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This week's focus is on our working spaces. In general, traditional office spaces tend to provide two types of working spaces: one kind of space for people to work by themselves (in an office, a cubicle, an open-plan workstation, etc.) and a meeting room for formal meetings. If you are lucky, you have a coffee machine/tea kettle somewhere. In reality we need a variety of working places, depending on the type of work we are doing, which may change throughout the day, week, and month. For part of the day, we need to hunker down alone and analyse, program, or write. Later we may need to meet with our manager, or a few team members on a project, or go to a formal meeting, and certainly at some point we will need to take a break from whatever we are doing to have a cup of tea or a cold drink and a snack or lunch. Where will all of this type of work get done? As well, part of working life is learning new skills from formal training, and also importantly, having some unstructured time with our colleagues to allow relationships and understanding to grow, so when we work together on a project later, or need some specialised information, we know a bit about that person already. Offices need to provide this kind of diversity of spaces, or allow their staff to access a diversity of space, if it is not within the current configuration of the office. Not only is it important for the optimal functioning of your current staff, but it can also help with your recruiting as well when you provide a flexible workspace with a variety of ways to work. Working spaces are where we spend the bulk of our waking hours: what if they helped us become MORE healthy and energised instead of the reverse? Read on for more on this topic! Picnic table wisdomLike many startups, an earlier company I worked with began in a living room. Our first proper office had a large south-facing deck with a picnic table, and except when it was raining, it was where we all gathered to eat lunch, have after-work parties, conduct small meetings, and just pause during the day to catch our breath and rethink a problem. That deck space represented a place where everyone was included and sat together; there was no place for ‘cool kids’ to separate themselves, or for introverts to hide. If you went to the deck, you were included in the community. Conversations flowed easily and creatively. Everyone was valued. It was a serendipitous discovery of one of the many things that made our workplace an amazingly creative and positive place. When we were moving to a new office due to growing staff size, I knew we had to recreate that ‘picnic table’ community culture somehow, even though we wouldn't have a deck. We had a huge bright long space for the kitchen and eating areas. But whilst the president suggested cafe tables and bar stools which would look nice, I knew our staff NEEDED the singular picnic table. We valued collaboration, and that sense of inclusion. But of course we were now no longer an office of 15 people, we were 35 plus several other offices. How could we all fit around our very weathered 6-person picnic table? After some research, I found a VERY long picnic table. It was one of the first things to get installed in the new space, and it worked like a charm. Everyone instinctively gathered there and it became the site of hilarious lunchtime conversations, birthday party celebrations, impromptu meetings, and the pausing place when waiting for a cup of tea, or the next pot of coffee to brew. So whilst a table may be just a place to eat, for our company it reinforced the culture of inclusion and collaboration. Consider what your company’s ‘picnic tables’ are and how they reinforce and support your culture. You may be surprised at what you discover! A few articles on work spaceCreating people-centred workplaces Create a people-centred workplace using a flexible design that encourages all kinds of people to do their best work, so the entire office is a 'productivity-builder'. http://workdesign.com/2016/05/an-office-that-moves-people/ Offices that work for introverts as well as extroverts We all know open offices have their downsides, particularly for introverts as well as those who need quiet uninterrupted time to focus, but done thoughtfully and with an appreciation of needs for other types of spaces as well, open offices have value if they are part of a suite of working options. http://www.fastcompany.com/3021206/dialed/how-to-create-an-open-office-that-is-more-awesome-for-both-introverts-and-extroverts 'Space is both a reflection and a projection of company culture' But that doesn't mean you need foosball tables and your logo pasted everywhere. Instead, use your own data to learn what is being used and when, ask your staff for their opinions, and make the best use of your space for the functions you actually need and use - not what you think you are supposed to have. http://blogs.hbr.org/2014/07/design-offices-to-be-more-like-neighborhoods Fun Friday Workplaces
I always love to hear from you, what you think about any of these articles, if you have a suggestion or link to one of your favourites, and if you just want to say hi.
And as ever, I hope you have a brilliant weekend! -Sabrina Twitter: https://twitter.com/brilliantworki Pinterest: https://uk.pinterest.com/coworkplymouth/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PlymouthCowork/
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This week's focus is on communication. There has been a lot of 'communication' recently on a some very big and important national and international issues (in the US and the UK, anyway), and due to social media and the variety of ways to communicate, it can sometimes all be a bit overwhelming. So all the more reason that every piece of your communication with your staff, your customers and your suppliers should be clear, respectful and true to your values (see last week's post for more on that). From a quick email to a bid offer, to an annual report, the tone and the values embedded in how you communicate are just as important to your audience as the message itself. Your method of communication should be tailored to your audience, as should your message. And in what ways do you focus on listening? Let me know what you think about the importance of communication, and ways you've found that work well within your organisation. Reinforce your company storyWhen I was part of the team growing a company from 6 people to 100, we wanted a personal way to thank our clients and overall community each year. We wanted it to coincide with sending Christmas or holiday cards, but we wanted ours to be distinctive and reflect our company values and personality - a way to reinforce our brand. The first year when we had 10 of us all located in one office, we bought some nice looking cards that had nature images and that supported a similarly like-minded charity, addressed the envelopes for about 60 clients and friends, and put the cards with a bunch of different coloured pens around a big table and anyone who knew that client could write a little note and sign the cards. After a couple of years doing that, we decided to make our own cards and looked around for suitable images. We considered an internal competition for designs as we had some fantastic artists on staff, but we decided that would get complicated, and might cause bad feelings for those not chosen. Not to mention we were fantastically busy and didn’t want to distract too much staff time. We ended up finding a non-profit group that supported children around the world learning about and creating images of the watersheds in their own backyards, which reflected exactly what we did: study and improve river basin health. It was a perfect match - we donated to the charity in return for the rights to use one of the beautiful images created by the children each year. We continued to set up a table with all the envelopes addressed and a bevy of colourful pens, and all staff were encouraged to write personal notes to the recipients. Our clients loved the personal notes, and many said they kept the cards up on their desks for months as the artwork was so gorgeous and thematic of their work. But as the size of the company grew, it got more complicated! We grew in size (up to 100 staff), we grew to five offices in three states, plus several satellite home offices. We also grew our clients and friends who deserved cards, well into the several hundreds. The logistics became pretty complicated, but our clients had come to look forward to these personalised cards, and it happened to coincide with the industry trend towards electronic very impersonal ‘ecards’ sent en masse by our competitors in the name of saving trees and energy. However, we continued our old-fashioned practice because we believed the very personal and handmade quality of our cards spoke to the careful and very personalised service our clients expected from us. And it worked. Our cards were found on many desks, and most of our clients mentioned their delight in the personalised notes, and how much they looked forward to seeing what picture we would select each year. They became such a statement of our company that when we moved to bigger offices and were selecting artwork for our colourful walls, we had a series of our favourite images from the cards made into wall-sized posters and framed for the hallways. Staff and visiting clients alike were delighted to recognise their favourites on our walls. So when thinking about how you communicate both internally and externally, remember that every connection you make with your clients will make an impact. Don't miss the chance to use that connection to reinforce your ‘brand’ values: what you stand for and how you want your clients and staff to think about you. A few articles on CommunicationBehaviour is your secret brand strategy Great article from one of local branding agencies: It is NOT your logo image, but rather how you behave throughout your organisation that is the biggest factor for determining how customers view your brand. http://www.alderandalder.co.uk/brand-behaviour-creating-perfect-brand-experience/ 'How might we...' use language to shape creativity As the authors say in the linked article: "What we say-- and how we say it--can deeply affect a company's culture. To change attitudes and behaviours, it helps to first change the vernacular. https://hbr.org/2014/01/use-language-to-shape-a-creative-culture/ What makes an employee highly engaged? Turns out, most of the factors that describe a highly engaged employee have to do with strong communication of the values that are proven* to create satisfaction: autonomy, mastery, and purpose. Here is a graphic that shows the characteristics of highly engaged employees versus those who are not: https://image-store.slidesharecdn.com/2046241c-a0dd-4ce0-ae81-927ab27f7204-original.jpeg * Daniel Pink, Drive. Here is a short video describing the concepts in Drive: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6XAPnuFjJc Fun Friday WorkplacesIt's Fun Friday workplaces! Following this week's communication theme, I like the use of a clever speech bubble whiteboard in this small meeting room. There are are other great features to make your meeting room a little bit more creative and unusual: the larger-than-life sized desk lamp is reminiscent of the bouncing Pixar icon, and the bright yellow colours spark up an otherwise calming colour scheme. Plus, using comfy stools rather than chairs, hopefully your meeting won't go on for too long! (photo found on officesnapshots.com)
Early on working for my first start-up company, we figured out that our company culture permeated everything. Every choice we made, from the way we organised the company structure (partnership) to the kind of office space we chose to work in (moderately private offices with lots of open collaboration spaces), to the way we interacted amongst ourselves (informal and very collaborative) and of course the way we dealt with our clients (very transparent with high ethical standards and honesty, even if it wasn't what our clients wanted to hear) reflected and demonstrated our values, brand and culture. In each company I've started up since, that same goal of identifying our values from the beginning has helped us implement a consistent culture and has been a wonderful way to make decisions easier. In this post, I've compiled a few articles and links to information that can help you think a bit more about your own company culture. Let me know what you think! Picnic Table Wisdom Like many startups, an earlier company I worked with began in a living room. Our first proper office had a large south-facing deck with a picnic table, and except when it was raining, it was where we all gathered to eat lunch, have after-work parties, conduct small meetings, and just pause during the day to catch our breath and rethink a problem. That deck space represented a place where everyone was included and sat together; there was no place for ‘cool kids’ to separate themselves, or for introverts to hide. If you went to the deck, you were included in the community. Conversations flowed easily and creatively. Everyone was valued. It was a serendipitous discovery of one of the many things that made our workplace an amazingly creative and positive place. You can read the rest of this article here: http://www.brilliantworking.com/blog/picnic-table-wisdom A few articles on Culture Culture eats strategy every time One of my favourite explanations of why culture is so important to guide your company, and how some of the simplest actions reverberate so thoroughly. Here is the link to the article: http://www.wolffolins.com/views/44265521288/culture-still-eats-strategy-every-time It is not what you make, it is what you stand for Jim Collins on how to describe what you stand for so it actually does some good. He describes five important characteristics of a good expression of a company's core purpose. Here is a link to the article: http://www.jimcollins.com/article_topics/articles/its-not-what-you-make.html The value of your brand from the beginning Five useful tips for small businesses to help get their brand (which derives from the culture) right from the beginning. Here is a link to the article: http://www.theguardian.com/small-business-network/2015/jun/17/small-business-make-brand-successful-customers Fun Friday Workplaces It's Fun Friday workplaces! If you are lucky enough to have a large space, here is a great way to create flexible spaces within it. This way you can provide special event spaces, training rooms, small group work areas that only need a short term use, and so on, without permanently taking up space that can be used for other purposes and in other configurations at other times. (photo from gallery.australianinteriordesignawards.com).  FINALLY
I love to hear from you: what you think about any of these articles, a suggestion or link to one of your favourites, and if you just want to say hi. And as always, I hope you have a brilliant weekend! -Sabrina PS. I am in the process of switching over my social media accounts that have to do with workplaces and better working practices from Plymouth Cowork to Brilliant Working. For now, most of my past content is on the Plymouth Cowork sites; eventually it will be transitioned to names with Brilliant Working. Twitter: https://twitter.com/brilliantworki Pinterest: https://uk.pinterest.com/coworkplymouth/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PlymouthCowork/
There is almost always something you can do to improve the place where you work each day, no matter where you work. If you work in an office, is there a place where you can focus, enabling quiet concentrated work? Do you have a place to hold a meeting with colleagues without disturbing others? If you work from home, do you have a professional place to meet with clients? Or a way to interact with others in order to keep up with your professional skills?
Here are 5 ways to improve how you do your work each day: |
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