How Office Design Can Impact Your Team's Productivity and Morale

Some of the best and most recognizable businesses have clawed their way to global renown because of their unparalleled focus on profits and customer experience.

However, the main differentiator between a good and great company is its attention to detail regarding a business’ greatest asset: their team – and a lot of this care manifests in how an office is designed and managed.

The old-world standard of offices being a collection of small desks and even smaller cubicles is quickly starting into history – and that’s because modern work demands change to accommodate workers’ ever-developing needs and expectations from their workplaces.

This matters greatly in a post-pandemic world where remote work and Zoom calls have become the norm.

As a result, many businesses have started to ditch run-of-the-mill office layouts and trade them for more progressive spaces designed with creativity, productivity, and employee morale in mind – and this is all because the way an office looks and feels can greatly influence the way people operate within them, from basic business operations to the flow of communication within your organization.

Let’s dive in a little deeper and touch on a few of the main ways an office’s design and layout can impact your business.

"The way an office looks and feels can greatly influence the way people operate within them, from basic business operations to the flow of communication within your organization."

It Supports Collaboration And Communication

Whether you’re running a smaller startup with a lean team of under ten people or managing a sprawling workforce of a hundred, much of your business relies on effective communication and collaboration – and offices can be the perfect place to make this happen. However, many things can go wrong during office planning and design and hinder these goals, instead.

Luckily, research on office layouts and their impact on collaboration and communication has swelled in the last few years, especially following the pandemic.

Results have shown that many offices experience an uptick in collaborative efforts within flexible private offices, and this is all because it’s easier to align your team with the company’s overall goals throughout different departments and units when you can see each other.

A good way of looking at it is likening your office to a factory floor where every little part of the manufacturing process is carefully built into the overall workflow for maximum efficiency and productivity. Like this hyper-tuned manufacturing flow, different parts of your team need to openly communicate and collaborate to reach your key business goals.

A note for the conscious office manager, however: these points of collaboration needn’t be such a big deal in the day-to-day.

Instead, planning social, communal areas within the office where folks can grab a drink or snack to stop, and chat can impact overall communication within the office – while also allowing a little bit of breathing room for rest and relaxation.

It Accommodates Both Individual And Team-based Work

As we mentioned earlier, collaboration and communication are cornerstones of an efficient workplace, but the constant buzz of noise can also kill a person’s productivity if left unmanaged.

However, this doesn’t mean that ditching the cost-effective open-plan office is the only solution. Instead, simply improving upon the existing design is more than sufficient. This is where a mixed-use space comprising both public and private work areas comes in to save the day (and your profits.)

Giving your workforce the option for enclosed areas allows them to hunker down and focus on more pressing problems or technical tasks without being distracted by other people. This way, folks will be able to take calls, pore over documents, and reach deeper levels of concentration of focus when necessary.

It Gives Your Team Space To Decompress

More often than not, when people discuss “well-designed offices”, they’re referring to a sanctuary built in the name of productivity and industry. However, actual thoughtfully constructed workspaces balance the hustle with relaxation.

Here’s the thing about great work: it requires real, restorative rest to achieve – and when people spend such a big chunk of their days at work, there needs to be a space to unwind every now and then.

In modern offices, these little pockets of peace tend to manifest in the form of informal breakout rooms, wellness centers, and more traditional break rooms lined with recreational activities.

While this may seem a little counterintuitive for some office managers, studies have shown that having these relaxation options can greatly improve workers’ creativity – which means they can come up with newer, better solutions for old problems.

A Beautiful, Comfortable Space Contributes To Overall Well Being

Generally speaking, offices are usually pretty low on the list of scenic hotspots – but this doesn’t need to be the case.

A common misconception about maintaining a beautiful office space is that it’s solely meant for clients rather than the people who actually work there, but the truth is that it works wonders for both groups.

While it's true that maintaining a swanky spot in a fancy downtown area improves your public image and paints images of prestige and luxury, clients aren’t the only people who feel the impact.

Businesses can’t function without the folks who incrementally push the needle toward the company’s goals, and luckily, they benefit from a beautiful workplace just as much as the people who visit.

Maintaining the area makes them feel valued and like their time is well-spent at work – which means they’re more likely to self-identify with the company’s goals and devote their efforts to supporting it.

While seemingly inane, smaller details like pops of color, greenery, and neat outdoor spaces can create a calm atmosphere that promotes focus and happiness throughout the day – while also demonstrating that your company operates on a person-first philosophy.

That said, it’s also essential to go beyond how an office looks. The overall comfort level and feel are also critical factors.

Environmental elements like air quality, lighting, and smell all significantly contribute to overall comfort and satisfaction while at the office. Happier people are more productive people, and fulfilling these basic requirements can pay off tenfold.

It Provides Much-needed Flexibility And Freedom

As even the most traditional businesses start to shift to a more future-proof format that combines both in-person and remote work, the need for flexible offices grows.

In a post-pandemic world, more folks have started to hone their workflows around flexibility – with some working from the comfort of home half of the week and returning to take meetings for the rest.

Offices have adapted to make room for more effective space utilization by breaking down internal boundaries and opting instead for a more communal space.

As we mentioned earlier, gone is the era of mass-produced cubicles. Instead, many companies have started transforming their spaces into a mishmash of flexible desks and collaborative zones – meaning workers can choose how they access their workplaces, affording them greater freedom and agency over their days.

When offices are designed around people and profit versus one over the other, you achieve two things: happier workers and better, more impactful business outcomes – everything you want from your folks on the ground.

Find The Best Office For Your Tulsa Business

Today’s offices are more than just a room to get work done in – they’re second homes and temples of productivity for many. As such, you and your workforce deserve the best at reasonable rates.

Drop us a line to check out one of our many office options in downtown Tulsa – we might just have the perfect spot for you.