Now that we have survived the first month of 2013, and the company’s New Year resolutions are rolling into play, it may be helpful to ask, “how else can you further promote productivity in the office?” We at SproutLoud have initiated a few activities that will help strengthen our company culture, as well as promote more productivity and sharing among our departments.
Whether you are a small, medium, or large company; the culture you foster in your employees will influence the productivity levels that it can achieve. For example, this year we have included a suggestion box in a neutral area for employees to offer their thoughts on current policies, procedures, and amenities within the office. We anticipate that this will open the floor to understanding employee needs and wants for a more productive workspace.
We have also initiated a company-wide, monthly, town hall meeting to express our ideas and input on a variety of interoffice issues. This opportunity allows all willing employees to share their voice with the company and with management. It will allow everyone to articulate what they like, don’t like, and give an opportunity to offer new ideas, etc. These meetings, stakeholders will be responsible for following up on the ideas and impediments expressed to facilitate a fully transitional share of ideas to actionable items.
The above are just a few ideas that can be easily implemented to influence sharing and productivity, with little invested time and resources. Investing time in efficiency can save you time in the long run. Other activities we have been facilitating include; monthly happy hour meet-ups, ping-pong table tournaments, pull up competitions, annual awards banquet, and company huddle meetings. Although these are more time and resource intensive, any variation will help influence a company culture of efficiency throughout the workspace.
Since employees spend the majority of their waking hours in the office, and lets face it – It’s not always fun – when introduced with the opportunity to share your thoughts, or have a beer with a team member, it reminds people that their company cares about them. Building a sense of community and interdependence motivates and influences a cooperative workspace which will contribute to higher productivity levels.
