost up their progress.
ReplyBrittany
10 Apr 2012It's always hard to find a happy medium between having a focused and quiet work environment and an open and creative environment.
ReplyI think it all depends on the type of work to be done, such as writing a report is easier in an office with no distractions whereas brainstorming an idea would be best done in a park.
Either way, it is always important to take time out to have a breath of fresh air and walk around the streets to relax and open our minds.
Josh
05 Apr 2012No better way to clear the mind then by taking a break from it all especially when you are "stuck" or "bogged down". A quick getaway from it all can work wonders!
ReplyRen
04 Apr 2012This is another yet insightful blog. What a better way to inspire your fellow employees. Take a walk outside of the normal working realms that we are all bound by. Give ourselves more ideas on how to improve our knowledge banks and expand creativity.
ReplyHow often are we sitting at our desks and can't find an excuse to get away. Here's our excuse right here, we should take a walk outside to see what the rest of the world has to say about marketing communications. How is a product or service being marketed? What can be done to improve on this idea?
Again if we are inspired by different things that we see and if we get a break from work, then we can return to work, and become more productive in our jobs overall.
Yvonne Kushnir
03 Apr 2012I agree. The expectations and pressure of being successful are impeding on peoples ability to relax, take time out, and just enjoy their time with people who really matter in their lives. In today's day and age, people completely underestimate the importance of taking a break and de-cluttering their lives.
ReplyCedric
03 Apr 2012Hi Mellissah,
ReplyWhat you are saying is quite true but I join the Pauline's Idea.
Having this environment at the office could be even better for everyone. No need to pick up the phone to have the info stayed at the office or to answer to someone needs us at the real work place.
This kind of environment is usually found in ad agencies which need to put their creatives in the best environment possible for letting their creativity emerge but according to it shouldn't be only for this kind of companies.
Pauline
02 Apr 2012It would have been great if companies had tehir own environment outdoors. It would be more productive for eveyone! This is like a dream !
ReplyLaura
02 Apr 2012I like this article !
ReplyEllah
02 Apr 2012Hi Melissah,
ReplyThis is a great topic for creatives and entrepreneurs. I think we have been conditioned to think that sitting at desks equates to productivity and task completion but what people need to know that in this fast paced business world, inspiration is vital. Taking breaks from the office and working outdoors as mentioned definitely helps provide and re-ignite the creativity in all of us. We must all aim to further improve our minds, businesses and ideas.
If all else fails, recreating your working environment by changing ambiance can certainly bring peace and joy in the office. This can be achieved by art or a maybe bring the outdoors indoors by adding flowers to a desk.