10 Simple Ways to Make Your Office More Inviting

NEW YORK - Nov. 27, 2013 - PRLog -- The modern office need not be a place of drudgery and boredom. Gone are the days of endless rows of cubicles, industrial carpeting, and painful lighting. We can use the space around us to influence our mood, productivity, and workflow. It's not necessary to create over-the-top, Google-esque spaces (where employees enjoy slides, bicycles, and free food), but a few small changes can go a long way in making your office more comfortable for your employees, guests, and clients. Robert Bielsky, Founder of Manhattan Commercial Realty (http://www.mcrny.com/), offers 10 ways to make your office more inviting.

1. Make your conference rooms more engaging

White boards, chalk boards, and touch-screen monitors can turn a dull meeting into a hands-on experience. Some ideas are explained more easily with visuals, and ready-to-go presentation tools help groups get more done. You won't have to schedule another meeting just to present your ideas; just stand up and jot it down. You'll be able to convey meanings more freely, and identify and solve problems quickly.

2. Accent colors can brighten up small spaces

Color is very important to us. It influences our feelings and behavior. A splash of color on walls and office accessories (like stools, ottomans, or lamp shades) can nicely compliment your workplace's culture and ambiance. Rooms will look brighter and larger, and you can use clever color schemes to direct your employees/coworkers' moods. Add yellow to inspire creativity and vibrancy, or blue to instill relaxation and tranquility.

3. Make sure your employees have all the supplies they need.

There's nothing worse than fighting just to do your job. Office furniture and supplies are business expenses, and it's up to the business to provide them. If your employees are forced to bring their own pens, staplers, notebooks, and printer paper, chances are they're secretly looking for new jobs. It shouldn't cost anything to go to work.

Maintain a well-stocked cabinet of supplies. Track what goes in and out so you know your generosity isn't being abused, but don't stress over every pen that goes missing. Even non-business items like hand sanitizer, lotion, or spare phone chargers can go a long way in making your employees enjoy their work environment. It also helps to have these amenities if you entertain clients.

4. Give out candy or other freebies.

There's no denying that people love free stuff -- especially free food. Offer something of value to coworkers, clients, or passers-by, even if it's something as trivial as a little treat, free pen, or sticker. People like to feel like they're getting the better deal. If you're creating an inviting workspace in order to capture potential sales leads, inspire your employees to do better, or just portray your brand positively, it's always easier to win someone over after you've done them a favor.

If you're the boss, buy your staff lunch every once in a while. It doesn't have to be more than a few times a year, and you can time it after a particularly successful event -- maybe a great sales month or the completion of a project. Telling your staff you appreciate them is one thing, but showing them is better.

5. Build a community decoration project.

It may sound cheesy, but quirky projects and games do bring people together. Find some space on your wall, and by using a white board or sheets of poster-board, encourage your staff or coworkers to contribute to its decoration. Add inspirational quotes, words of encouragement, deadlines to build motivation ("13 days to deploy!"), or photos of each other.

6. Promote recycling and green living.

Everyone needs to pitch in when it comes to our environment. That's especially true for our work spaces, where we confine ourselves for a third of the day, all week. Litter and clutter can create distractions and make people value the workplace less. Leave plenty of opportunities for your staff to discard refuse and recyclable materials properly. Have your space cleaned with eco-friendly cleaning products so no one is irritated by harsh chemicals. If you give your employees the tools to treat their office space like their home, they will.

7. Create a clean space; only what you need.

Our brains pick up on the clutter that's around us. Untidy rooms and desks can be distracting, even if the mess is work-related. If it doesn't require your immediate attention, put it away in a drawer or filing cabinet, or on the floor so it's out of your sight. Your workspace should contain only the task you've decided to work on right now. Use in/out trays to sort your paperwork by relevance and urgency. Use to-do lists to simplify your priorities. This is often very difficult for people, especially those whose job requires them to constantly switch tasks and juggle multiple things, but it can be done.

8. Make your space comfortable.

Ergonomic environments have become increasingly popular. As our culture changes and more people spend entire days at their computer, it's ever-more important to protect your body by supporting it properly. Purchase or arrange office furniture so it's ergonomically-friendly.

Make sure your feet are always placed solidly on the floor. Keep proper posture with your head up and back straight. Your chair arms should be level with your keyword and your wrists should be straight so they float about the keyboard.

9. Personalize your workspace.

Work isn't everything, so it's alright to allow a bit of our personal lives bleed into our work environment, as long as it doesn't become too much. Pictures of family members or loved ones can spur motivation and remind us why we're working in the first place. Since we're more comfortable in visually appealing spaces, it's important to avoid spending 8 hours per day in large, sanitary-white rooms. Plants, candles, flowers, and small tokens are popular amongst office workers.

10. Promote distraction-free time blocks.

We waste a lot of time throughout the day switching tasks. Answering a caller's question may only take a moment, but you also have to consider the time it takes your brain to adjust to the new topic, and then remember your place when the call is over. This is compounded if your interruptions require you to go find more information like a file from a cabinet or an old email.

Create spaces in your office designated for no-disturbances, where employees can go to avoid their phone, email, or interruptions by other employees. Encourage them to use these spaces for a determined about of time every day.

Note to the media: Robert Bielsky, Founder and Chairman of mCr, is extremely mediagenic and can offer the best tips and advice regarding New York Real Estate. To schedule an interview with Robert Bielsky, Founder and Chairman, please contact Tasha Mayberry, Director Marketing and PR, at pr@mcrny.com or call direct 207.317.6099.